Portable x-ray fluorescence spectrometer for environmental monitoring of inorganic pollutants
US5014287A · kind A · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 18, 1990 |
| Grant date | May 7, 1991 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 18, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2223/076
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A portable x-ray fluorescence spectrometer has a portable sensor unit containing a battery, a high voltage power supply, an x-ray tube which produces a beam x-ray radiation directed toward a target sample, and a detector for fluorescent x-rays produced by the sample. If a silicon-lithium detector is used, the sensor unit also contains either a thermoelectric or thermochemical cooler, or a small dewar flask containing liquid nitrogen to cool the detector. A pulse height analyzer ("PHA") generates a spectrum of data for each sample consisting of the number of fluorescent x-rays detected as a function of their energy level. The PHA can also store spectrum data for a number of samples in the field. A processing unit can be attached to the pulse height analyzer to upload and analyze the stored spectrum data for each sample. The processing unit provides a graphic display of the spectrum data for each sample, and provides qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of the elemental composition of the sample by comparing the peaks in the sample spectrum against known x-ray energies for various chemical elements. An optional filtration enclosure can be used to filter particles from a sample su…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.