# US 10,121,818 B2 · Quantum dot digital radiographic detection system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,121,818 B2 - Document ID: US10121818B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/215,246 - Filed: 2016-07-20 - Published: 2016-11-10 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2010-07-15 - Assignees: Oregon Dental, Inc. - Applicants: Oregon Dental, Inc. - Inventors: Leigh E. Colby - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121818B2 ## CPC - H10F 39/1898: {Indirect radiation image sensors, e.g. using luminescent members} - B82Y 15/00: Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors - G01T 1/208: Circuits specially adapted for scintillation detectors, e.g. for the photo-multiplier section - H10F 39/8067: {Reflectors} - H10F 77/122: comprising only Group IV materials - H10F 77/1433: {Quantum dots} - B82Y 20/00: Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals - Y10S 977/774: Exhibiting three-dimensional carrier confinement, e.g. quantum dots - Y10S 977/954: Of radiant energy - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES - 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) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A digital quantum dot radiographic detection system described herein includes: a scintillation subsystem 202 and a semiconductor light detection subsystem 200, 200′ (including a plurality of quantum dot image sensors 200a, 200b). In a first preferred digital quantum dot radiographic detection system, the plurality of quantum dot image sensors 200 is in substantially direct contact with the scintillation subsystem 202. In a second preferred digital quantum dot radiographic detection system, the scintillation subsystem has a plurality of discrete scintillation packets 212a, 212b, at least one of the discrete scintillation packets communicating with at least one of the quantum dot image sensors. The quantum dot image sensors 200 may be associated with semiconductor substrate 210 made from materials such as silicon (and variations thereof) or graphene. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A digital quantum dot radiographic detection system comprising: (a) a scintillation subsystem that converts X-ray ionizing radiation into luminescent light; (b) a semiconductor light detection subsystem having a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of quantum dot image sensors, said quantum dot image sensors detecting said light from said scintillation subsystem and converting said light into at least one electronic signal; and (c) said plurality of quantum dot image sensors is in substantially direct contact with said scintillation subsystem. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said semiconductor substrate is a quantum dot semiconductor substrate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said scintillation subsystem comprises a plurality of discrete scintillation packets, at least one of said discrete scintillation packets communicating with at least one of said quantum dot image sensors. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said scintillation subsystem comprises a plurality of discrete scintillation packets, said plurality of quantum dot image sensors and said plurality of discrete scintillation packets being heterogeneous, at least one of said discrete scintillation packets communicating with an appropriate at least one of said quantum dot image sensors. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said scintillation subsystem comprises a plurality of discrete scintillation packets, at least one of said discrete scintillation packets communicating with at least one of said quantum dot image sensors, and an optically opaque layer being positioned between said discrete scintillation packets. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said scintillation subsystem comprises a plurality of discrete scintillation packets, said plurality of quantum dot image sensors and said plurality of discrete scintillation packets being heterogeneous, at least one of said discrete scintillation packets communicating with an appropriate at least one of said quantum dot image sensors, and an optically opaque layer being positioned between said discrete scintillation packets. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said scintillation subsystem comprises a plurality of discrete scintillation packets, at least one of said discrete scintillation packets communicating with at least one of said quantum dot image sensors, and an optically opaque lateral layer with optical retroflectors positioned opposite said quantum dot image sensors. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said scintillation subsystem comprises a plurality of discrete scintillation packets, said plurality of quantum dot image sensors and said plurality of discrete scintillation packets being heterogeneous, at least one of said discrete scintillation packets communicating with an appropriate at least one of said quantum dot image sensors, and an optically opaque lateral layer with optical retroflectors positioned opposite said quantum dot image sensors. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said scintillation subsystem comprises a plurality of discrete scintillation packets, at least one of said discrete scintillation packets communicating with at least one of said quantum dot image sensors, an optically opaque layer being positioned between said discrete scintillation packets, and an optically opaque lateral layer with optical retroflectors positioned opposite said quantum dot image sensors. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said scintillation subsystem comprises a plurality of discrete scintillation packets, said plurality of quantum dot image sensors and said plurality of discrete scintillation packets being heterogeneous, at least one of said discrete scintillation packets communicating with an appropriate at least one of said quantum dot image sensors, an optically opaque layer being positioned between said discrete scintillation packets, and an optically opaque lateral layer with optical retroflectors positioned opposite said quantum dot image sensors. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said scintillation subsystem is positioned between an X-ray source and said plurality of quantum dot image sensors. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising: (a) an image processing subsystem having a computational device capable of receiving said at least one electronic signal and storing said at least one electronic signal on an electronic medium; and (b) said computational device capable of retrieving and displaying said at least one electronic signal at a concurrent or later time as a diagnostic image. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, said scintillation subsystem comprising a plurality of discrete scintillation packets, at least one of said discrete scintillation packets being in substantially direct contact with and in communication with an associated at least one of said quantum dot image sensors. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, said scintillation subsystem comprising a plurality of discrete scintillation packets, at least one of said discrete scintillation packets in substantially direct contact with and in communication with an associated at least one of said quantum dot image sensors, each said quantum dot image sensor being optimized to a peak output of a scintillation chemistry of its associated discrete scintillation packet. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, said scintillation subsystem comprising a plurality of discrete scintillation packets, at least one of said discrete scintillation packets in substantially direct contact with and in communication with an associated at least one of said quantum dot image sensors, each said quantum dot image sensor being optimized to a peak output of a scintillation chemistry of its associated discrete scintillation packet, wherein different types of optimized quantum dot image sensor and associated discrete scintillation packet combinations provide images having a high resolution and contrast. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said semiconductor substrate is made from graphene. ### Claim 17 A digital quantum dot radiographic detection system comprising: (a) a scintillation subsystem that converts X-ray ionizing radiation into luminescent light; (b) a semiconductor light detection subsystem having a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of quantum dot image sensors, said quantum dot image sensors detecting said light from said scintillation subsystem and converting said light into at least one electronic signal; and (c) said scintillation subsystem being a plurality of discrete scintillation packets, at least one of said discrete scintillation packets communicating with at least one of said quantum dot image sensors. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17 wherein said semiconductor substrate is a quantum dot semiconductor substrate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17 wherein said plurality of quantum dot image sensors and said plurality of discrete scintillation packets are heterogeneous, at least one of said discrete scintillation packets communicating with an appropriate at least one of said quantum dot image sensors. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17 further comprising an optically opaque layer positioned between said discrete scintillation packets. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17 further comprising an optically opaque lateral layer with optical retroflectors positioned opposite said quantum dot image sensors. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17 further comprising an optically opaque layer being positioned between said discrete scintillation packets and an optically opaque lateral layer with optical retroflectors positioned opposite said quantum dot image sensors. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, at least one of said discrete scintillation packets being in substantially direct contact with and in communication with an associated at least one of said quantum dot image sensors. ### Claim 24 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, each said quantum dot image sensor being optimized to a peak output of a scintillation chemistry of its associated discrete scintillation packet. ### Claim 25 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, each said quantum dot image sensor being optimized to a peak output of a scintillation chemistry of its associated discrete scintillation packet, wherein different types of optimized quantum dot image sensor and associated discrete scintillation packet combinations provide images having a high resolution and contrast. ### Claim 26 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17 wherein said semiconductor substrate is made from graphene.