Inspection video radiation filter

Abstract

A method for filtering radiation on a CCD based camera inspection video, the method including: capturing video signals via the camera; converting the video signals to a plurality of digital video frames; identifying radiation bright spots, defined as xnoids, in a pixel of at least one of the frames, replacing the xnoids and surrounding pixels with corresponding pixels of another of the frames to create a filtered frame. A system for the inspection of a nuclear power plant comprising: a camera; and a computer, the computer configured to execute identifying xnoids in a pixel of at least one digitized video frame and replacing the xnoids and surrounding pixels with corresponding pixels of another of the frames to create a filtered frame.

1 . A method for filtering radiation on a CCD based camera inspection video, the method comprising:
 capturing video signals via the camera;   converting the video signals to a plurality of digital video frames;   identifying xnoids in a pixel of at least one of the frames,   replacing the xnoids and surrounding pixels with corresponding pixels of another of the frames to create a filtered frame.   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the video signals are converted to digital video frames by a video capture card. 
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the filtered frame is shown in real time via a computer display. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein data of the filtered frame is stored on a computer component and replayed at a later timer. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 5  wherein the another frame is N+1. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 6  wherein the another frame is N−1, N+2 or N−2, respectively, when the digital video frame N+1 has already been marked as a xnoid. 
     
     
         7 . A system for the inspection of a nuclear power plant comprising:
 a camera; and   a computer, the computer configured with software to execute identifying xnoids in a pixel of at least one digitized video frame and replacing the xnoids and surrounding pixels with corresponding pixels of another of the frames to create a filtered frame.   
     
     
         8 . The system as recited in  claim 8  wherein the camera is a CCD based camera. 
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein identifying xnoids includes determining an intensity level for the pixel and comparing the intensity level of the pixel to an intensity level of a plurality of surrounding pixels, identifying the pixel as a xnoid when the intensity level of the pixel is brighter then the intensity level of the plurality of surrounding pixels. 
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein identifying the xnoid includes comparing an intensity level of the pixel to an intensity level of twenty four surrounding pixels, wherein the bright spot exists when the intensity level of the pixel is greater then the intensity level of the twenty four surrounding pixels. 
     
     
         11 . A method for predicting camera failure due to radiation exposure, the method comprising:
 calculating a current estimated relative absorbed dose of the video camera;   recording the current estimated absorbed dose of the video camera; and   comparing the current estimated relative absorbed dose to a previously recorded estimated relative absorbed dose.   
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 11  wherein calculating the current estimated relative absorbed dose includes detecting xnoids in a filtered video frame and counting the total number of xnoids detected.