Nucsafe, Inc.

Steven W Pauly

William Richardson

Richard S Seymour

Michael S Blair

Mark Holdaway

An X-ray backscatter imaging system uses frequency modulated X-rays to determine depth of features within a target. An X-ray source generates X-ray radiation modulated by a frequency-modulated bias current. The X-ray radiation impinges upon and is backscattered from multiple depths within the target. A scintillating material receives the backscattered X-rays and generates corresponding photons. A photodetector, having gain modulated by the frequency modulation signal from the local oscillator, receives the photons from the scintillating material and generates an analog output signal containing phase delay information indicative of the distance travelled by the X-rays backscattered from multiple depths within the target. The analog output signal is sampled by an analog-to-digital converter to create a digital output signal. A computer processor performs a discrete Fourier transform on the digital output signal to provide target depth information based on the phase delay information.

Depth determination in X-ray backscatter system using frequency modulated X-ray beam

Disclosed is a radiation monitoring system that has a radiation detector for making radiation measurements within a monitored area. An occupancy sensor may be provided for detecting a presence of an entity in the monitored area, and a motion sensor may be provided for detecting a motion of the entity in the monitored area. In a typical embodiment, a radiation measurement collection system is provided which has a first program logic element for collecting the radiation measurements as collected radiation measurements when the presence of the entity is detected and the motion of the entity is detected. Also provided is a method for monitoring an area for intermittent sources of radiation.

Radiation portal with occupancy and motion sensing system

The invention provides a system for removing or minimizing microphonic noise from a radiation detector signal, such as from a neutron detector, without creating excessive false counts in the electronics that count the radiation events. The system solves the microphonic noise problem using a 3-prong approach: (1) maintaining high dynamic range by avoiding large amplification and the possibility of saturation in the analog stages, (2) sampling the amplified analog signal using a high-resolution analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and (3) implementing a digital filtering algorithm that rejects the noise due to microphonics while passing the signal of interest from the neutron interactions.

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Knoxville, TN, United States of America

Steven W Pauly