US4008393A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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System and method of liquid scintillation counting
Assignee: Safran Aerosystems SAS
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Filing: 1970-09-11
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Granted: 1977-02-15
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Expires: 1990-09-11
Abstract
Abstract A method of liquid scintillation counting utilizing a combustion step to overcome quenching effects comprises novel features of automatic sequential introduction of samples into a combustion zone and automatic sequential collection and delivery of combustion products into a counting zone.
Inventors
- 👤 Edward Rapkin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 04:37
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01T; G01T1/00; G01T1/16; G01T1/20; G01T1/204
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 43
Claim 1
Independent Claim
157 words
A liquid scintillation counting system comprising (a) a combustion chamber for combusting radioactive samples; (b) conveying means for retaining a multiplicity of said radioactive samples in storage and for conveying said radioactive samples from said storage into said combustion chamber in sequence so that each sample enters said chamber when said chamber is ready for a new sample; (c) means for collecting from said combustion chamber combustion product resulting from the combustion of each sample and retaining said product in a liquid scintillator to provide at least one test sample corresponding to each radioactive sample combusted; and (d) a detecting means communicating with said collecting means, receiving and counting said test samples, said conveying means comprising a horizontally oriented link chain positioned directly above a horizontally oriented flat plate containing a single aperature, said link chain defining a series of compartments, each compartment being open at the top and bottom and being sized to hold a sample.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
157 words
A liquid scintillation counting system comprising (a) a combustion chamber for combusting radioactive samples; (b) conveying means for retaining a multiplicity of said radioactive samples in storage and for conveying said radioactive samples from said storage into said combustion chamber in sequence so that each sample enters said chamber when said chamber is ready for a new sample; (c) means for collecting from said combustion chamber combustion product resulting from the combustion of each sample and retaining said product in a liquid scintillator to provide at least one test sample corresponding to each radioactive sample combusted; and (d) a detecting means communicating with said collecting means, receiving and counting said test samples, said conveying means comprising a horizontally oriented link chain positioned directly above a horizontally oriented flat plate containing a single aperature, said link chain defining a series of compartments, each compartment being open at the top and bottom and being sized to hold a sample.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
A liquid scintillation counting system as recited in claim 1 further comprising means to detect the approach of each sample in said compartments to said aperture.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
132 words
A liquid scintillation counting system comprising (a) a combustion chamber for combusting radioactive samples; (b) conveying means for retaining a multiplicity of said radioactive samples in storage and for conveying said radioactive samples from said storage into said combustion chamber in sequence so that each sample enters said chamber when said chamber is ready for a new sample; (c) means for collecting from said combustion chamber combustion product resulting from the combustion of each sample and retaining said product in a liquid scintillator to provide at least one test sample corresponding to each radioactive sample combusted; and (d) a detecting means communicating with said collecting means, receiving and counting said test samples, said collecting means comprising an absorber and at least one storage chamber interposed between an absorber and detecting means (d).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
132 words
A liquid scintillation counting system comprising (a) a combustion chamber for combusting radioactive samples; (b) conveying means for retaining a multiplicity of said radioactive samples in storage and for conveying said radioactive samples from said storage into said combustion chamber in sequence so that each sample enters said chamber when said chamber is ready for a new sample; (c) means for collecting from said combustion chamber combustion product resulting from the combustion of each sample and retaining said product in a liquid scintillator to provide at least one test sample corresponding to each radioactive sample combusted; and (d) a detecting means communicating with said collecting means, receiving and counting said test samples, said collecting means comprising an absorber and at least one storage chamber interposed between an absorber and detecting means (d).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
A liquid scintillation counting system as recited in claim 3 wherein two storage chambers in parallel are interposed between said absorber and said detecting means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
A liquid scintillation counting system as recited in claim 4 wherein said storage chambers communicate with said absorber by piping containing a valve operating to fill each of said storage chambers with a test sample alternatively with the combustion of each sample.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
137 words
A liquid scintillation counting system comprising (a) a combustion chamber for combusting radioactive samples; (b) conveying means for retaining a multiplicity of said radioactive samples in storage and for conveying said radioactive samples from said storage into said combustion chamber in sequence so that each sample enters said chamber when said chamber is ready for a new sample; (c) means for collecting from said combustion chamber combustion product resulting from the combustion of each sample and retaining said product in a liquid scintillator to provide at least one test sample corresponding to each radioactive sample combusted; and (d) a detecting means communicating with said collecting means, receiving and counting said test samples, said means for collecting said combustion product from said combustion chamber trapping said combustion product in a liquid scintillator as said combustion product is formed.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
137 words
A liquid scintillation counting system comprising (a) a combustion chamber for combusting radioactive samples; (b) conveying means for retaining a multiplicity of said radioactive samples in storage and for conveying said radioactive samples from said storage into said combustion chamber in sequence so that each sample enters said chamber when said chamber is ready for a new sample; (c) means for collecting from said combustion chamber combustion product resulting from the combustion of each sample and retaining said product in a liquid scintillator to provide at least one test sample corresponding to each radioactive sample combusted; and (d) a detecting means communicating with said collecting means, receiving and counting said test samples, said means for collecting said combustion product from said combustion chamber trapping said combustion product in a liquid scintillator as said combustion product is formed.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
49 words
A liquid scintillation detection system comprising a chamber for containing a liquid scintillation test sample, means for delivering by fluid flow a plurality of radioactive liquid scintillation test samples in sequence into said chamber, and means to detect the scintillations occurring in the test sample contained by said chamber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
49 words
A liquid scintillation detection system comprising a chamber for containing a liquid scintillation test sample, means for delivering by fluid flow a plurality of radioactive liquid scintillation test samples in sequence into said chamber, and means to detect the scintillations occurring in the test sample contained by said chamber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
A liquid scintillation detection system as recited in claim 7, further comprising means to produce said radioactive liquid scintillation test samples in sequence to be delivered into said chamber in sequence.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
A liquid scintillation detection system as recited in claim 8 wherein said means to produce said radioactive liquid scintillation samples comprises means to combust radioactive samples and trap the resulting combustion product in a liquid scintillator.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
127 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting comprising the steps of (a) sequentially conveying radioactive samples to a combustion zone, said conveying being carried out automatically so that a new sample is introduced into said combustion zone only after combustion product from a previous sample has been completely removed from said zone; (b) combusting said sample in said combustion zone to produce volatile isotope oxide combustion product; (c) exhausting said product from said combustion zone and collecting and trapping said product in a scintillator to produce discrete liquid test samples, one for each of said radioactive samples; (d) delivering said test samples by fluid flow in discrete form maintained separate from one another into a detecting zone wherein the radioactivity of each of said test samples is counted.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
127 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting comprising the steps of (a) sequentially conveying radioactive samples to a combustion zone, said conveying being carried out automatically so that a new sample is introduced into said combustion zone only after combustion product from a previous sample has been completely removed from said zone; (b) combusting said sample in said combustion zone to produce volatile isotope oxide combustion product; (c) exhausting said product from said combustion zone and collecting and trapping said product in a scintillator to produce discrete liquid test samples, one for each of said radioactive samples; (d) delivering said test samples by fluid flow in discrete form maintained separate from one another into a detecting zone wherein the radioactivity of each of said test samples is counted.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 10 wherein samples are conveyed maintained substantially aligned and spaced from one another so as to be successively transported to a predetermined point in communication with a combustion zone.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 11 wherein radioactive samples are conveyed having been encapsulated with a combustible material.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 10 wherein a radioactive sample contains both 3 H and 14 C and oxides of these isotopes are produced as a result of step (b).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 13 wherein oxide of 3 H and oxide of 14 C are separately collected and trapped to provide two separate test samples.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 14 wherein the tritium oxide containing test sample is caused to flow into one of two holding zones which has been washed of residual radioactivity from the previous test sample which it contained.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 15 wherein the washing is carried out with toluene.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 15 wherein said test sample is drawn by suction from a holding zone to a detecting zone wherein tritium is counted.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 14 wherein the 14 CO 2 containing test sample is caused to flow into one of two holding zones which has been washed of residual radioactivity from the previous test sample which it contained.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 18 wherein the washing is carried out with toluene.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 18 wherein said test sample is drawn by suction from a holding zone to a detecting zone wherein carbon-14 is counted.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 14 wherein the two separate test samples are separately counted.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 13 wherein said oxides from each sample are concurrently collected and trapped to provide a single test sample.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 22 wherein the test sample is caused to flow into one of two holding zones which has been washed of residual radioactivity from the previous test sample which it contained.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 23 wherein washing is carried out with toluene.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 23 wherein a test sample is drawn by suction from a holding zone to a detecting zone wherein both carbon-14 and tritium are concurrently counted.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 10 wherein a test sample is caused to flow into one of two holding zones which have been washed of residual radioactivity from the previous test sample which it contained.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 26 wherein washing is carried out with toluene.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 26 wherein a test sample is drawn by suction from a holding zone to a detecting zone.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 10 wherein a test sample is drawn by suction into a detecting zone.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 10 wherein oxygen is fed into said combustion zone in step (b) resulting in combustion product containing excess oxygen some of which is retained in said test sample.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 30 wherein said retained oxygen is purged from said test sample.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 31 wherein purging is carried out with nitrogen.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method of liquid scintillation counting as recited in claim 10 wherein said combustion product is trapped in said scintillator as said combustion product is formed.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
94 words
A liquid scintillation counting system comprising automatic means to receive combustible samples containing radioactive isotopes sequentially and to automatically combust the samples as they are received and trap the resulting combustion product in scintillators to provide test samples, means to convey combustible samples to said automatic means in sequence, and detecting means to detect the type of each sample conveyed in sequence to said automatic means and to signal said automatic means the type of sample conveyed thereto, said automatic means varying its operation in accordance with the signal received from said detecting means.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
94 words
A liquid scintillation counting system comprising automatic means to receive combustible samples containing radioactive isotopes sequentially and to automatically combust the samples as they are received and trap the resulting combustion product in scintillators to provide test samples, means to convey combustible samples to said automatic means in sequence, and detecting means to detect the type of each sample conveyed in sequence to said automatic means and to signal said automatic means the type of sample conveyed thereto, said automatic means varying its operation in accordance with the signal received from said detecting means.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
76 words
A liquid scintillation counting system as recited in claim 34 wherein said automatic means traps the combustion product produced from the combustion of a combustible sample in a first scintillator in response to a signal from said detecting means indicating that the combustible sample is of a first type and traps the combustible product in a second scintillator in response to a signal from said detecting means indicating that the sample is of a second type.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
46 words
A liquid scintillation counting system as recited in claim 35 wherein said automatic means traps the combustion product from a combusted sample in said first and second scintillators in response to a signal from said detecting means indicating that said sample is of a third type.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
35 words
A liquid scintillation counting system as recited in claim 34 wherein said automatic means includes means to count the scintillations produced in each test sample produced from the combustion of each of said combustible samples.
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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) | 1980-02-15 | 1980-08-16 | 1981-02-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-02-15 | 1984-08-16 | 1985-02-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-02-15 | 1988-08-16 | 1989-02-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |