XRF Analyzer with a Hand Shield

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017299529-A1
Application number	US-201715633525-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 26, 2017
Priority date	Apr 28, 2014
Publication date	Oct 19, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A portable XRF analyzer includes a hand shield and a handle. In one embodiment, the XRF analyzer further comprises a power component spaced-apart from an engine component. The handle and the hand shield extend in parallel between the engine component and the power component, attaching the engine component to the power component. In another embodiment, the XRF analyzer further comprises two housing portions, each integrally formed in a single, monolithic body formed together at the same time. The two housing portions are joined together to form an XRF analyzer housing. In another embodiment, the hand shield is shorter than the handle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer comprising:
an engine component having an x-ray emission end and an engine component casing; a power component spaced-apart from the engine component; a handle and a hand shield extending in parallel between the engine component and the power component, attaching the engine component to the power component, and defining a finger gap therebetween; the hand shield disposed closer to the x-ray emission end than the handle; an x-ray source and an x-ray detector disposed in the engine component casing; the x-ray source disposed in a location and oriented to emit x-rays outward from the x-ray emission end towards a sample; the x-ray detector disposed in a location and oriented to receive fluoresced x-rays emitted from the sample; and the power component including electrical connections configured for electrical connection to a portable, electric power-source.

2 . The XRF analyzer of claim 1 , further comprising:
an x-ray source heat-sink disposed in an opening in the engine component casing and adjacent a side of the x-ray source; an x-ray detector heat-sink disposed in another opening in the engine component casing and adjacent a side of the x-ray detector; and the x-ray source heat-sink separated from the x-ray detector heat sink by thermally insulating material.

3 . The XRF analyzer of claim 2 , wherein the x-ray source heat-sink is separated from the x-ray detector heat sink by at least 3 millimeters of the thermally insulating material and the thermally insulating material is a segment of the engine component casing with a thermal conductivity of less than 20 W/(m*K).

4 . The XRF analyzer of claim 1 , wherein the hand shield includes a hand shield casing, the hand shield casing and the engine component casing comprise a material for blocking x-rays, and the material for blocking x-rays comprises plastic impregnated with tungsten, tantalum, molybdenum, or combinations thereof.

5 . The XRF analyzer of claim 1 , further comprising a hollow formed in the hand shield, a hand shield casing forming a perimeter around at least a majority of the hollow, and an electronic component disposed in the hollow, the electronic component configured for operation of the x-ray source, the x-ray detector, or both.

6 . The XRF analyzer of claim 1 , wherein the electronic component includes a digital pulse processor electrically connected to the x-ray detector.

7 . The XRF analyzer of claim 1 , further comprising:
two housing portions, each housing portion comprising an engine component casing section, a power component casing section, a hand shield casing section, a handle casing section, and a material for blocking x-rays; the engine component casing section, the power component casing section, the hand shield casing section, and the handle casing section of each housing portion being integrally formed in a single, monolithic body formed together at the same time with the hand shield casing section and the handle casing section of each housing portion extending in parallel between and attaching to the engine component casing section and the power component casing section of each housing portion; and the two housing portions joined together to form an XRF analyzer housing.

8 . The XRF analyzer of claim 1 , wherein the hand shield has a length that is between 60% and 90% of a length of the handle.

9 . A portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, comprising:
an engine component having an x-ray emission end and an engine component casing; an x-ray source and an x-ray detector disposed in the engine component casing; the x-ray source disposed in a location and oriented to emit x-rays outward from the x-ray emission end towards a sample; the x-ray detector disposed in a location and oriented to receive fluoresced x-rays emitted from the sample; a handle extending from the engine component to allow a user to hold and carry the XRF analyzer; a hand shield extending from the engine component, parallel to the handle, and disposed closer to the x-ray emission end than the handle; a finger-gap between the handle and the hand shield; two housing portions, each housing portion comprising a material for blocking x-rays, an engine component casing section, a handle casing section extending from the engine component casing section, and a hand shield casing section extending from the engine component casing section, parallel to the handle casing section; the engine component casing section, the hand shield casing section, and the handle casing section of each housing portion being integrally formed in a single, monolithic body formed together at the same time; and the two housing portions joined together to form an XRF analyzer housing.

10 . The XRF analyzer of claim 9 , further comprising:
an x-ray source heat-sink disposed in an opening in the engine component casing and adjacent a side of the x-ray source; an x-ray detector heat-sink disposed in another opening in the engine component casing and adjacent a side of the x-ray detector; and the x-ray source heat-sink separated from the x-ray detector heat sink by thermally insulating material.

11 . The XRF analyzer of claim 10 , wherein the x-ray source heat-sink is separated from the x-ray detector heat sink by at least 3 millimeters of the thermally insulating material and the thermally insulating material is a segment of the engine component casing with a thermal conductivity of less than 20 W/(m*K).

12 . The XRF analyzer of claim 9 , further comprising a hollow formed in the hand shield casing section with the two hand shield casing sections forming a perimeter around at least a majority of the hollow, an electronic component disposed in the hollow, and the electronic component configured for operation of the x-ray source, the x-ray detector, or both.

13 . The XRF analyzer of claim 9 , wherein the material for blocking x-rays comprises plastic impregnated with tungsten, tantalum, molybdenum, or combinations thereof.

14 . The XRF analyzer of claim 9 , wherein the hand shield is shorter than the handle.

15 . The XRF analyzer of claim 9 , wherein the hand shield has a length that is between 60% and 90% of a length of the handle.

16 . A portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, comprising:
an engine component having an x-ray emission end and an engine component casing; an x-ray source and an x-ray detector disposed in the engine component casing; the x-ray source disposed in a location and oriented to emit x-rays outward from the x-ray emission end towards a sample; the x-ray detector disposed in a location and oriented to receive fluoresced x-rays emitted from the sample; a handle extending from the engine component to allow a user to hold and carry the XRF analyzer; a hand shield extending from the engine component parallel to the handle, and disposed closer to the x-ray emission end than the handle; a finger-gap between the handle and the hand shield; and the hand shield is shorter than the handle.

17 . The XRF analyzer of claim 16 , wherein the hand shield includes a hand shield casing, the hand shield casing and the engine component casing comprise a material for blocking x-rays, and the material for blocking x-rays comprises plastic impregnated with tungsten, tantalum, molybdenum, or combinations thereof.

18 . The XRF analyzer of claim 16 , further comprising a hollow formed in the hand shield, a hand shield casing forming a perimeter around at least a majority of the hollow, and an electr

Assignees

• Moxtek Inc

Inventors

• Jones Vincent Floyd
• Paas Daniel N

Classifications

• H01J35/025

  X-ray tubes with structurally associated circuit elements · CPC title

• A61B6/4405

  the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley · CPC title

• H05G1/06 Primary

  X-ray tube and at least part of the power supply apparatus being mounted within the same housing · CPC title

• G21F5/02

  with provision for restricted exposure of a radiation source within the container · CPC title

• G21F5/015

  for storing radioactive sources, e.g. source carriers for irradiation units; Radioisotope containers · CPC title