Patent ID: 7855370

Claim:
A method of detecting edges representing photons from an output signal of a preamplifier of an energy-dispersive radiation spectrometry system, each point of said preamplifier output signal having a magnitude value associated therewith, the method comprising: identifying a first portion of said preamplifier output signal wherein each part of said first portion has an instantaneous slope having a first polarity; identifying a second portion of said preamplifier output signal immediately following said first portion wherein each part of said second portion has an instantaneous slope having a second polarity opposite said first polarity; identifying a third portion of said preamplifier output signal immediately following said second portion wherein each part of said third portion has an instantaneous slope having said first polarity; determining a first difference between the magnitude value associated with an end point of said second portion and the magnitude value associated with a beginning point of said second portion; determining a second difference between the magnitude value associated with an end point of said third portion and the magnitude value associated with a beginning point of said first portion; and determining that an edge exists if: (i) said first difference exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and (ii) said second difference exceeds a predetermined fraction of said predetermined threshold value.