Radiation detection device and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016018532-A1
Application number	US-201414774003-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 7, 2014
Priority date	Mar 11, 2013
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A radiation detection device ( 10 ) comprising a data processor ( 14 ) arranged to be communicatively coupled to a position sensor ( 16 ) mounted on an unmanned vehicle and a solid state radiation sensor ( 18 ) mounted on the unmanned vehicle. The data processor is configured to receive position data from the position sensor, receive radiation data from the solid state radiation sensor and periodically associate the position data with radiation data to form combined data.

First claim

1 . A radiation detection device comprising a data processor arranged to be communicatively coupled to a position sensor mounted on an unmanned vehicle and a solid state radiation sensor mounted on the unmanned vehicle, the data processor configured to:
receive position data from the position sensor; receive radiation data from the solid state radiation sensor; and periodically associate the position data with radiation data to form combined data.

2 . The radiation detection device of claim 1 , wherein the data processor is configured to associate position data with radiation data at least once every second.

3 . The radiation detection device of claim 1 , further comprising a device driver for controlling readout from the radiation sensor, the device driver configured to provide a sensor readout which comprises: scanning across a voltage range associated with a detection panel of the radiation sensor, the voltage range corresponding to a range of possible energy values for detected radiation, the voltage range being partitioned into a plurality of sub ranges; while scanning, monitoring for instances of detected radiation within the sub ranges; and transmitting data relating to instances of detected radiation within the sub ranges to the data processor.

4 . The radiation detection device of claim 3 , wherein the device driver is configured to provide a sensor readout by performing less than five sweeps across the voltage range.

5 . The radiation detection device of claim 3 , wherein the device driver is configured to transmit data relating to instances of detected radiation within sub ranges to the data processor, but not transmit data relating to sub ranges in which no radiation has been detected.

6 . The radiation detection device of claim 1 , wherein data processor is mounted on the unmanned vehicle.

7 . The radiation detection device of claim 1 , wherein the data processor is configured to save the combined data in a memory device and/or transmit the combined data to a remote device.

8 . The radiation detection device of claim 1 , wherein the position sensor comprises one or more of a: GPS device; a differential fluid pressure sensor; an infrared laser sensor; Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR); an acoustic sensor; and a device for measuring the distance between the radiation detection device and the underlying surface.

9 . The radiation detection device of claim 1 , wherein the solid state radiation sensor is a semiconductor radiation sensor.

10 . The radiation detection device of claim 9 , wherein the solid state radiation sensor comprises a plurality of semiconductor detection panels.

11 . The radiation detection device of claim 10 , wherein the orientation of a first detection panel differs from that of another detection panel.

12 . The radiation detection device of claim 10 , wherein the detection panels are arranged to define a periphery of a geometrical shape.

13 . The radiation detection device of claim 1 , wherein the radiation sensor is collimated.

14 . The radiation detection device of claim 1 , wherein a total detection area of the radiation sensor defined by one or more detection panels is at least 10 cm 2 in size.

15 . The radiation detection device of claim 1 , wherein the radiation detection device has a mass of 5 kg or less.

16 . The radiation detection device of claim 1 , wherein the unmanned vehicle maintains the solid state sensor proximal a target surface.

17 . The radiation detection device of claim 1 , further comprising an attitude stabilisation device arranged to maintain the orientation of the solid state radiation sensor during movement of the unmanned vehicle.

18 . The radiation detection device of claim 1 , wherein during creation of the combined data the unmanned vehicle is configured to move, relative to a target surface so as to be spaced therefrom by no more than 5 m.

19 . The radiation detection device of claim 1 , wherein during creation of the combined data the unmanned vehicle is configured to move at a speed of less than 5 m/s.

20 . The radiation detection device of claim 1 , wherein the unmanned vehicle is a multi-rotor platform.

21 . A method comprising:
receiving position data from a position sensor associated with an unmanned vehicle; receiving radiation data from a solid state radiation sensor associated with the unmanned vehicle; and periodically associating the position data with radiation data to produce combined data to detect radiation.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the position data is associated with radiation data at least once every second.

23 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
scanning across a voltage range associated with a detection panel of the radiation sensor, the voltage range corresponding to a range of possible energy values for detected radiation, the voltage range being partitioned into a plurality of sub ranges; while scanning, monitoring for instances of detected radiation within the sub ranges; and reading out radiation data using data relating to instances of detected radiation within the sub ranges.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the scanning comprises five or less sweeps across the voltage range.

25 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the reading out comprises transmitting data relating to instances of detected radiation within sub ranges to the data processor, but not transmitting data relating to sub ranges in which no radiation has been detected.

26 . The method of claim 21 , wherein during creation of the combined data, moving the unmanned vehicle relative to a target surface so as to spaced therefrom by no more than 5 m and/or obtaining distance information to the underlying surface.

27 . The method of claim 21 , wherein during creation of the combined data, moving the unmanned vehicle at a speed of less than 5 m/s.

28 - 29 . (canceled)

30 . An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a radiation detection device comprising a data processor communicatively coupled to a position sensor mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle and a solid state radiation sensor mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle, the radiation detection device configured to detect ionizing radiation, the data processor configured to:
receive position data from the position sensor; receive radiation data from the solid state radiation sensor; and periodically associate the position data with radiation data to form combined data representative of a level of radiation at a location, wherein during creation of the combined data the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to move at a speed of less than or equal to 5 m/s, wherein the position sensor has a sensor for determining the distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and an underlying surface.

Assignees

• Univ Bristol

Inventors

• Scott Thomas
• Macfarlane James

Classifications

• G01T1/00 Primary

  Measuring X-radiation, gamma radiation, corpuscular radiation, or cosmic radiation (G01T3/00, G01T5/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01T7/00 Primary

  Details of radiation-measuring instruments · CPC title

• G01T1/167 Primary

  Measuring radioactive content of objects, e.g. contamination (whole body counters G01T1/163) · CPC title

• G01V5/02

  specially adapted for surface logging, e.g. from aircraft · CPC title

• G01T1/169

  Exploration, location of contaminated surface areas · CPC title