Foot Positioning Base for Radioactive Material Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for detecting unauthorized ionizing or radioactive materials in protected areas are unreliable due to the difficulty in checking the shoes and socks, which are commonly used to hide such materials, as this area is hard to inspect visually or by feel.
Innovation Solution
A device designed to detect ionizing or radioactive radiation by applying the detection process to each foot individually, combining radiation detection with metal detection, using a step-shaped support base with positioning markings, gas-filled tubes for ionizing discharge, and electromagnetic field measurement to analyze the complex impedance of the shoe and its content, providing visual and audible guidance and random sorting for additional tests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If visual or tactile inspection methods are used to detect unauthorized materials in shoes and socks, then the inspection process is simple and quick, but the detection reliability is low due to the difficulty of accessing hidden areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary device (the detection device with positioning base and marking means) that mediates between the inspector and the shoe. The positioning base and marking means serve as intermediaries to guide the inspector's hand and ensure consistent positioning, transforming a difficult tactile inspection into a guided, reliable process without requiring the inspector to manually search hidden areas
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual visual and tactile inspection mechanisms with a structured mechanical guidance system. The positioning base with specific dimensions (450-700mm width, 500-900mm depth), marking means, and end-stop create a mechanical framework that ensures reproducible positioning, substituting unreliable human sensory inspection with a controlled mechanical process
2Reliability
If multiple detection methods are combined to improve detection accuracy, then the reliability increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple detection capabilities (radiation detection, metal detection, vapor/particle sampling, electromagnetic field sensing) into a single integrated device. The positioning base serves as a common platform that coordinates all these detection methods, allowing them to work together synergistically rather than as separate systems, thus managing complexity through unified design
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning base and marking means serve multiple functions simultaneously: they position the shoe, guide the inspector's hand, support various detection sensors, and provide structural stability. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components for each function, thereby managing complexity while maintaining comprehensive detection capabilities
3Measurement precision
If the detection process is applied to each foot individually in succession, then the measurement precision improves, but the inspection time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the inspection process into distinct phases: left foot inspection and right foot inspection, with each phase following the same standardized procedure. The positioning base with marking means enables this segmentation by providing identical positioning references for each foot, ensuring that precision is maintained in each segment while the overall process remains efficient through repetition and standardization
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances the reliability of detecting ionizing or radioactive materials by ensuring accurate and repetitive positioning of the shoe, preventing smuggling of radioactive materials hidden in lead boxes or metal, and reducing the need for specialized personnel and equipment, while ensuring ergonomic and efficient inspection.
Implementation Method 1
the means of detecting ionizing or radioactive radiation comprise a tube containing a gas, the composition of which is chosen to generate an ionizing discharge on detection of an active radiation, the ionizing discharge making it possible to generate an electrical pulse
Implementation Method 2
means for measuring the complex impedance of the sending/receiving means influenced by the load formed by the shoe and its content, representative of the complex dielectric characteristics of the shoe and its content
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a device for detecting unauthorized product in a protected access area, which comprises, in combination: - a support base (100) designed to receive a single foot, covered with its shoe, of an individual to be checked, - positioning marking means, on the support base (100), for imposing an exact positioning of the foot covered with its shoe, - means of detecting ionizing or radioactive radiation (500), positioned under the support base (100) on the side opposite (105) to that comprising the positioning marking means (400), to provide an indication linked to the presence or the absence of a product emitting an ionizing or radioactive radiation in an area of the individual between the sole of the shoe and the knee of the individual to be checked.