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US 12,717,047 B2Granted
Multi-stage pixel architecture for synchronous read/integrate radiation imaging, and related systems, devices and methods
AssigneeAnalogic Corporation
InventorsFrancois Boucher, Anastasiia Mishchenko, Luc Laperriere
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Abstract
Embodiments of a multi-stage pixel architecture for radiation imaging, and related detectors and radiation imaging systems including the same are described. Embodiments of methods of performing synchronous read/integrate using pixels described herein are also described.
Claims27
A radiation imaging system comprising:
- a radiation source configured to transmit radiation toward an object;
- a number of pixels arranged in a matrix and configured to integrate and readout an electrical charge corresponding to radiation transmitted through the object that impinges on a number of radiation detector elements;
- and
- a computing device configured to capture image data from the number of pixels, wherein the image data is representative of electrical charge collected at each pixel of the number of pixels,
- wherein each of the number of pixels comprising:
- a first stage comprising a first reset component, a first charge storage component, and a first readout component;
- and
- a second stage comprising a second reset component, a second charge storage component, and a second readout component;
- and
- the first reset component, the first charge storage component, the first readout component, the second reset component, the second charge storage component, and the second readout component are switchably controllable to:
- selectively enable simultaneous read from the first or second stage and integrate at the other of the first or second stage, and selectively enable independent reset of the first or second stage.
8 more elements
A radiation detector element, comprising:
- a radiation conversion stage;
- a first stage comprising dedicated ones of:
- a first reset component, a first readout component, and a first charge storage component;
- a second stage comprising dedicates ones of:
- a second reset component, a second readout component, and a second charge storage component;
- and
- first and second sets of devices respectively arranged for separate reset, charge integration, and readout of the first charge storage component and of the second charge storage component.
4 more elements
A method of capturing radiation information from a pixel, the method comprising:
- collecting, at a first charge storage device, a first charge provided by a radiation converter in response to a first radiation beam incident the radiation converter at a first angle;
- generating and digitizing a first pixel signal representative of the first charge collected at the first charge storage device;
- collecting, at a second charge storage device, a second charge provided by the radiation converter in response to a second radiation beam incident the radiation converter at a second angle;
- generating and digitizing a second pixel signal representative of the second charge collected at the second charge storage device;
- and
- individually and selectively resetting the first charge storage device at a first reset phase before collecting the first charge, and individually and selectively resetting the second charge storage device at a second reset phase before collecting the second charge, the first reset phase and the second reset phase being different phases.
3 more elements
A method of capturing radiation information, the method comprising:
- simultaneously:
- resetting first charge storage devices of a row of pixels;
- and
- starting collection, at second charge storage devices of the row of pixels, of charge provided by radiation converters in response to radiation beams incident to the radiation converters;
- and
- generating a frame of image data by digitizing pixel signals representative of the charge collected at the charge storage devices of the row of pixels.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.