# US 8,569,683 B2 · Method and device for monitoring an automatic drift compensation

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- Number: US 8,569,683 B2
- Document ID: US8569683B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/731,890
- Filed: 2010-03-25
- Published: 2010-09-30
- Granted: 2013-10-29
- Earliest claimed: 2009-03-30
- Assignees: Berthold Technologies GmbH & Co. KG
- Applicants: Ewald Freiburger; Juergen Briggmann; Gerhard Kappler
- Inventors: Ewald Freiburger; Juergen Briggmann; Gerhard Kappler
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8569683B2

## CPC

- G01T 1/40: Stabilisation of spectrometers
- G01T 1/20: with scintillation detectors
- G01T: MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION (radiation analysis of materials, mass spectrometry G01N23/00; tubes for determining the presence, intensity, density or energy of radiation or particles H01J47/00)

## Abstract

A device for monitoring an automatic drift compensation of a scintillation counter may include a drift compensation monitoring unit which is designed to evaluate a counting rate caused by a monitoring radiation source for the purpose of monitoring the automatic drift compensation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for monitoring an automatic drift compensation of a scintillation counter having a scintillator, comprising:
applying the radiation from a working radiation source with a working radiation source energy spectrum to the scintillator for automatic drift compensation,
applying the radiation from a monitoring radiation source with a monitoring radiation source energy spectrum, which differs from the working radiation source energy spectrum, to the scintillator, and
evaluating a counting rate caused by the monitoring radiation source for the purpose of monitoring the automatic drift compensation
wherein the automatic drift compensation comprises:
generating amplified electrical pulses having a level that is dependent on the energy of an observed particle of the radiation source and on a gain of the amplification,
determining a first counting rate of pulses having a level that lies above a first threshold,
determining a second counting rate of pulses having a level that lies above a second threshold, the second threshold lying above the first threshold, and
controlling the gain in such a way that a ratio between the first counting rate and the second counting rate corresponds to a predetermined function, in particular remains constant.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring radiation source energy spectrum has spectral components which have a higher energy level than spectral components of the working radiation source energy spectrum.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein in that the radiation from the monitoring radiation source is cosmic radiation.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring radiation source is a potassium-40 radiation source.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, comprising determining a malfunction of the automatic drift compensation if the counting rate caused by the monitoring radiation source exceeds an upper counting rate threshold or falls below a lower counting rate threshold.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein a counting rate caused by the working radiation source is evaluated for the purpose of measuring a process variable.