Patent · US Active

Physics-based, Bayesian sequential detection method and system for radioactive contraband

US8676744B2 · kind B2 · utility

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6Claims
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Key dates

Filing dateOct 27, 2008
Grant dateMar 18, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 30, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06N7/01
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A distributed sequential method and system for detecting and identifying radioactive contraband from highly uncertain (noisy) low-count, radionuclide measurements, i.e. an event mode sequence (EMS), using a statistical approach based on Bayesian inference and physics-model-based signal processing based on the representation of a radionuclide as a monoenergetic decomposition of monoenergetic sources. For a given photon event of the EMS, the appropriate monoenergy processing channel is determined using a confidence interval condition-based discriminator for the energy amplitude and interarrival time and parameter estimates are used to update a measured probability density function estimate for a target radionuclide. A sequential likelihood ratio test is then used to determine one of two threshold conditions signifying that the EMS is either identified as the target radionuclide or not, and if not, then repeating the process for the next sequential photon event of the EMS until one of the two threshold conditions is satisfied.

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