The invention relates to a system and a method for determining a characteristic of a blood vessel portion, which comprises blood including a contrast agent exhibiting resonant absorption of x-ray photons at a specific energy. The system comprises a tunable monochromatic x-ray source (21) emitting x-ray radiation, an x-ray detector device (22) for detecting the x-ray radiation after it has travelled through the blood vessel portion. A control unit (26) varies a tuning of the x-ray source (21) to vary the energy of the x-ray radiation emitted by the x-ray source (21), and an evaluation unit (27) determines a tuning of the x-ray source (21) at which nuclear resonant absorption of the x-ray radiation incident onto the blood vessel portion occurs and estimates the characteristic on the basis of the determined tuning. The characteristic may particularly be the blood velocity in the blood vessel portion.

A system for monitoring intensity of a particle beam can include one or more radio-frequency (RF) detectors coupled to a signal analyzer that can be placed outside the radiation field of the particle beam. Each RF detector can include a gas-filled RF cavity coupled to one or more gas-filled waveguides. The signal analyzer can self-calibrate before the particle beam is turned on for determining one or more absolute intensities of the particle beam when the particle beam is present.

A system for monitoring intensity of a particle beam can include one or more radio-frequency (RF) detectors coupled to a signal analyzer that can be placed outside the radiation field of the particle beam. Each RF detector can include a gas-filled RF cavity coupled to one or more gas-filled waveguides. The signal analyzer can self-calibrate before the particle beam is turned on for determining one or more absolute intensities of the particle beam when the particle beam is present.

A radiation detector (100) includes an insulating substrate (110), which includes a material that undergoes a change in an electrical property when subjected to ionizing radiation. A conductive film (112) is disposed in relation to a surface of the substrate. The conductive film (112) has a resistance that is a function of a state of the electrical property. A resistance measuring device measures resistance across the conductive film (112). The resistance measured by the resistance measuring device indicates an amount of ionizing radiation to which the substrate (110) has been subjected. In a method of determining exposure to a type of radiation, a boron nitride substrate is exposed to a radiation environment. A resistance is measured across a conductive film disposed in relation to the boron nitride substrate. Radiation exposure is calculated as a function of the resistance.

A radiation detector (100) includes an insulating substrate (110), which includes a material that undergoes a change in an electrical property when subjected to ionizing radiation. A conductive film (112) is disposed in relation to a surface of the substrate. The conductive film (112) has a resistance that is a function of a state of the electrical property. A resistance measuring device measures resistance across the conductive film (112). The resistance measured by the resistance measuring device indicates an amount of ionizing radiation to which the substrate (110) has been subjected. In a method of determining exposure to a type of radiation, a boron nitride substrate is exposed to a radiation environment. A resistance is measured across a conductive film disposed in relation to the boron nitride substrate. Radiation exposure is calculated as a function of the resistance.

This radiation analysis system comprises a transition edge sensor that detects radiation, a current detection mechanism that detects a current flowing in the transition edge sensor, and a computer sub-system that processes a current detection signal from the current detection mechanism. The computer sub-system is characterized by executing: a process for calculating a baseline current of the current detection signal; a process for calculating a wave height value of a signal pulse produced in the detection signal when the transition edge sensor has detected radiation; a process for acquiring correlation data based on the baseline current and the wave height value; and a process for correcting the wave height value of the signal pulse, or an energy value calculated from the wave height value, on the basis of the correlation data and the baseline current from before production of the signal pulse when radiation having unknown energy is detected by the transition edge sensor.

The present invention generally relates to a radiation sensor for use particularly in, but by no means exclusively, in measuring radiation dose in photon or electron fields such as for radiation medicine, including radiotherapy and radiation based diagnosis. According to the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor radiation detector comprising a radiation sensitive detector element arranged such that it forms a continuous radiation sensitive portion having surfaces oriented in at least two non-parallel directions.

To provide a radiation analyzer that can perform analyses by a long-term stable and high energy resolution without correcting a current flowing through a transition edge sensor (hereinafter referred to as TES) or a pulse height value of a signal pulse. The radiation analyzer includes: a TES 1 configured to detect radiation; a current detection mechanism 4 configured to detect a current flowing through the TES 1; a pulse height analyzer 5 configured to measure a pulse height value based on the current detected by the current detection mechanism 4; a baseline monitor mechanism 6 configured to detect a baseline current flowing through the TES 1; a first heater 13 whose output is adjusted to stabilize a temperature of a first thermometer 12 disposed in a cold head that cools the TES 1; and a second heater 14 that is disposed fairly close to the TES 1 and whose output is adjusted to stabilize a baseline current.

A position-sensitive ionizing-particle radiation counting detector includes a first substrate and a second substrate generally parallel to the first substrate and forming a gap with the first substrate, with a discharge gas contained within the gap. The detector includes a first electrode electrically coupled to the second substrate, and a second electrode electrically coupled to the first electrode and defining at least one pixel with the first electrode. The detector further includes an open dielectric structure pattern layered over one of the first or second electrodes and a current-limiting quench resistor coupled in series to one of the first or second electrodes. The detector further includes a power supply coupled to one of the first or second electrodes and a first discharge event detector circuitry coupled to the one of the first or second electrodes for detecting a gas discharge counting event in the electrode.

A position-sensitive ionizing-particle radiation counting detector includes a first substrate and a second substrate generally parallel to the first substrate and forming a gap with the first substrate, with a discharge gas contained within the gap. The detector includes a first electrode electrically coupled to the second substrate, and a second electrode electrically coupled to the first electrode and defining at least one pixel with the first electrode. The detector further includes an open dielectric structure pattern layered over one of the first or second electrodes and a current-limiting quench resistor coupled in series to one of the first or second electrodes. The detector further includes a power supply coupled to one of the first or second electrodes and a first discharge event detector circuitry coupled to the one of the first or second electrodes for detecting a gas discharge counting event in the electrode.