Patent ID: 7142109

Claim:
A radiation detection and identification system, comprising: a frame structure; one or more gamma sensors; one or more solid-state neutron sensors, wherein the one or more gamma sensors and the one or more solid-state neutron sensors being collectively mounted on the frame structure that can be located in proximity to a container under examination; a digital data collection system, communicatively coupled with the one or more gamma sensors and the one or more solid-state neutron sensors, for collecting radiation data from the one or more gamma sensors and the one or more solid-state neutron sensors; a multi-channel analyzer system, communicatively coupled with the digital data collection system, for preparing histograms of the collected radiation data; a spectral analysis system, communicatively coupled with the multi-channel analyzer system and the digital data collection system, for receiving and analyzing the collected radiation data and the histograms to detect radiation and to identify one or more isotopes associated with the collected radiation data; a first data storage means for storing data representing isotope spectra for use by the spectral analysis system, where one or more spectral images stored in the first data storage unit represent each isotope, the first data storage means being communicatively coupled with the spectral analysis system; an information processing system, communicatively coupled with the spectral analysis system, for analyzing the identified one or more isotopes and to determine the possible materials or goods that they represent; and a second data storage means for storing data representing a manifest relating to the container under examination, the second data storage means being communicatively coupled with the information processing system, the information processing system further for comparing the determined possible materials or goods with the manifest relating to the container under examination to determine if there are unauthorized materials or goods contained within the container under examination.