Patent ID: 7709800

Claim:
A method for detecting radioactive emissions in a radiation monitoring station, the method comprising: acquiring a first radiation measurement from a moving radiological source over a first field of view in the radiation monitoring station; acquiring a second radiation measurement from the moving radiological source over a second field of view in the radiation monitoring station, wherein at least a portion of the second field of view is substantially distinct from the first field of view and a transition zone is established between at least a portion of the first field of view and the second field of view; calculating a dependent variable of a function defined at least in part by the first radiation level measurement and the second radiation level measurement; determining when the dependent variable reaches a first threshold value as the moving radiological source moves through the transition zone; determining a likelihood of presence of a medical isotope; and triggering a detection alert if (a) the dependent variable reaches the first threshold value and (b) the likelihood of presence of a medical isotope is less than a second threshold value.