Patent · US Active

Radioactive isotope identification

US8374993B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
5References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 16, 2007
Grant dateFeb 12, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 10, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01T1/38
  • WIPO fieldEnvironmental technology
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A method of identifying radioactive components in a source comprising (a) obtaining a gamma-ray spectrum from the source; (b) identifying peaks in the gamma-ray spectrum; (c) determining an array of peak energies and peak intensities from the identified peaks; (d) identifying an initial source component based on a comparison of the peak energies with a database of spectral data for radioactive isotopes of interest; (e) estimating a contribution of the initial source component to the peak intensities; (f) modifying the array of peak energies and peak intensities by subtracting the estimated contribution of the initial source component; and (g) identifying a further source component based on a comparison of the modified array of peak energies with the database of spectral data. Thus a method for identifying radioactive components in a source is provided which does not rely on comparing template spectra with an observed spectrum.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.