Patent ID: 7368722

Claim:
A method for simultaneously detecting ionizing radiation of different types, comprising: exposing a single solid matter scintillator that incorporates at least one decay time component greater than 100 ns to the radiation; and measuring photons emitted by the scintillator with a single-photon counter that includes a photomultiplier connected to receive photons from the scintillator and a single-photon amplifier connected to convert output pulses from the photomultiplier into single-photon pulses, wherein said step of measuring comprises: in a first channel, performing a burst recognition by opening a gate circuit for a certain time period TG in response to a first single-photon pulse from the single photon amplifier, and generating an output signal as a measure for an ionizing event as soon as a certain number N of additional pulses from the single photon amplifier is registered by the single-photon counter during the time period TG; and in a second channel in parallel with the first channel, performing an independent measurement of alpha radiation to which the scintillator is exposed by: pulse shaping of the output pulses from the photomultiplier; and when an alpha particle is detected in the second channel, preventing the start of a burst recognition for a pre-definable veto time.