IP Library Granted Patent US 11,092,700
Granted Patent B2
US 11,092,700 · App. 16/643,653 · Granted Aug 17, 2021

Scintillator unit, radiation measuring device, and radiation measuring method

Inventors: Yuka Kato (Tokyo, JP); Yoshimune Ogata (Nagoya, JP); Haruka Minowa (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
G01T1/203G01T1/167G01T7/02G01T7/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,092,700
App. No.
16/643,653
Granted
Aug 17, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to the present invention, a laminate is disposed on a spacer in a bottle. The laminate comprises: a sample layer that includes a sample sheet; an upper scintillator layer (upper member); and a lower scintillator layer (lower member). Each of the upper and lower scintillator layers is made of a plastic scintillator material. The sample sheet is manufactured by laminating a carrier such as filter paper having a radioactive substance adhered thereto.

Claims (31)

1. A scintillator unit comprising:

an upper member composed of a solid scintillator member which is disposed on an upper side of a radioactive sample;

a lower member composed of a solid scintillator member which is disposed on a lower side of the radioactive sample, the lower member cooperating with the upper member to directly or indirectly sandwich the radioactive sample; and

a retainer configured to retain a laminate which comprises the upper member, the radioactive sample, and the lower member, wherein the laminate has a form of a columnar shape.

2. The scintillator unit according to claim 1 , wherein the retainer is a container configured to house the laminate.

3. The scintillator unit according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a support member configured to support the laminate in a state where a middle level of the laminate matches a reference level within the container.

4. The scintillator unit according to claim 2 , wherein the container comprises a structure configured to apply a pushing force along a vertical direction to the laminate in a state where the laminate is housed in the container.

5. The scintillator unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a sample sheet containing the radioactive sample, the sample sheet being disposed between the upper member and the lower member, wherein

the sample sheet comprises;

an upper film disposed on the upper side of the radioactive sample; and

a lower film disposed on the lower side of the radioactive sample.

6. The scintillator unit according to claim 5 , wherein the upper film and the lower film are joined to each other in circumferential edge regions thereof.

7. The scintillator unit according to claim 5 , wherein:

the radioactive sample is adhered to a carrier; and

the carrier including the radioactive sample adhered thereto is sandwiched between the upper film and the lower film.

8. A radiation measuring device, comprising:

a rack configured to hold a scintillator unit;

a measurement chamber into which the scintillator unit taken off from the rack is introduced; and

a plurality of optical detectors having a plurality of light receiving surfaces which are opposed to the scintillator unit disposed within the measurement chamber, wherein the scintillator unit comprises;

an upper member composed of a solid scintillator member which is disposed on an upper side of a radioactive sample;

a lower member composed of a solid scintillator member which is disposed on a lower side of the radioactive sample, the lower member cooperating with the upper member to directly or indirectly sandwich the radioactive sample; and

a retainer configured to retain a laminate which comprises the upper member, the radioactive sample, and the lower member, wherein the laminate has a form of a columnar shape.

9. A radiation measuring method comprising:

adhering a radioactive substance contained within a liquid sample to a carrier;

sandwiching the carrier having the radioactive substance adhered thereto between a pair of films to produce a sample sheet;

sandwiching the sample sheet between an upper scintillator member and a lower scintillator member to form a laminate;

placing the laminate within a container to form a scintillator unit;

setting the scintillator unit in a scintillation counter; and

detecting a radiation emitted from the radioactive substance in the scintillation counter.

Assignments (2)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded May 3, 2023
From: HITACHI, LTD.
To: NIPPON RAYTECH CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 063520/0204 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 2, 2020
From: KATO, YUKA; OGATA, YOSHIMUNE; MINOWA, HARUKA
To: HITACHI, LTD.
Reel/Frame 051977/0400 →