Patent US6288718B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US5043580A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5043580A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Radiation detector
Assignee: Thales SA
•
Filing: 1990-01-10
•
Granted: 1991-08-27
•
Expires: 2010-01-10
Abstract
Abstract A radiation detector comprising an element made of superconductive material supplied by an electrical generator as well as a system to measure the resistance of the element. For example, the generator is a constant voltage source. The measuring system utilizes a resistor placed in series with the superconductive element and a voltage measuring apparatus connected to the terminals of the resistor. Incident radiation has the effect of causing variations in the resistance of the superconductive element. Consequently, from the value of the resistance of the superconductive element, the intensity of the radiation received is detected. The disclosed device can be applied to the detection of radiation located between the visible wavelengths and the dwarf wavelengths.
Inventors
- 👤 Pierre Hartemann
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 15:19
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10N; H10N60/00; H10N60/80; H10N60/84; G; G01; G01J; G01J5/00; G01J5/10; G01J5/20; G01J2005/202; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S505/00; Y10S505/825; Y10S505/848; Y10S505/849
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
117 words
A radiation detector comprising: at least one element made of superconductive material, illuminated by the radiation to be detected; a constant current source connected to the terminals of said at least one element made of superconductive material for applying a continuous current to the superconductive material; a device to measure the resistance of said at least one element made of superconductive material, connected to said at least one element, wherein the device for measuring the resistance of said at least one superconductive element includes a resistive element, connected in parallel with said at least one superconductive element, and a measuring device coupled to said resistive element and measuring the magnitude of current flowing in this resistive element.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
117 words
A radiation detector comprising: at least one element made of superconductive material, illuminated by the radiation to be detected; a constant current source connected to the terminals of said at least one element made of superconductive material for applying a continuous current to the superconductive material; a device to measure the resistance of said at least one element made of superconductive material, connected to said at least one element, wherein the device for measuring the resistance of said at least one superconductive element includes a resistive element, connected in parallel with said at least one superconductive element, and a measuring device coupled to said resistive element and measuring the magnitude of current flowing in this resistive element.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
A detector according to claim 1, wherein: the electrical source is a constant current source; the differential inputs of an differential amplifier are connected to the terminals of said at least one superconductive element, the amplifier giving a signal representing the value of said at least one resistance of the superconductive element.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
A detector according to claim 2, comprising a row of series connected superconductive elements, a differential amplifier being associated with each superconductive element, and comprising a charge-coupled device, an output of each amplifier being connected to a stage of the charge-coupled device which adds up the signals given by the different differential amplifiers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A detector according to claim 1, wherein said at least one element made of superconductive material is made in the form of a layer on a substrate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
A detector according to claim 4, wherein said at least one element made of superconductive material has connections made in layers on the substrate and wherein the resistive elements are also made in layers on the same substrate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
A detector according to claim 5, wherein the resistive elements and the connections are made of superconductive material of the same nature as said at least one element made of superconductive material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
A detector according to claim 5, wherein the substrate is a semiconductor enabling the association of the signal processing electronic circuits.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
56 words
A detector according to claim 1, comprising at least one row of elements made of superconductive material, series connected and supplied by the generator which is then a constant current source, a resistor being associated in parallel with each element made of superconductive material, with a device measuring the current flowing in each of these resistors.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
60 words
A detector according to claim 8, wherein a charge-coupled device is associated with each set of resistors in such a way that, to each resistor, there is coupled to a stage of the charge-coupled device enabling the detection of the resistance of a superconductive element and, consequently, the detection of the intensity of the radiation received by this superconductive element.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
A detector according to one of the claims 10 or 9, comprising a plurality of rows of superconductive elements so as to form a matrix structure.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
A detector according to claim 10, wherein each row of superconductive elements is covered with a layer of a filtering material of a determined nature.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
A detector according to claim 10, comprising a layer covering the matrix structure and having an aperture at the location of each superconductive element.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
A detector according to claim 8, wherein the superconductive elements are covered with different layers of filtering material, different superconductive elements being thus sensitive to different frequencies or ranges of frequencies.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
A detector according to claim 1, wherein said at least one element made of superconductive material is covered with a layer of a filtering material transparent to a radiation frequency or determined range of frequencies.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
A detector according to claim 1, comprising a layer of a material opaque to radiation, partially covering said at least one superconductive element and having an aperture determining a sensitive detection zone on the superconductive element.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
119 words
A radiation detector comprising: at least one element made of superconductive material, illuminated by the radiation to be detected; a constant voltage source connected to the terminals of said at least one element made of superconductive material for applying a constant voltage to the superconductive material; a device to measure the resistance of said at least one element made of superconductive material, connected to said at least one element, wherein the device for measuring the resistance of sad at least one superconductive element includes a resistive element, series connected with said at least one superconductive element, and a voltage measuring device connected to this resistive element and measuring the magnitude of voltage at the terminals of the resistive element.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
119 words
A radiation detector comprising: at least one element made of superconductive material, illuminated by the radiation to be detected; a constant voltage source connected to the terminals of said at least one element made of superconductive material for applying a constant voltage to the superconductive material; a device to measure the resistance of said at least one element made of superconductive material, connected to said at least one element, wherein the device for measuring the resistance of sad at least one superconductive element includes a resistive element, series connected with said at least one superconductive element, and a voltage measuring device connected to this resistive element and measuring the magnitude of voltage at the terminals of the resistive element.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2932743A
Cited
US3077538A
Cited
FR85491E
Cited
US3691381A
Cited
US3906231A
Cited
US4853538A
Cited
US4935626A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-08-26 | 1995-02-25 | 1995-08-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-08-26 | 1999-02-25 | 1999-08-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-08-26 | 2003-02-25 | 2003-08-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |