US3787691A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Source holder collimator for encapsulating radioactive material and collimating the emanations from the material
Assignee: United States Atomic Energy Commission
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Filing: 1973-01-31
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Granted: 1974-01-22
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Expires: 1993-01-31
Abstract
Abstract This invention provides a transportable device capable of detecting normal levels of a trace element, such as lead in a doughnut-shaped blood sample by X-ray fluorescense with a minimum of sample preparation in a relatively short analyzing time. In one embodiment, the blood is molded into a doughnut-shaped sample around an annular array of low energy radioactive material that is at the center of the doughnut-shaped sample but encapsulated in a collimator, the latter shielding a detector that is close to the sample and facing the same so that the detector receives secondary emissions from the sample while the collimator collimates the primary emissions from the radioactive material to direct these emissions toward the sample around 360* and away from the detector.
Inventors
- 👤 G Laurer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 14:42
CPC Classifications
G; G21; G21K; G21K1/00; G21K1/02; G01; G01N; G01N23/00; G01N23/22; G01N23/223; G01N2223/00; G01N2223/07; G01N2223/076
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
239 words
Apparatus for encapsulating radioactive material and collimating the emissions therefrom for the detection by X-ray fluorescence of a metal contaminant in a biological sample, comprising: a. centered, core, first means forming an annular array of radioactive material in a plane for producing primary emissions from said radioactive material; b. disc-shaped second means forming a holder with a groove around its outside edge for holding, enclosing and containing said annular array of radioactive material and for collimating said primary emissions therefrom outwardly in said groove in a direction away from the center of said annular array in the plane of said annular array; c. doughnut-shaped third means forming an annular ring-shaped container for molding said biological sample into a corresponding shape, said container being centered on the axis of rotation of said annular array around the groove formed by the second means and around the centered, core, first means in the plane of the annular array thereof for receiving the collimated emissions from said radioactive material for interacting the same width said biological sample in said doughnut-shaped third means for producing characteristic secondary emissions from said metal element that contaminates said biological sample; and d. fourth means forming a detector adjacent said doughnut-shaped third means that is shielded from said radioactive material and said emissions therefrom by said disc-shaped second means for detecting and analyzing said characteristic secondary emissions from said biological sample in said container by X-ray fluorescence analysis.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus of claim 2 in which said characteristic secondary emissions are X-rays given off by the atoms of said metal element due to the production of excited states therein by said primary emissions, said fourth means providing an X-ray fluorescence detector for said X-rays given off by said metal element.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
90 words
The apparatus of claim 2 in which said characteristic secondary emissions are X-rays given off by the atoms of said metal element due to the production of excited states therein by said primary emissions incident thereon in said biological sample in said third means, and said fourth means distinguishes said characteristic secondary emissions by energy dispersion as a measure of the amount of said element present in said biological sample, whereby said fourth means produces an output as a function of the energy deposited therein by said characteristic secondary emissions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
76 words
The apparatus of claim 2 in which said fourth means has a semi-conductor selected from the group consisting of silicon, germanium, and lithium drifted semi-conductor detectors, and means for producing therefrom an output proportional to the energy of the characteristic secondary emissions received by said detectors from said biological sample as a non-destructive, portable, qualitative, and quantitative measure of the amount of said element that contaminates said biological sample without prior chemical separation from said sample.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus of claim 2 in which lead is the metal element that contaminates said biological sample, which is blood, and said fourth means is responsive to the characteristic secondary emissions from said lead for producing an output proportional to the amount of said lead in said biological sample.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus of claim 2 in which said fourth means is responsive to characteristic secondary emissions, consisting of 10.5 and 12.6 ke V K X-rays for producing an output proportional to the amount of lead that contaminates said biological sample.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
The apparatus of claim 2 in which said fourth means has a vacuum tight container that is cryogenically cooled, and a beryllium window for said fourth means, said latter means selecting and detecting the secondary emissions characteristic of a leaD contaminate in a biological sample of whole blood in said doughnut-sahped third means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 2 in which said first means is 238Pu for producing primary emissions in the energy range of the L absorption edge of lead and characteristic secondary emissions in the range of 107 to 108 photons/second for the detection by said fourth means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
136 words
Apparatus for the detection of a metal contaminant in a sample by the measurement of secondary radiation emission from the contaminent induced by radioisotopic excitation comprising: a. means for encapsulating and shielding against radiation emanations an annular array of a radioisotopic excitation source material emitting radiation capable of exciting said contaminant to produce secondary radiation emission; b. means for carrying said sample in a plane common to said array concentric to, spaced from, adjacent to and surrounding said array; c. said encapsulating means including means to collimate radiation emanation from said array along said plane to said sample carrying means to cause secondary radiation emission from said contaminant within said sample; and d. detection means spaced from, and shielded from said array by said encapsulating means to detect and measure the secondary emissions from said sample.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3011060A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-01-21 | 1977-07-23 | 1978-01-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-01-21 | 1981-07-23 | 1982-01-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-01-21 | 1985-07-23 | 1986-01-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |