US4352014A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Sampler and cell for radon detectors and method of using same
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1980-03-06
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Granted: 1982-09-28
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Expires: 2000-03-06
Abstract
Abstract A relatively small diameter, relatively deep hole is made in the ground and a sampler tube is inserted therein. An acetate sleeve is detachably inserted into a chamber on the upper end of the sampling tube and the sampler is left for at least sixteen hours and preferably longer in order to permit radon gas to migrate up the tube. Daughter products of radon deposit on the acetate film which is then placed in a scintillation cell attached to the counting chamber of a scintillation counter, which counts the alpha emissions of the daughter products thereby permitting the amount of radon gas to be calculated. This method reduces considerably any contamination of the scintillation counting chamber so that cleansing is not necessary thus permitting a much higher level of productivity. The system is also totally insensitive to thoron so that no correction for thoron signals is required. The same method can be used to collect airborne samples by hanging the acetate strip in a desired location for at least four hours and counting alpha emissions from said strip as above.
Inventors
- 👤 Brian Powell
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 13:35
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01T; G01T1/00; G01T1/16; G01T1/17; G01T1/178; G01T7/00; G01T7/02; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S250/00; Y10S250/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
59 words
A method of sampling radon gas consisting of the steps of placing an acetate sampling strip in the path of the radon gas and maintaining same in position for a predetermined time interval, inserting said sampling strip into a scintillation cell and operatively connecting said cell to a scintillation counter to read the alpha emissions from said sample strip.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
59 words
A method of sampling radon gas consisting of the steps of placing an acetate sampling strip in the path of the radon gas and maintaining same in position for a predetermined time interval, inserting said sampling strip into a scintillation cell and operatively connecting said cell to a scintillation counter to read the alpha emissions from said sample strip.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
119 words
A method of sampling radon gas consisting of the steps of forming a bore hole substantially vertically within the ground, inserting a sampling tube into the bore hole, inserting an acetate sampling strip in a sampling chamber on the upper end of said sampling tube and maintaining same in position for a time sufficient for radon gas to diffuse up the length of the sampling tube, to enter the chamber, to decay to produce radioactive daughter products in a solid phase, and for these daughter products to attach themselves to said acetate sampling strip and then inserting said sampling strip into a scintillation cell previously connected to a scintillation counter to read the alpha emissions from said daughter products.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
119 words
A method of sampling radon gas consisting of the steps of forming a bore hole substantially vertically within the ground, inserting a sampling tube into the bore hole, inserting an acetate sampling strip in a sampling chamber on the upper end of said sampling tube and maintaining same in position for a time sufficient for radon gas to diffuse up the length of the sampling tube, to enter the chamber, to decay to produce radioactive daughter products in a solid phase, and for these daughter products to attach themselves to said acetate sampling strip and then inserting said sampling strip into a scintillation cell previously connected to a scintillation counter to read the alpha emissions from said daughter products.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
59 words
Apparatus for sampling radon gas comprising in combination a sampling assembly, said sampling assembly including an elongated open ended ground engaging sampling tube and an upper collecting chamber secured to the upper end of said sampling tube and communicating with the interior thereof for removably receiving a curved acetate film sleeve around the inner surface of said collecting chamber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
59 words
Apparatus for sampling radon gas comprising in combination a sampling assembly, said sampling assembly including an elongated open ended ground engaging sampling tube and an upper collecting chamber secured to the upper end of said sampling tube and communicating with the interior thereof for removably receiving a curved acetate film sleeve around the inner surface of said collecting chamber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
The invention according to claim 3 which includes a radon permeable plug situated at the upper end of said sample tube for preventing the ingress of dirt, water and the like to said collecting chamber and detachable closure means on the upper end of said collecting chamber.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The invention according to claim 3 which includes a scintillation cell to receive the acetate film sleeve from said collecting chamber.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
The invention according to claim 4 which includes a scintillation cell to receive the acetate film sleeve from said collecting chamber.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
84 words
The invention according to claim 5 in which said cell includes an upper portion and a lower portion and a sealing disc therebetween, said upper portion including film strip guiding means, a feed slot in said sealing disc to receive said film strip, said guiding means guiding said film strip into said slot, a film strip holder below said sealing disc to receive said film strip and an enclosure partially enclosing said film strip holder, said enclosure being coated with activated zinc sulphide phosphor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
84 words
The invention according to claim 6 in which said cell includes an upper portion and a lower portion and a sealing disc therebetween, said upper portion including film strip guiding means, a feed slot in said sealing disc to receive said film strip, said guiding means guiding said film strip into said slot, a film strip holder below said sealing disc to receive said film strip and an enclosure partially enclosing said film strip holder, said enclosure being coated with activated zinc sulphide phosphor.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
100 words
A scintillation cell for receiving a film strip for the detection of alpha emissions therefrom, for use in a scintillation counter type radon detector, said cell including an upper portion and a lower portion and a sealing disc therebetween, said upper portion including film strip guiding means, a feed slot in said sealing disc to receive said film strip, said guiding means guiding said film strip into said slot, a film strip holder below said sealing disc to receive said film strip and an enclosure partially enclosing said film strip holder, said enclosure being coated with activated zinc sulphide phosphor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
100 words
A scintillation cell for receiving a film strip for the detection of alpha emissions therefrom, for use in a scintillation counter type radon detector, said cell including an upper portion and a lower portion and a sealing disc therebetween, said upper portion including film strip guiding means, a feed slot in said sealing disc to receive said film strip, said guiding means guiding said film strip into said slot, a film strip holder below said sealing disc to receive said film strip and an enclosure partially enclosing said film strip holder, said enclosure being coated with activated zinc sulphide phosphor.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
The invention according to claims 3, 4 or 5 in which said sampling tube by virtue of its length, (1) channels radon gas, by diffusion, to said upper collecting chamber from a depth sufficient to minimize atmospheric influences and (2) excludes short-lived thoron gas from said collecting chamber.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
48 words
The invention according to claims 6, 7 or 8 in which said sampling tube by virtue of its length, (1) channels radon gas, by diffusion, to said upper collecting chamber from a depth sufficient to minimize atmospheric influences and (2) excludes short-lived thoron gas from said collecting chamber.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4156138A
Cited
US4177378A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1985-09-27 | 1986-03-29 | 1986-09-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1989-09-27 | 1990-03-29 | 1990-09-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1993-09-27 | 1994-03-29 | 1994-09-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |