Abstract: A spectrometer calibration system and method that permits a database of spectral peak shapes to be applied as basis template functions to characterize a radiation detector is disclosed. The disclosed system/method interpolates stored arrays representing a series of spectral peak shapes at a range of specified energies to enable formation of a calibration peak shape template at any desired spectral energy level. These basis functions may be generated from analytical functions and/or empirically measured spectral data and produce output shape calibration templates that are independent of the generation method for the basis templates. The disclosed system/method acts as an abstraction layer between the method of peak shape determination and the use of the peak shape basis functions in any subsequent spectroscopic analysis, permitting rapid and inexpensive spectrometer calibration updates without the need for any embedded spectrometer software modifications.

Abstract: A radiation detection apparatus that utilizes a radiation sensor device that includes a scintillator device that is optically coupled to a plurality of silicon drift detector devices. Each silicon drift detector device segment includes an output anode that supplies the segment output to dedicated sensor processing circuitry. With each anode having dedicated processing circuitry, each output can be processed simultaneously. Also provided is a spectroscopic analysis device that is coupled with the sensor processing circuitry for computing spectral data associated with the radiation detection event. The spectroscopic analysis device accurately characterizes the detected radionuclide and prepares the results for display before the user. Networking capabilities also allow multiples of such apparatuses to communicate in an intelligent grid, providing even greater radionuclide characterization capabilities.

Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, a method of identifying nuclides, including the steps of: determining spectral continuum via a peak erosion process to render a residual peak spectrum; filtering a standard nuclide library specified by a user to select candidate nuclides; simultaneously fitting calibrations and activities of selected candidate nuclides from the standard library to the peak spectrum using a standard least squares method; calculating statistical significances of optimized nuclide activities and determining shape correlations between optimized candidate nuclide peak spectra and measured peak spectrum with alternative candidates subtracted; and identifying and providing activities of nuclides determined to have sufficiently significant activities and sufficient shape correlations.

Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, an automatic gain adjust method for radiation spectrometers, including: placing a calibration source emitting known energies at a radiation detector; acquiring a spectrum of the known energies; automatically analyzing the spectrum and comparing the spectrum with the known energies; automatically adjusting gain of an amplifier of the spectrum until peaks of the spectrum are in correct channels.