An optoelectronic neutron detector and method for detecting nuclear material having a neutron capture and scatter medium receiving neutrons and producing secondary charged particles, a photodetector detecting emitted light from the secondary charged particles and outputting a detector signal, and a controller receiving the detector signal and providing an alert or quantitative indication of detected nuclear material in response to the detector signal.

Some embodiments are directed to a radiation dosage monitoring system including a model generation module configured to generate a 3D surface model of a portion of a patient undergoing radiation treatment, an image detector configured to detect Cherenkov radiation and any subsequent secondary and scattered radiation originating due to the initial Cherenkov radiation emitted from the patient, a processing module configured to determine estimations of radiation applied to the patient utilizing the images from the image detector and the 3D model, and to utilize the determined estimations of radiation applied to the patient together with data indicative of the orientation of a radiation beam inducing emission of the Cherenkov radiation at a time when the radiation beam was applied to generate a 3D internal representation of the location of the portions of a irradiated patient resulting in the emission of the Cherenkov radiation.

The present invention relates to advanced Cherenkov-based imaging systems, tools, and methods of feedback control, temporal control sequence image capture, and quantification in high resolution dose images. In particular, the present invention provides a system and method for simple, accurate, quick, robust, real-time, water-equivalent characterization of beams from LINACs and other systems producing external-therapy radiation for purposes including optimization, commissioning, routine quality auditing, R&D, and manufacture. The present invention also provides a system and method for rapid and economic characterization of complex radiation treatment plans prior to patient exposure. Further, the present invention also provides a system and method of economically detecting Cherenkov radiation emitted by tissue and other media in real-world clinical settings (e.g., settings illuminated by visible light).

Apparatus for optical imaging of Cerenkov luminescence from an object subsequent to the object receiving a dose of a radiopharmaceutical, the apparatus comprising: a light tight enclosure within which the object can be received at a sample location; an imaging means; a means to mitigate direct particle impingement between the sample location and the imaging means; and one or more optical elements for transmitting Cerenkov photons from within the light tight enclosure to the imaging means.

Apparatus for optical imaging of Cerenkov luminescence from an object subsequent to the object receiving a dose of a radiopharmaceutical, the apparatus comprising: a light tight enclosure within which the object can be received at a sample location; an imaging means; a means to mitigate direct particle impingement between the sample location and the imaging means; and one or more optical elements for transmitting Cerenkov photons from within the light tight enclosure to the imaging means.

A radiation treatment system is described, including a linear accelerator (LINAC), having a housing, to emit a treatment beam to a target location and a Cerenkov emission detector, coupled to the housing of the LINAC, to capture a set of images of optical Cerenkov emission generated at the target location by charged particles of the treatment beam. A method is described including emitting the treatment beam from the LINAC to the target location and capturing, using the Cerenkov emission detector coupled to the LINAC, the set of images of optical Cerenkov emission generated at the target location by the treatment beam.

A radiation treatment system is described, including a linear accelerator (LINAC), having a housing, to emit a treatment beam to a target location and a Cerenkov emission detector, coupled to the housing of the LINAC, to capture a set of images of optical Cerenkov emission generated at the target location by charged particles of the treatment beam. A method is described including emitting the treatment beam from the LINAC to the target location and capturing, using the Cerenkov emission detector coupled to the LINAC, the set of images of optical Cerenkov emission generated at the target location by the treatment beam.

Fiber reinforced aerogel composites, including a transparent composite material that contains an aerogel and fibers embedded into the aerogel and/or bonded to one or more surfaces of the aerogel, and composites that contain an aerogel tile and an assemblage of fibers embedded into the aerogel tile or bonded to the aerogel tile that are useful as Cherenkov radiators for the detection and identification of subatomic particles. Also, methods of making and using the composites.

Fiber reinforced aerogel composites, including a transparent composite material that contains an aerogel and fibers embedded into the aerogel and/or bonded to one or more surfaces of the aerogel, and composites that contain an aerogel tile and an assemblage of fibers embedded into the aerogel tile or bonded to the aerogel tile that are useful as Cherenkov radiators for the detection and identification of subatomic particles. Also, methods of making and using the composites.

A particle imaging method for distinguishing between types of incident particles, such as neutrons, photons, and alphas, and improving the position resolution of particle imaging devices with matrix readout. The method includes high frequency multisampling readout electronics that provides the sequences of multiple measurements for each detected event, resulting in recorded detailed waveform information describing the signals. Such detailed information is used to approximate each signal waveform with a parameterized function in which the extracted parameter sets determine the type of the incident particle in an optimized fashion. The detailed event-by-event multisampling information for each signal readout channel in the matrix readout of the radiation imaging devices improves and optimizes the position resolution for variable shapes of the signals. Such devices can be used in mixed radiation fields, creating a new class of multimodal photon and neutron imagers.