Patent ID: 7495229

Claim:
A multi-anode radiation detector comprising: a pressure vessel, an anode supported within said pressure vessel, said anode having a plurality of charge collection sites, wherein each of said plurality of charge collection sites is electrically insulated from one another, a cathode supported in spaced relation from said anode, said spaced relation defining a volume therebetween, a semiconductor filling said volume, said semiconductor being capable of being ionized by a plurality of radiative particles, wherein each of said plurality of radiative particles is characterized by an energy, voltage maintenance means operable for maintaining a fixed voltage potential between said anode and said cathode, wherein said fixed voltage potential enables the collection of charge on said anode as a result of said semiconductor becoming ionized by said plurality of radiative particles, a plurality of charge collection means operable for collecting said charge from each of said plurality of charge collection sites, wherein each of said plurality of charge collection means is electrically independent from one another, and means for relating said energy of each of said plurality of said radiative particles to a cumulative charge collected from said plurality of charge collection means.