Patent ID: 7279685
Filing Date: 2007-10-09
Classification: G01T

Abstract:
1. A radiation detector comprising: at least one microcontroller; a timing crystal; at least one power supply; at least one radiation sensor; and at least one signal conditioner; wherein each said microcontroller further comprises at least one of a first timer, a second timer, and a third timer; wherein said crystal produces the master clocks for said first timer and said third timer; wherein said power supply further comprises a Class B amplifier and a Walton Cockroft Multiplier electrically connected in series; wherein said radiation sensor produces a raw electrical signal pulse when struck by a nuclide that has been emitted from a radioactive material; wherein said signal conditioner conditions said raw pulse to produce a conditioned pulse that is identifiable by said microcontroller as a countable radiological event; wherein said first timer, said power supply, said radiation sensor, said signal conditioner, and said second timer are capable of passing a signal between each other; wherein the clock signal within said first timer is divided down to produce an initial square wave which is fed to the input of said power supply; wherein the high voltage output of said power supply is fed to the input of said radiation sensor; wherein said raw pulse output from said radiation sensor is fed to the input of said signal conditioner; wherein said conditioned pulse output from said signal conditioner is fed to the input of said second timer; wherein said second timer acts as an event counter that is incremented upon every said conditioned pulse; wherein the clock signal within said third timer is divided down to produce an interrupt at a predetermined time interval; wherein said interrupt, when serviced, reads the value of the software register located in said second timer thereby determining the number of counts per said time interval and resets said software register in said second timer; and wherein said number of counts per said time interval is provided through an output from said microcontroller.