Patent ID: 7595494

Claim:
A radiation detection system comprising: a container enclosing a sealed chamber containing an inert gas at an elevated pressure, the container having a longitudinal axis, walls through which incident gamma rays are able to pass and enter the chamber before interacting with atoms of the inert gas within the chamber, and a plurality of scintillator bars oriented parallel to the axis and radially spaced from the axis; wavelength-shifting fiber elements disposed within the scintillator bars, oriented parallel to the axis, and responsive to gamma rays that are scattered by atoms of the inert gas; at least one sensor interconnected with the fiber elements to receive first signals therefrom in response to the scattered gamma rays; an electrically-charged wire along the axis of the container, the wire being adapted to attract electrons released from atoms of the inert gas that are ionized from being impacted by an incident gamma ray, the wire producing second signals in response to the released electrons; electronic circuitry adapted to collect the first signals of the fiber elements and the second signals of the electrically-charged wire; and a processor adapted to acquire and analyze the first and second signals and produce an output based thereon.