Hidefumi Tomita

20140077091, Mar 20, 2014

Mar 15, 2013

13/833420

Andrew Inglis - Brighton MA, US
Hidefumi Tomita - Brookline MA, US

TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY - Boston MA

G01T 3/00

250389

A thermal neutron detector includes a planar detector housing having two glass panels spaced apart by a gas-tight seal defining a detection chamber including an inert detection gas and lithium foils adhered to inner surfaces of the glass panel(s). The lithium foils emit alpha particles and tritons in response to incident thermal neutrons, and the inert detection gas is ionized by the particles to generate drift electrons. A planar array of detection wires is spaced apart from the lithium foils and extends outside the detection chamber. Electronic bias applies a field voltage between the wires and the lithium foils to establish a drift electric field in the detection chamber effective to attract the drift electrons to the wires and provide a large electric field near the anode wires to cause electron multiplication near the wire resulting in large numbers of electrons and positive ions for each initial electron. Detection circuitry detects electric signals in wires generated by the drift of positive ions away from the wires and interpret the electrical signals as incidence of thermal neutrons on the detector.

20210349223, Nov 11, 2021

May 7, 2020

16/868948

- Sedgefield, GB
Hidefumi Tomita - Pittsburgh PA, US

G01T 1/24

One embodiment provides a method, including: receiving a photon interaction occurring within a photon detector pixel array, wherein the photon detector pixel array comprises a plurality of pixels; determining a photoelectron cloud generated from the photon interaction, wherein the photon detector pixel array comprises an electric field, wherein an electrostatic repulsive force disperses a photon to the photoelectron cloud; identifying a subset of the plurality of pixels associated with the photon interaction, wherein each of the subset of the plurality of pixels corresponds to pixels activated by the photo electron cloud, wherein the subset of the plurality of pixels comprise a central pixel and a plurality of neighboring pixels, wherein the central pixel comprises the pixel having the highest amplitude response to the photon interaction; and determining, from the photoelectron cloud, a characteristic of the photon interaction, wherein the characteristic comprises at least one of: time, position, and energy of the interaction. Other aspects are described and claimed.

20210302601, Sep 30, 2021

Jun 14, 2021

17/346894

- Waltham MA, US
Alison Forsyth - Somerville MA, US
Zachary S. Hartwig - Roslindale MA, US
Philip C. Taber - Arlington MA, US
Timothy Teal - Brighton MA, US
Hidefumi Tomita - Pittsburgh PA, US

G01T 3/00
H01J 47/12
G21K 1/00

A fissile neutron detection system includes 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. A moderator is disposed within the moderator region having 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. The moderator can include major widthwise and major lengthwise lateral extents such that any given dimension across the lengthwise and widthwise lateral extents includes a length that is greater than any thickness of the moderator arrangement transverse to the lateral extents.

20200309971, Oct 1, 2020

Apr 23, 2019

16/392059

- Cambridge MA, US
Alison Forsyth - Somerville MA, US
Zachary S. Hartwig - Roslindale MA, US
Philip C. Taber - Arlington MA, US
Timothy Teal - Brighton MA, US
Hidefumi Tomita - Pittsburgh PA, US

G01T 3/00
H01J 47/12

A fissile neutron detection system includes 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. A moderator is disposed within the moderator region having 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. The moderator can include major widthwise and major lengthwise lateral extents such that any given dimension across the lengthwise and widthwise lateral extents includes a length that is greater than any thickness of the moderator arrangement transverse to the lateral extents.

20200191982, Jun 18, 2020

Feb 26, 2020

16/801147

- Cambridge MA, US
Alison FORSYTH - Somerville MA, US
Thomas NADOVICH - Somerville MA, US
Timothy TEAL - Brighton MA, US
Philip TABER - Arlington MA, US
Hidefumi TOMITA - Pittsburgh PA, US

G01T 3/00
H01J 47/12
H01J 47/02

A narrow thermal neutron detector includes a slidably receivable ionization thermal neutron detector module within an overall housing body. An active sheet layer of the ionization thermal neutron detector module can be tensioned across its width. The ionization thermal neutron detector module can include module upper major surface extents and module lower surface extents such that, when installed within the housing body, the module upper major surface extents are in a first spaced apart confronting relationship with housing upper major surface extents to define a first clearance and module lower major surface extents are in a second spaced apart confronting relationship with housing lower major surface extents to define a second clearance to accommodate housing flexing due to ambient pressure change. The housing body can be formed with a single opening for receiving the ionization thermal neutron detection module or with opposing first and second opposing end openings.

20200072989, Mar 5, 2020

Apr 11, 2019

16/381602

- Cambridge MA, US
Alison Forsyth - Somerville MA, US
Thomas Nadovich - Somerville MA, US
Timothy Teal - Brighton MA, US
Philip Taber - Arlington MA, US
Hidefumi Tomita - Pittsburgh PA, US

G01T 3/00
H01J 47/02
H01J 47/12

A narrow thermal neutron detector includes a slidably receivable ionization thermal neutron detector module within an overall housing body. An active sheet layer of the ionization thermal neutron detector module can be tensioned across its width. The ionization thermal neutron detector module can include module upper major surface extents and module lower surface extents such that, when installed within the housing body, the module upper major surface extents are in a first spaced apart confronting relationship with housing upper major surface extents to define a first clearance and module lower major surface extents are in a second spaced apart confronting relationship with housing lower major surface extents to define a second clearance to accommodate housing flexing due to ambient pressure change. The housing body can be formed with a single opening for receiving the ionization thermal neutron detection module or with opposing first and second opposing end openings.

20180299568, Oct 18, 2018

Apr 14, 2017

15/488382

- Boston MA, US
Alison FORSYTH - Somerville MA, US
Zach HARTWIG - Roslindale MA, US
Philip TABER - Arlington MA, US
Timothy TEAL - Brighton MA, US
Hidefumi TOMITA - Pittsburgh PA, US

G01T 3/00
G21K 1/00

A fissile neutron detection system includes 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. A moderator is disposed within the moderator region having 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. The moderator can include major widthwise and major lengthwise lateral extents such that any given dimension across the lengthwise and widthwise lateral extents includes a length that is greater than any thickness of the moderator arrangement transverse to the lateral extents.

20180299569, Oct 18, 2018

Apr 13, 2018

15/952610

- Boston MA, US
Alison Forsyth - Somerville MA, US
Thomas Nadovich - Somerville MA, US
Timothy Teal - Brighton MA, US
Philip Taber - Arlington MA, US
Hidefumi Tomita - Pittsburgh PA, US

G01T 3/00
H01J 47/12
H01J 47/02

A narrow thermal neutron detector includes a slidably receivable ionization thermal neutron detector module within an overall housing body. An active sheet layer of the ionization thermal neutron detector module can be tensioned across its width. The ionization thermal neutron detector module can include module upper major surface extents and module lower surface extents such that, when installed within the housing body, the module upper major surface extents are in a first spaced apart confronting relationship with housing upper major surface extents to define a first clearance and module lower major surface extents are in a second spaced apart confronting relationship with housing lower major surface extents to define a second clearance to accommodate housing flexing due to ambient pressure change. The housing body can be formed with a single opening for receiving the ionization thermal neutron detection module or with opposing first and second opposing end openings.