US3594577A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Indicating or detecting apparatus for nuclear radiation such as gamma rays
Assignee: Ekco Electronics Ltd
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Filing: 1968-12-02
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Granted: 1971-07-20
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Expires: 1988-12-02
Abstract
Abstract A gamma ray indicating or detecting apparatus comprising a mosaic of scintillator elements adapted to produce scintillations, a plurality of scintillation detectors arranged to view the elements, the field of view of each detector extending over a plurality of the elements, and overlapping the field of view of neighboring detectors, each detector being adapted to produce a respective detector pulse in response to a scintillation detected thereby, the peak amplitude of the respective pulse being dependent on the position of the scintillation relative to the detector, the detectors being arranged in parallel rows with reference to a cartesian coordinate system, each row being defined by a respective constant value of one of said coordinates, the detectors being arranged in rows parallel to the elements, the outputs of the detectors in each row being respectively summed to provide a respective row output pulse, the said row output pulses having peak amplitudes falling within predetermined amplitude ranges, and being indicative of the position of the particular scintillation element in the mosaic in which any particular scintillation occurs.
Inventors
- 👤 George Christopher Loveday
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 05:27
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01T; G01T1/00; G01T1/16; G01T1/161; G01T1/164; G01T1/1641; G01T1/1644
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
74 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the interpolator means has a plurality of first output channels, one for each first element row, and a plurality of second output channels, one for each second element row, the said first position pulse and second position pulse of the output signal being emitted in the respective first and second channels corresponding to the first and second element rows in which the particular scintillation element is located.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
210 words
A gamma radiation indicating or detecting apparatus comprising a mosaic of scintillator crystal elements each adapted to produce a scintillation of given intensity when a gamma ray of given energy level is incident thereon, means optically screening the elements from each other, the elements being arranged in a series of first rows parallel to a first axis and in a series of second rows parallel to a second axis intersecting the first, a plurality of scintillation detectors arranged to view said elements, the detectors being more widely spaced than the elements and being arranged in a series of first and second detector rows parallel to the first and second element rows, each detector being in both a first and second detector row thereby to respond to plural elements in both first and second element rows, a plurality of first output channels, one for each first element row, a plurality of second output channels, one for each second element row, and interpolator means to process the summed outputs of each row of detectors in response to a scintillation of given intensity to provide a position pulse in one of the first channels and a position pulse in one of the second channels, identifying the element in which the said scintillation occurred.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
90 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the interpolator means comprises a respective pulse amplitude analyzer for each detector row, each pulse amplitude analyzer having a plurality of outputs, one for each said predetermined amplitude range, and respective common gating means common to the pulse amplitude analyzers of adjacent rows, at least those outputs of the analyzers of adjacent rows whicH do not correspond to the maximum predetermined amplitude level being connected to the respective common gating means, each respective common gating means having at least one said output channel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein each common gating means comprises a plurality of logic gates each having connected to inputs thereof a different pair of analyzer outputs from said analyzers of adjacent rows.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein some of the element rows are coincident with some of the detector rows, the output channels corresponding to these coincident element rows being adapted to receive a respective single analyzer output corresponding to the maximum predetermined amplitude range.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
57 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising further summing means to sum all the simultaneously occurring detector pulses, each output channel comprising means adapted to be controlled by signals from the further summing means to pass only those output signals originating from detector pulses, the total summed amplitudes of which fall within a predetermined total amplitude range.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising a magnetic storage means, and means to direct the first position pulse and the second position pulse to said storage means the storage means being adapted to record at a respective storage address the number of scintillations respectively produced by each scintillator element.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the elements lie in respective first and second element rows parallel to said first and second axes which are orthogonal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
55 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 comprising a cathode-ray tube, and means to apply deflection signals to the first and second deflection means of said cathode-ray tube in response to the X and Y position pulses of the said output signal to provide an analog display of the position of the said particular scintillation element.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the means optically screening the scintillator elements comprise opaque light-reflecting walls.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
98 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the apparatus further comprises a first converter means, a respective monostable connecting each first output channel thereto, the first converter means being adapted to apply to the X deflection means an analog signal of magnitude dependent upon from which said first channel a said pulse is emitted, and a second converter means, a respective monostable connecting each second output channel thereto, the second converter means being adapted to apply to the Y deflection means an analog signal of magnitude dependent upon from which said second channel a said pulse is emitted.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
185 words
In a device for detecting gamma rays, the combination comprising a plurality of element means arranged in m columns and n rows for producing a scintillation in one of said elements when a gamma ray is incident thereon, the rows and columns intersecting each other, detector means arranged in x columns and y rows, each detector positioned to detect scintillations in more than one of said elements, the rows and columns intersecting each other, means for summing the outputs of said detector means and producing first and second sets of output signals, the first set composed of x signals, each proportional to the sum of said outputs in one of said columns, the second set composed of y signals, each proportional to the sum of said outputs in one of said rows, first logic means connected to receive said first set of x output signals for producing a first position signal, second logic means connected to receive said second set of y output signals for producing a second position signal, said first and second position signals indicating which of said elements received a gamma ray.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-07-19 | 1975-01-18 | 1975-07-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-07-19 | 1979-01-18 | 1979-07-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-07-19 | 1983-01-18 | 1983-07-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |