Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed with a continuous straw forming process for spiral winding boron-coated foil into a rounded tube or cylinder with an overlap and tight contact between the spiral edges, and a welding process utilizing a high precision fiber laser to weld the spiral seem forming a straw tube.

Abstract: A boron coated straw detector for use in a neutron detection system is disclosed comprising a boron coated straw having at least one boron-coated septum radially oriented and extending a pre-determined distance towards the center of the straw. Preferably, the straw comprises a plurality of septa comprising a rigid surface, coated on both sides with a boron composition. Preferably, the septa run the length of the straw detector from one end of the straw to the other. The area coated on the septa adds to the area coated on the arc segments offering a significant benefit in sensitivity of the neutron detector.

Abstract: An apparatus and a process is disclosed for applying a boron coating to a thin foil. Preferably, the process is a continuous, in-line process for applying a coating to a thin foil comprising wrapping the foil around a rotating and translating mandrel, cleaning the foil with glow discharge in an etching chamber as the mandrel with the foil moves through the chamber, sputtering the foil with boron carbide in a sputtering chamber as the mandrel moves through the sputtering chamber, and unwinding the foil off the mandrel after it has been coated. The apparatus for applying a coating to a thin foil comprises an elongated mandrel. Foil preferably passes from a reel to the mandrel by passing through a seal near the initial portion of an etching chamber. The mandrel has a translation drive system for moving the mandrel forward and a rotational drive system for rotating mandrel as it moves forward. The etching chamber utilizes glow discharge on a surface of the foil as the mandrel moves through said etching chamber.

Abstract: A method is disclosed of measuring the thickness of a thin coating on a substrate comprising dissolving the coating and substrate in a reagent and using the post-dissolution concentration of the coating in the reagent to calculate an effective thickness of the coating. The preferred method includes measuring non-conducting films on flexible and rough substrates, but other kinds of thin films can be measure by matching a reliable film-substrate dissolution technique. One preferred method includes determining the thickness of Boron Carbide films deposited on copper foil. The preferred method uses a standard technique known as inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICPOES) to measure boron concentration in a liquid sample prepared by dissolving boron carbide films and the Copper substrates, preferably using a chemical etch known as ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN). Measured boron concentration values can then be calculated.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for operating boron-coated straw detectors in sealed mode, without the need for a continuous flow of gas. Sealed-mode operation is necessary when using the boron-coated straw detectors in the field, where access to a continuous flow of the required gas mixture is not practical. Also, sealed-mode operation is necessary when the straw detectors are used as portable instruments, that must be moved from one location to the next swiftly, or that must be operated while in motion.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method for radiation detection. The present invention utilized boron-coated detectors as a new alternative to large 3He tubes that will address the timing limitations of 3He-based detectors in active interrogation systems, by providing a 100-times faster ion collection time. This may enable the counting of prompt neutrons starting within 10 ?s following each gamma ray pulse. Current 3He-based detectors can only count delayed neutrons, and the linac pulse rate is severely limited by the lengthy times required to count these very late neutrons. If detection of the prompt component can be achieved, up to 150 times more neutrons can be detected in each pulse and pulse rate can be increased by more than 10 fold, giving a net sensitivity gain of 1500 while using the same detection array and linac.

Abstract: A new system accomplishes easy, interchangeable production of multiple PET radiopharmaceuticals through the use of a simplified eluant-only generator and a kit based synthesis technique employing lyophilized or freeze dried ligand. Thus, by simply switching the lyophilized ligand vial kit, any number of 62Cu-labeled radiopharmaceuticals (62Cu-ligand) can be interchangeably synthesized with only one 62Zn/62Cu generator.

Abstract: A system for detecting fissile materials which utilizes boron coated straw detectors in which the straws have non-circular cross sections. Embodiments include straws having star shaped cross sections of various configurations including a six pointed star. The system can include tubular housings having one or more shaped straws stacked within the housings.

Abstract: The present invention includes an apparatus and method for neutron radiation detection. The apparatus comprises combining thin walled, boron-coated straw tubes with a plastic moderator material interspersed around the tubes. The method involves using such an apparatus through application of voltage to a central wire running inside the tubes and collecting electrical pulses generated thereby.

Abstract: An apparatus and a process are disclosed for straw tube formation utilized in manufacturing boron coated straw neutron detectors. A preferred embodiment of the process for creating a thin walled straw for use in a boron-coated straw neutron detector comprises providing foil having a boron coating on a surface, forming the coated foil into a cylindrical tube having a longitudinal seam and the boron coated surface on the inside of the cylindrical tube, and then ultrasonically welding closed the seam of the tube. Optionally, the cylindrical tube can then be drawn through a die to form a straw tube having a non-circular cross section, preferably a star-shaped cross section.

Abstract: An apparatus and a process is disclosed for applying a boron coating to a thin foil. Preferably, the process is a continuous, in-line process for applying a coating to a thin foil comprising wrapping the foil around a rotating and translating mandrel, cleaning the foil with glow discharge in an etching chamber as the mandrel with the foil moves through the chamber, sputtering the foil with boron carbide in a sputtering chamber as the mandrel moves through the sputtering chamber, and unwinding the foil off the mandrel after it has been coated. The apparatus for applying a coating to a thin foil comprises an elongated mandrel. Foil preferably passes from a reel to the mandrel by passing through a seal near the initial portion of an etching chamber. The mandrel has a translation drive system for moving the mandrel forward and a rotational drive system for rotating mandrel as it moves forward. The etching chamber utilizes glow discharge on a surface of the foil as the mandrel moves through said etching chamber.

Abstract: The present invention includes an apparatus and method for neutron radiation detection. The apparatus comprises combining thin walled, boron-coated straw tubes with a plastic moderator material interspersed around the tubes. The method involves using such an apparatus through application of voltage to a central wire running inside the tubes and collecting electrical pulses generated thereby.

Abstract: The present invention includes an apparatus and method for neutron radiation detection. The apparatus comprises combining thin walled, boron-coated straw tubes with a plastic moderator material interspersed around the tubes. The method involves using such an apparatus through application of voltage to a central wire running inside the tubes and collecting electrical pulses generated thereby.

Abstract: A new system accomplishes easy, interchangeable production of multiple PET radiopharmaceuticals through the use of a simplified eluant-only generator and a kit based synthesis technique employing lyophilized or freeze dried ligand. Thus, by simply switching the lyophilized ligand vial kit, any number of 62Cu-labeled radiopharmaceuticals (62Cu-ligand) can be interchangeably synthesized with only one 62Zn/62Cu generator.

Abstract: This application relates to radiation detection, and more particularly, to a method and device for the remote detection and localization of nuclear materials in an unknown background. A method and apparatus for long range neutron and gamma ray detection and imaging is disclosed wherein a panel of thin walled tube detectors are rotated to enhance detection performance. The method and apparatus have particular applicability to portable monitoring and homeland security.

Abstract: A new design for a cylindrical ionization detector, featuring a resistive cathode, and external pickup wires that sense both the azimuthal and radial coordinates of interaction vertices. Combined with measurement of the longitudinal coordinate (using resistive anode wire charge division or other technique), the proposed design can provide an accurate 3-dimensional imaging detector and offer improved spectroscopic response.

Abstract: A neutron detector technology based on 10B thin film conversion of neutrons and detection of neutron capture reaction products in a counter gas within a thin straw tube detector body is described. This neutron detector is based on gas-filled thin wall straw tubes, modified for the conversion of neutrons in a very thin coating, or layer, of 10B, applied for example as a sputter-coated film of 10B4C, that lines the interior, or inside of the straw tube surface; and the subsequent detection of the neutron reaction products in the counter gas. One embodiment of this invention employs a closely-packed array of 10B4C-lined straw tubes employing a very thin and therefore high efficiency 10B4C layer, hence removing the barrier to efficient neutron capture reaction product escape while still providing for efficient neutron capture by providing a plurality of very thin 10B converters, each individual converter element providing efficient reaction product escape.

Abstract: A design and readout of a xenon detection medium based device, which provides improved spectroscopic performance compared to currently commercially available devices. To achieve energy resolution improvement, a method to accurately measure radial spatial position for interacting events within a HPXe cylindrical detector is described using the plan as shown in FIG. 4. This is accomplished by utilization of light generated both at the gamma interaction site and at the collection point near the anode wire of the cylindrical detector. These light flashes are detected by a VUV photon detector. Light transmission is facilitated by incorporating a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light transparent window at least one end of the cylindrical ionization detector. With the known electron drift velocity in HPXe, the time between these two photopulses is sufficient to accurately determine the radial coordinate. Consequently, correction by electronic means for the electrostatic pulse dispersion using the expression graphed in FIG.

Abstract: A structure for detection of radiation emitted by positron annihilation comprising a thin wall tube the inner surface of which is covered with an electrically conductive coating which is encompassed and enclosed by a spaced apart thin layer of lead, bismuth or an alloy thereof, an electrically conductive wire element coaxially positioned within said tube and an electrically insulative and pressure retaining element closing each tube end to contain there within from 0.1 to 10 bar of a gaseous atmosphere comprising argon together with a quench gas component or another suitable counting gas; and a PET imaging camera having closely packed arrays of a plurality of such tube structures.

Abstract: This invention relates to tissue treatment by intravascular radiation wherein the radiation source is a safe, liquid suspended, short-lived radioisotope. In the procedure of this invention the radioactive material is a suspension of the short-lived isotopes Cu-62 (half-life 9.74 minutes) or Ta-178 (half-live 9.3 minutes).