# US 10,121,817 B2 · Radiation detector for use as an image intensifier

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- Number: US 10,121,817 B2
- Document ID: US10121817B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/973,417
- Filed: 2015-12-17
- Published: 2017-06-22
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-12-17
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Biju Jacob; James Zhengshe Liu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121817B2

## CPC

- H10F 39/1898: {Indirect radiation image sensors, e.g. using luminescent members}
- G01N 23/043: {using fluoroscopic examination, with visual observation or video transmission of fluoroscopic images}
- G01T 1/247: {Detector read-out circuitry (for processing gain or off-set correction H04N)}
- G01N 2223/501: array
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- G01T: MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION (radiation analysis of materials, mass spectrometry G01N23/00; tubes for determining the presence, intensity, density or energy of radiation or particles H01J47/00)

## Abstract

A flat panel detector is provided having a circular active area. The flat panel detector is built using complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) tiles. In one implementation, the flat panel detector having a circular active area can be used as a replacement for a conventional image intensifier, including an image intensifier used in a fluoroscopy system.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A flat panel radiation detector, comprising:
a plurality of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) tiles arranged to form a light sensing panel comprising a circular active area; and
a non-imaging ring disposed on the light sensing panel, wherein the circular active area of the light sensing panel is defined by an inner boundary of the non-imaging ring, and
wherein the non-imaging ring is disposed on the light sensing panel such that portions of outer CMOS tiles of the plurality of CMOS tiles are masked by the non-imaging ring so as to define the circular active area.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The flat panel radiation detector of claim 1, further comprising a circular bumper disposed outside the non-imaging ring.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The flat panel radiation detector of claim 1, wherein the circular active area corresponds to a region of the light sensing panel that generates signals, and wherein the signals are employed to reconstruct images.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The flat panel radiation detector of claim 1, wherein the radiation detector is configured to fit within an image intensifier enclosure.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The flat panel radiation detector of claim 1, wherein each CMOS tile of the plurality of CMOS tiles comprises sides measuring between about 2.0 cm to about 5.0 cm, and wherein each CMOS tile of the plurality of CMOS tiles is between about 200 μm to about 700 μm thick.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The flat panel radiation detector of claim 1, further comprising readout electronics corresponding to each CMOS tile of the plurality of CMOS tiles, wherein the readout electronics corresponding to each CMOS tile of the plurality of CMOS tiles is configured to readout groups or sub-arrays of pixels from among a respective array of pixels on each CMOS tile and to output a digital signal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The flat panel radiation detector of claim 6, wherein the readout electronics corresponding to each CMOS tile of the plurality of CMOS tiles is configured to selectively bin the readout of pixels on each CMOS tile to correspond to different magnification levels.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The flat panel radiation detector of claim 1, wherein the plurality of CMOS tiles is arranged in a non-rectangular shape.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The flat panel radiation detector of claim 1, further comprising an interface configured to provide fields of view, image rotation, and gain corresponding to the flat panel radiation detector.

### Claim 10

An X-ray imaging system, comprising:
an X-ray source configured to emit a beam of X-rays through an imaging volume, wherein the emitted beam of X-rays comprises a circular cross-section;
a flat panel detector comprising:
a plurality of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) tiles arranged to form a light sensing panel comprising a circular active area;
a non-imaging ring disposed on the light sensing panel, wherein the circular active area of the light sensing panel is defined by an inner boundary of the non-imaging ring, and
wherein the non-imaging ring is disposed on the light sensing panel such that portions of outer CMOS tiles of the plurality of CMOS tiles are masked by the non-imaging ring so as to define the circular active area; and
an image processing unit, wherein the image processing unit is configured to apply a digital mask to an image produced by the flat panel detector to generate a circular shaped X-ray image.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The X-ray imaging system of claim 10, wherein the X-ray imaging system is a fluoroscopy system.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The X-ray imaging system of claim 10, wherein the flat panel detector is fitted into an enclosure configured to hold an image intensifier.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The X-ray imaging system of claim 10, wherein a CMOS tile of the plurality of CMOS tiles is disposed such that the CMOS tile is surrounded by adjacent CMOS tiles on four sides.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The X-ray imaging system of claim 10, wherein each CMOS tile of the plurality of CMOS tiles comprises integrated readout electronics configured to output digital data signals to the image processing unit.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The X-ray imaging system of claim 14, wherein the integrated readout electronics corresponding to each CMOS tile of the plurality of CMOS tiles is configured to readout groups or sub-arrays of pixels from among a respective array of pixels on each CMOS tile and to output the digital data signals based on the readout of the groups or sub-arrays of pixels.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The X-ray imaging system of claim 14, wherein the integrated readout electronics is configured to selectively bin the readout of pixels on a corresponding CMOS tile to correspond to different magnification levels.

### Claim 17

A method of emulating an image intensifier using a flat panel detector, comprising:
interpreting system commands intended for the image intensifier to commands for the flat panel detector and responses back from the flat panel detector corresponding to those from the image intensifier, wherein the flat panel detector comprises a plurality of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) tiles arranged to form a light sensing panel comprising a circular active area and a non-imaging ring disposed on the light sensing panel, wherein the circular active area of the light sensing panel is defined by an inner boundary of the non-imaging ring, and wherein the non-imaging ring is disposed on the light sensing panel such that portions of outer CMOS tiles of the plurality of CMOS tiles are masked by the non-imaging ring so as to define the circular active area; and
masking an image generated by the responses from the flat panel detector to a circular shape image corresponding to images generated by the image intensifier.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising applying interpolation to correspond to additional magnification modes not supported by binning pixels.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein interpreting the system commands comprises performing pixel binning at the flat panel detector to correspond to different imaging magnification modes provided by the image intensifier.