Patent ID: 8401621

Claim:
Method of detecting, locating and/or analyzing a radioactive source(s) emitting charged or neutral particles in a material, particularly a biological tissue, characterized in that it consists essentially in: placing one of the ends (1 st end) of at least one detection rod made of at least one scintillating fiber (preferably a substantially straight one), on or near the surface of the material to be analyzed, so as to enable the charged or neutral particles to enter the scintillating fiber(s); said scintillating fiber(s) having a ratio L (Length)/r (range of the charged particles emitted by the source, or produced in surrounding medium as secondary products) greater than or equal to 2, preferably greater than or equal to 10, and more preferably comprised between 50 and 200 and a ratio d (diameter)/r lower than or equal to 1, preferably comprised between 0.01 and 1, more preferably between 0.05 and 0.5, and more preferably between 0.1 and 0.3; scanning said surface with the detection rod; collecting the scintillation light output (SL o ) generated by the charged or neutral particles having entered and interacted with the scintillating fiber(s) and emitted at least partially at the opposite end (2 nd end or outlet end) of the detection rod, wherein the particles comprise photons which interact with the scintillating fiber(s) with emission of secondary electrons which are the particles actually detected; selecting at least some of the signals of scintillation light corresponding to SL o ; comparing SL o with a minimum limit SL t related to a limit for the Compton scattering angle, in order to discriminate the photons which are essentially aligned with the fiber(s); correlating SL o , and the selected signals, to (a) the presence of a source of radiation located in the mass of the material to be analyzed; (b) the intensity of the selected signals to the mass and/or the volume of the detected source of radiation, for the purpose of analysis; or (c) both (a) and (b); and communicating these data to the user.