Abstract: A thermal neutron detector comprises an inorganic scintillation crystal, an inner sleeve on said scintillation crystal and including boron-10, and an outer lead sleeve on said inner sleeve for shielding gamma rays from the inner layer. The boron-10 may be carried in a resiliently compressible silicone cast on the crystal to form a sleeve which functions to mechanically support the crystal inside a detector casing. The resiliently compressible, thermal neutron absorbing layer may also be used in other applications as a thermal neutron shield.

Abstract: A modular radiation detector includes a scintillator module containing a crystal, and an electronics module containing a light sensing device such as a photomultiplier tube (PMT), and an electronics package. The scintillator module and the electronics module are releaseably mechanically coupled, for example by means of mating threaded portions on each of the modules. The crystal and the PMT are optically coupled via an optical window in the scintillator module and a removable gel pad which is pressed between the modules as they are mechanically coupled together.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods for manufacturing curved scintillation crystal detector plates uses hot forging of crystal material. Crystal material is brought to a temperature between its plastic temperature and its melting temperature, and it is pressed between a pair of dies having curved pressing surfaces. The heated crystal material may be a freshly-drawn ingot of crystal material, and the method for producing curved plates may include cutting the hot-forged ingot into individual plates.