Hybrid Radiation Detector Spectral Data Deconvolution

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for combining spectral data from radiation detectors with different energy resolutions and efficiencies, such as those described in WO2009/082587, fail to fully exploit the complementary strengths of hybrid detector systems, resulting in limited information derivation and crude convolution of spectra.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the use of response matrices for each detector to perform numerical deconvolution, specifically Bayesian deconvolution, to derive a single spectral histogram that combines information from multiple detectors, allowing for the accommodation of differences in response properties and effectively combining spectral data from detectors with varying energy resolutions and efficiencies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If detectors with higher energy resolution are used, then the ability to identify spectral peaks and characterize radioactive isotopes improves, but the absolute detection efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy resolutionVSAvoiddetection efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple detectors with different response properties (different energy resolutions and/or efficiencies) into a hybrid detector system. By merging the capabilities of detectors with high energy resolution and detectors with high absolute efficiency, the system achieves both precise spectral characterization and high detection throughput that neither detector type could achieve alone.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Productivity

If detectors with higher absolute efficiency are used, then the detection throughput improves, but the energy resolution deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection efficiencyVSAvoidenergy resolution
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple detectors with different response properties (different energy resolutions and/or efficiencies) into a hybrid detector system. By merging the capabilities of detectors with high energy resolution and detectors with high absolute efficiency, the system achieves both precise spectral characterization and high detection throughput that neither detector type could achieve alone.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Device complexity

If simple summation is used to combine spectra from multiple detectors, then the processing complexity is reduced, but the ability to fully exploit complementary strengths of different detector types deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing complexityVSAvoidinformation derivation
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms the spectral data by applying deconvolution operations that account for the specific response functions of each detector type. This parameter transformation allows the system to properly combine spectra from detectors with different response properties, fully exploiting their complementary strengths while maintaining manageable processing complexity through automated computational methods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2783243B1Detector apparatus and method
Publication Date: 2017.05.10 KROMEK
  • EP2783243B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2783243B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2783243B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A method is described for the combined processing of spectral data from a plurality of radiation detectors (4,6), in particular with a plurality of response functions, comprising: obtaining a response matrix for each detector (4,6); collecting data from radiation incident at each detector (4,6); producing a spectral histogram for the collected data from each detector (4,6); deconvoluting the histograms from each detector by applying a suitable numerical deconvolution such as a Bayesian deconvolution that makes use of the response matrix for each detector to derive a single spectral histogram that representatively combines information from the plurality of detectors. An apparatus, such as a hybrid detector apparatus, to which the method can be applied is also described.