Patent ID: 8338793
Filing Date: 2012-12-25
Classification: G01V

Abstract:
1. A material identification device comprising: a neutron source; said neutron source illuminated said material; said illuminated material emitting characteristic neutron activation gamma-rays; a gamma-ray detector having three dimensional vertex localization; a gamma-ray event comprising Compton interaction within said gamma-ray detector; said gamma-ray detector producing a first three dimensional vertex localization and a second three dimensional vertex localization corresponding to two interaction locations resulting from said gamma-ray event; said gamma-ray detector having a first deposited energy output for said gamma-ray event; wherein said gamma-ray detector is configured to produce an event datum containing said first deposited energy output, said first three dimensional vertex localization and said second three dimensional vertex localization from said gamma-ray event; a computer-readable storage media, wherein a data set of neutron activation emission gamma-ray energies characteristic of suspect materials are stored; a computational processor communicatively coupled to said computer-readable storage media; wherein said computational processor is configured to select a first event datum and a second event datum; wherein said computational processor is configured to select a first hypothetical emission gamma-ray energy for said first event datum and to select a second hypothetical emission gamma-ray energy for said second event datum; wherein said computational processor is configured to calculate first backprojection data using value of said first hypothetical emission gamma-ray energy and value of said first deposited energy output, said first three dimensional vertex localization and said second three dimensional vertex localization for said first event datum and to calculate second backprojection data using value of said second hypothetical emission gamma-ray energy and value of said first deposited energy output, said first three dimensional vertex localization and said second three dimensional vertex localization for said second event datum; wherein said computational processor is configured to calculate directional correlation between said first backprojection data for said first event datum and said second backprojection data for said second event datum; wherein said computational processor is configured to associate said directional correlation with identity of said material; and an output from said computational processor indicating presence of specific type of material.