Matrix-form proportional-mode radiation detector

Claim 2

A proportional radiation detector comprising, in combination, a matrix of detector cells, said matrix comprising two groups of conductors, the conductors of one group being transverse to and spaced from the conductors of the other group, the conductors within each such group being electrically isolated from adjacent conductors in the same group, each of the conductors of one of said groups comprising a plurality of interconnected conductive members each of which substantially encircles one of the conductors of the other of said groups, and thus forms one of said cells and means for separately detecting an electrical signal from each of said conductors and for indicating the cell address of a gas-ionizing incident in said detector.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1 including means for disabling said address-indicating means in response to the receipt of signals from two of said cells substantially simultaneously.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 1 in which said detector matrix is curvilinear, with the cells thereof oriented along radii from a point located outside of and away from said matrix.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 1 including a plurality of means, each for producing an encoded signal from a separate one of said conductors, register means, and means responsive to the receipt of only one signal from the conductors of each of said groups for transferring said signals to said register means.

Claim 6

Apparatus as in claim 4 including visual display means for receiving said signals from said register means and displaying an image of said radiation.

Claim 7

A proportional radiation detector comprising a plurality of elongated anode elements, a plurality of cathode elements, said cathode elements being spaced from said anode elements, said cathode elements being formed into rows, each cathode element in a given row extending around a pre-determined one of said anode elements, said cathode elements being arranged in columns extending in a direction transverse to the direction in which said anodes extend, with the cathode elements in each column being electrically connected to one anoTher, and a plurality of electrical signal detecting means, one connected to each anode and one connected to each column of cathodes to indicate the co-ordinates of each ionizing event taking place in said radiation detector.

Claim 8

A proportional radiation detector comprising a plurality of elongated anode elements, a plurality of cathode elements, said cathode elements being spaced from said anode elements, said cathode elements being formed into rows, each cathode element in a given row extending around a pre-determined one of said anode elements, said cathode elements being arranged in columns extending in a direction transverse to the direction in which said anodes extend, with the cathode elements in each column being electrically connected to one anoTher, and a plurality of electrical signal detecting means, one connected to each anode and one connected to each column of cathodes to indicate the co-ordinates of each ionizing event taking place in said radiation detector.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 6 in which each of said columns of cathode elements comprises an integral conductive member with a plurality of spaced walls.

Claim 10

Apparatus as in claim 7 in which said walls form troughs, and including other members effectively closing the gaps across said troughs to form each trough into a closed loop around an anode element.

Claim 11

Apparatus as in claim 7 in which each of said cathode elements has integral means forming a conductive loop about one of said anode elements.

Claim 12

Apparatus as in claim 7 including laminae of insulating material bonded between adjacent cathode elements.

Claim 13

Apparatus as in claim 6 in which the array of cathode elements in each row has prismatic symmetry.

Claim 14

A radiation collection and imaging device comprising a plurality of glancing-incidence, tension-polished reflection plates positioned to reflect X-ray radiation to a focal plane, a proportional radiation detector positioned in said focal plane, said detector comprising a matrix of detector cells, said matrix comprising two groups of conductors, the conductors of one group being transverse to and spaced from the conductors of the other group, the conductors within each such group being electrically isolated from adjacent conductors in the same group, each of the conductors of one of said groups comprising a plurality of interconnected conductive members each of which substantially encircles one of the conductors of the other of said groups, and thus forms one of said cells.

Claim 15

A radiation collection and imaging device comprising a plurality of glancing-incidence, tension-polished reflection plates positioned to reflect X-ray radiation to a focal plane, a proportional radiation detector positioned in said focal plane, said detector comprising a matrix of detector cells, said matrix comprising two groups of conductors, the conductors of one group being transverse to and spaced from the conductors of the other group, the conductors within each such group being electrically isolated from adjacent conductors in the same group, each of the conductors of one of said groups comprising a plurality of interconnected conductive members each of which substantially encircles one of the conductors of the other of said groups, and thus forms one of said cells.

Claim 16

A proportional radiation detector comprising, in combination, a matrix of detector cells, said matrix comprising two groups of conductors, the conductors of one group being transverse to and spaced from the conductors of the other group, the conductors within each such group being electrically isolated from adjacent conductors in the same group, a cell being formed at each location in said matrix at which a conductor of one group crosses a conductor of another group, means for separately detecting an electrical signal from each of said conductors and for indicating the cell address of a gas-ionizing incident in said detector, and means for disabling said address-indicating means in response to the receipt of signals from two of said cells substantially simultaneously.

Claim 17

A proportional radiation detector comprising, in combination, a matrix of detector cells, said matrix comprising two groups of conductors, the conductors of one group being transverse to and spaced from the conductors of the other group, the conductors within each such group being electrically isolated from adjacent conductors in the same group, a cell being formed at each location in said matrix at which a conductor of one group crosses a conductor of another group, means for separately detecting an electrical signal from each of said conductors and for indicating the cell address of a gas-ionizing incident in said detector, and means for disabling said address-indicating means in response to the receipt of signals from two of said cells substantially simultaneously.

Claim 18

A proportional radiation detector comprising, in combination, a matrix of detector cells, said matrix comprising two groups of conductors, the conductors of one group being transverse to and spaced from the conductors of the other group, the conductors within each such group being electrically isolated from adjacent conductors in the same group, each of the conductors of one of said groups comprising a plurality of interconnected conductive members each of which substantially encircles one of the conductors of the other of said groups, and thus forms one of said cells, another matrix like said first-named matrix, with the cells of said other matrix aligned behind the corresponding cells of said first-named matrix.

Claim 19

A proportional radiation detector comprising, in combination, a matrix of detector cells, said matrix comprising two groups of conductors, the conductors of one group being transverse to and spaced from the conductors of the other group, the conductors within each such group being electrically isolated from adjacent conductors in the same group, each of the conductors of one of said groups comprising a plurality of interconnected conductive members each of which substantially encircles one of the conductors of the other of said groups, and thus forms one of said cells, another matrix like said first-named matrix, with the cells of said other matrix aligned behind the corresponding cells of said first-named matrix.

Claim 20

A proportional radiation detector comprising, in combination, a matrix of detector cells, said matrix comprising two groups of conductors, the conductors of one group being transverse to and spaced from the conductors of the other group, the conductors within each such group being electrically isolated from adjacent conductors in the same group, each of the conductors of one of said groups comprising a plurality of interconnected conductive members each of which substantially encircles one of the conductors of the other of said groups, and thus forms one of said cells, means for separately detecting an electrical signal from each of said conductors and for indicating the cell address of a gas-ionizing incident in said detector, and means for moving said detector relative to sAid source, and for indicating the relative positions of said source and said detector.

Claim 21

A proportional radiation detector comprising, in combination, a matrix of detector cells, said matrix comprising two groups of conductors, the conductors of one group being transverse to and spaced from the conductors of the other group, the conductors within each such group being electrically isolated from adjacent conductors in the same group, each of the conductors of one of said groups comprising a plurality of interconnected conductive members each of which substantially encircles one of the conductors of the other of said groups, and thus forms one of said cells, means for separately detecting an electrical signal from each of said conductors and for indicating the cell address of a gas-ionizing incident in said detector, and means for moving said detector relative to sAid source, and for indicating the relative positions of said source and said detector.

Claim 22

Apparatus as in claim 15 in which any point on said detector is moved over an area no greater than the area of one of said cells.

Claim 23

A proportional radiation detector comprising, in combination, a matrix of detector cells, said matrix comprising two groups of conductors, the conductors of one group being transverse to and spaced from the conductors of the other group, the conductors within each such group being electrically isolated from adjacent conductors in the same group, a cell being formed at each location in said matrix at which a conductor of one group crosses a conductor of another group, means for separately detecting an electrical signal from each of said conductors and for indicating the cell address of a gas-ionizing incident in said detector, and means for disabling said address-indicating means in response to the receipt of signals from two of said cells substantially simultaneously, said disabling means including electrical signal level sensing means connected to one group of conductors for producing an output signal only when its input signal has a magnitude which is no greater than a base value which is approximately equal to the magnitude of the signal of one of said conductors.

Claim 24

A proportional radiation detector comprising, in combination, a matrix of detector cells, said matrix comprising two groups of conductors, the conductors of one group being transverse to and spaced from the conductors of the other group, the conductors within each such group being electrically isolated from adjacent conductors in the same group, a cell being formed at each location in said matrix at which a conductor of one group crosses a conductor of another group, means for separately detecting an electrical signal from each of said conductors and for indicating the cell address of a gas-ionizing incident in said detector, and means for disabling said address-indicating means in response to the receipt of signals from two of said cells substantially simultaneously, said disabling means including electrical signal level sensing means connected to one group of conductors for producing an output signal only when its input signal has a magnitude which is no greater than a base value which is approximately equal to the magnitude of the signal of one of said conductors.

Claim 25

Apparatus as in claim 17 including a second one of said level sensing means, all of the conductors in the other group being connected to said second level sensing means, AND circuit means, and means for connecting the outputs of said level sensing means to the input terminals of said AND circuit means.

Claim 26

Apparatus as in claim 18 including gate means, address encoding means connected as an input to said gate means, register means, the output of said AND circuit means being connected to said gate means to read encoded address information into said register means.

Claim 27

A proportional radiation detector comprising, in combination, a matrix of detector cells, said matrix comprising two groups of conductors, the conductors of one group being transverse to and spaced from the conductors of the other group, the conductors within each such group being electrically isolated from adjacent conductors in the same group, a cell being formed at each location in said matrix at which a conductor of one group crosses a conductor of another group, means for separately detecting an electrical signal from each of said conductors and for indicating the cell address of a gas-ionizing incident in said detector, and means for creating in each of said cells a substantially uniform electrical field between the crossing conductors of said groups.

Claim 28

A proportional radiation detector comprising, in combination, a matrix of detector cells, said matrix comprising two groups of conductors, the conductors of one group being transverse to and spaced from the conductors of the other group, the conductors within each such group being electrically isolated from adjacent conductors in the same group, a cell being formed at each location in said matrix at which a conductor of one group crosses a conductor of another group, means for separately detecting an electrical signal from each of said conductors and for indicating the cell address of a gas-ionizing incident in said detector, and means for creating in each of said cells a substantially uniform electrical field between the crossing conductors of said groups.

Claim 29

Apparatus as in claim 20 in which the conductors of one of said groups comprise wires each of which crosses over a plurality of the conductors in the other of said groups.

Claim 30

Apparatus as in claim 21 in which each of the conductors in other of said groups includes conductive walls substantially surrounding and symmetrically spaced from one of said wires at each crossing of one of said wires over one of said other conductors.