Analog photon counting
AssigneeUniversity Corporation for Atmospheric Research
InventorsMatthew Hayman, Scott Spuler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A photon counting system is provided. The photon counting system comprises an analog domain and a digital domain in communication with the analog domain. A detector is configured to detect photons. An analog digital converter is provided in the digital domain, while an amplifier circuit is provided in the analog domain that is configured to receive the detector's output, wherein the amplifier circuit's output is in communication with the analog digital converter. The output of the analog digital converter is in communication with a signal processing system that may perform accumulation of signals and store them in memory.
Claims18
A photon counting system (10) comprising:
- an analog domain (12);
- a digital domain (14) in communication with the analog domain (12);
- a detector (20) configured to detect photons;
- an analog digital converter (16) in the digital domain (14);
- an amplifier circuit in the analog domain (12) configured to receive the detector's (20) output, wherein the amplifier circuit's (23) output is in communication with the analog digital converter (16);
- an accumulator (24) in communication with the analog digital converter (16), wherein the accumulator (24) is configured to integrate a signal from the analog digital converter (16) over a predetermined number of signals and differentiate the integrated signal, wherein a difference between two sample points corresponds to an amount of signal in an associated time bin.
A method for counting photons comprising:
- providing a system having an analog domain, a digital domain in communication with the analog domain, and a detector configured to detect photons;
- detecting photons with the detector;
- integrating a signal of the detector in the analog domain;
- digitizing the integrated signal with an analog digital converter in the digital domain;
- integrating a signal from the analog digital converter over a predetermined number of signals with and accumulator in communication with the analog digital converter;
- differentiating a digital signal of the analog digital converter;
- and
- wherein a difference between two sample points corresponds to an amount of signal in an associated time bin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.