US3723734A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Indicating or detecting apparatus for nuclear radiation such as gamma rays
Assignee: PVE Ltd
•
Filing: 1970-12-01
•
Granted: 1973-03-27
•
Expires: 1990-12-01
Abstract
Abstract A nuclear radiation detecting or indicating apparatus comprises a mosaic of optically separate scintillator elements which are arranged in a series of first and second elements rows respectively parallel to first and second intersecting axes, each element being in a first and in a second row; a plurality of scintillation detectors arranged to view the scintillation elements, the detectors being more widely spaced from each other than are the elements, and being arranged in first and second detector rows, parallel to the first and second element rows, each detector being in a first and a second detector row, each detecting being adapted to produce a detector pulse in response to a scintillation detected thereby, the amplitude of the pulse being dependent on the position of the scintillation relative to the detector; a respective first output channel for each first element row, and a respective second output channel for each second element row; means for summing simultaneous detector pulses from the detectors in each detector row; an analyzer for each row of detectors for analyzing the simultaneous summed detector pulses thereof into one of a plurality of amplitude ranges, each analyzer having a respective analyzer output for each amplitude range; gating means arranged to receive the outputs of the analysers and to produce simultaneous pulses in a said first and a said second output channel in response to a scintillation of brightness within a predetermined range, thereby in operation defining the element in which said scintillation occurs; the gating means comprising a plurality of logic gates, at least one pair of which is connected in common to at least two analyzer outputs, the logic gates of said at least one pair being adapted to respond differently from each other to a pulse or pulses from the analyzer outputs to which they are connected in common, so that they do not permit simultaneous pulses to occur in their respective output channels.
Inventors
- 👤 G Loveday
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 04:46
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01T; G01T1/00; G01T1/16; G01T1/161; G01T1/164; G01T1/1641; G01T1/1644
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
321 words
In a nuclear radiation detecting or indicating apparatus comprising a mosaic of optically separate scintillator elements which are arranged in a series of first and second element rows respectively parallel to first and second intersecting axes, each element being in a first and in a second row; a plurality of scintillation detectors arranged to view the scintillation elements, the detectors being more widely spaced from each other than are the elements, and being arranged in first and second detector rows, parallel to the first and second element rows, each detector being in a first and a second detector row, each detector being adapted to produce a detector pulse in response to a scintillation detected thereby, the amplitude of the pulse being dependent on the position of the scintillation relative to the detector; a respective first output channel for each first element row, and a respective second output channel for each second element row; means for summing simultaneous detector pulses from the detectors in each detector row; an analyzer for each row of detectors for analyzing the simultaneous summed detector pulses thereof into one of a plurality of amplitude ranges, each analyzer having a respective analyzer output for each amplitude range; gating means arranged to rEceive the outputs of the analyzers and to produce simultaneous pulses in a said first and a said second output channel in response to a scintillation of brightness within a predetermined range, thereby in operation defining the element in which said scintillation occurs; the gating means comprising a plurality of logic gates, at least one pair of which are connected in common to at least two analyzer outputs, the improvement comprising the logic gates of said at least one pair being responsive differently from each other to a pulse or pulses from the analyzer outputs to which they are connected in common, so that they do not permit simultaneous pulses to occur in their respective output channels.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
321 words
In a nuclear radiation detecting or indicating apparatus comprising a mosaic of optically separate scintillator elements which are arranged in a series of first and second element rows respectively parallel to first and second intersecting axes, each element being in a first and in a second row; a plurality of scintillation detectors arranged to view the scintillation elements, the detectors being more widely spaced from each other than are the elements, and being arranged in first and second detector rows, parallel to the first and second element rows, each detector being in a first and a second detector row, each detector being adapted to produce a detector pulse in response to a scintillation detected thereby, the amplitude of the pulse being dependent on the position of the scintillation relative to the detector; a respective first output channel for each first element row, and a respective second output channel for each second element row; means for summing simultaneous detector pulses from the detectors in each detector row; an analyzer for each row of detectors for analyzing the simultaneous summed detector pulses thereof into one of a plurality of amplitude ranges, each analyzer having a respective analyzer output for each amplitude range; gating means arranged to rEceive the outputs of the analyzers and to produce simultaneous pulses in a said first and a said second output channel in response to a scintillation of brightness within a predetermined range, thereby in operation defining the element in which said scintillation occurs; the gating means comprising a plurality of logic gates, at least one pair of which are connected in common to at least two analyzer outputs, the improvement comprising the logic gates of said at least one pair being responsive differently from each other to a pulse or pulses from the analyzer outputs to which they are connected in common, so that they do not permit simultaneous pulses to occur in their respective output channels.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the gating means comprises a logic gate for each output channel, each logic gate being connected to outputs of at least two analyzers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein at least one said logic gate is connected to outputs of three analyzers, said analyzers being for three parallel detector rows each of which is adjacent to at least one of the other two detector rows.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the logic gates of the said pair are functionally different from each other.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
87 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein one of the logic gates of said pair is a coincidence gate, comprising means to permit a pulse in its output channel in response to simultaneous pulses from all said analyzer outputs to which it is connected in common, the other logic gate of said pair comprising means to permit a pulse in its output channel in response to a pulse or pulses from a predetermined number only of the said analyzer outputs, to which it is connected in common.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
58 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said at least one pair of logic gates are connected in common to two said analyzer outputs, the said other logic gate of said pair being adapted to permit a pulse in its output channel in response to a pulse from a predetermined one only of the said two analyzer outputs.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the analyzers comprise means to analyze the simultaneous summed detector pulses into two amplitude ranges, the predetermined one of said analyzer outputs corresponding to the higher amplitude range of the two ranges.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the analyzers comprise means to analyze the simultaneous summed detector pulses into two amplitude ranges.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
56 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising summing means for summing all the simultaneously occurring detector output pulses, each output channel comprising means controlled by signals from the summing means to permit in the output channels only those pulses originating from detector pulses, the total summed amplitudes of which fall within a predetermined total amplitude range.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said logic gates are arranged to receive said signals from the summing means, to be controlled thereby.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising means for directing the output channel pulses to a core storage means or magnetic tape storage means adapted to record at a respective storage address the number of scintillations respectively produced by each scintillator element.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second axes are orthogonal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
57 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising a cathode ray tube and means for directing said simultaneous pulses in a first output channel and in a second output channel respectively to beam deflection means of the cathode ray tube to provide an analog display of the position of the scintillator element in which the said scintillation occurs.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
102 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein the first and second axes are orthogonal, each first output channel being connected via a respective monostable to a first converter means adapted to apply to X-axis beam deflection means of the cathode ray tube an analog signal of magnitude dependent upon from which Said first channel said pulse is emitted, each second output channel being connected via a respective monostable to a second converter means adapted to apply to Y-axis beam deflection means of the cathode ray tube an analog signal of magnitude dependent upon from which said second channel said pulse is emitted.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the scintillator elements are optically screened from each other by light reflecting walls.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-03-26 | 1976-09-25 | 1977-03-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-03-26 | 1980-09-25 | 1981-03-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-03-26 | 1984-09-25 | 1985-03-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |