US 12,189,068 B2
Advanced fissile neutron detection system and method
Andrew Inglis, Brookline, MA (US); Alison Forsyth, Somerville, MA (US); Zachary S. Hartwig, Roslindale, MA (US); Philip C. Taber, Arlington, MA (US); Timothy Teal, Brighton, MA (US); and Hidefumi Tomita, Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Assigned to Silverside Detectors Inc., Cambridge, MA (US)
Filed by Silverside Detectors Inc., Waltham, MA (US)
Filed on Aug. 26, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/238,472.
Application 18/238,472 is a continuation of application No. 17/346,894, filed on Jun. 14, 2021, granted, now 11,768,301.
Application 17/346,894 is a continuation of application No. 16/392,059, filed on Apr. 23, 2019, granted, now 11,035,965, issued on Jun. 15, 2021.
Application 16/392,059 is a continuation of application No. 15/488,382, filed on Apr. 14, 2017, granted, now 10,317,541, issued on Jun. 11, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0400596 A1, Dec. 14, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01T 3/00 (2006.01); G21K 1/00 (2006.01); H01J 47/12 (2006.01)
CPC G01T 3/00 (2013.01) [G01T 3/008 (2013.01); G21K 1/00 (2013.01); H01J 47/1233 (2013.01)] 4 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fissile neutron detection system for detecting incident fissile neutrons, said fissile neutron detection system, comprising:
an ionizing thermal neutron detector arrangement including an inner peripheral shape that at least substantially surrounds a moderator region for detecting thermal neutrons that exit the moderator region but is at least generally transparent to the incident fissile neutrons, the thermal neutron detector arrangement further including at least one group of thermal neutron detectors with the thermal neutron detectors of each group in a side-by-side relationship and spaced apart in the side-by-side relationship;
a moderator arrangement disposed within the moderator region for converting the incident fissile neutrons in the moderator region to thermal neutrons which exit the moderator region to then enter the thermal neutron detector arrangement for detection of at least some of the thermal neutrons to produce an electrical current as a detector output with the moderator arrangement having an outer peripheral shape that is at least generally complementary to said inner peripheral shape and the moderator arrangement includes lateral extents such that any given dimension that bisects the lateral extents includes a length that is greater than any thickness of the moderator arrangement transverse to the lateral extents; and
at least one external moderator disposed outside the moderator region proximate to the ionizing thermal neutron detector arrangement.