Compact directional radiation detector system
US10605932B1 · kind B1 · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 6, 2019 |
| Grant date | Mar 31, 2020 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 23, 2039 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01V5/281
- WIPO fieldEnvironmental technology
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Disclosed is a directional gamma ray or neutron detector system that locates a radioactive source both horizontally and vertically. In some embodiments, the system comprises four “side” detectors arrayed around a detector axis, and an orthogonal “front” detector mounted frontward of the side detectors. Embodiments can calculate the azimuthal angle of the source based on the detection rates of the side detectors, while the polar angle of the source may be calculated from the front detector rate using a predetermined angular correlation function, thereby localizing the source from a single data set without iterative rotations. In applications such as hand-held survey meters, walk-through portals, vehicle cargo inspection stations, and mobile area scanners, embodiments enable rapid detection and precise localization of clandestine nuclear and radiological weapons.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.