# US 2013/0153774 A1 · Pixellated scintillator readout arrangement and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0153774 A1 - Document ID: US20130153774A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/636,732 - Filed: 2011-03-23 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2010-03-24 - Assignees: SensL Technologies Ltd. - Inventors: Patrick Joseph Hughes; John Carlton Jackson; Nikolai Pavlov; Stephen Keeney - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130153774A1 ## CPC - G01T 1/2006: {using a combination of a scintillator and photodetector which measures the means radiation intensity} - G01T 1/1644: {using an array of optically separate scintillation elements permitting direct location of scintillations (G01T1/1645 takes precedence)} - G01T 1/20182: {Modular detectors, e.g. tiled scintillators or tiled photodiodes (stacked detectors G01T1/20181)} - H10F 30/225: the potential barrier working in avalanche mode, e.g. avalanche photodiodes - H10F 39/107: {having multiple elements covered by H10F30/00 in a repetitive configuration, e.g. radiation detectors comprising photodiode arrays} - H10F 77/496: {Luminescent members, e.g. fluorescent sheets (wavelength conversion means for photovoltaic cells H10F77/45)} - H10F 30/29: the devices being sensitive to radiation having very short wavelengths, e.g. X-rays, gamma-rays or corpuscular radiation - 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) - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION ## Abstract A pixellated scintillator readout arrangement is presented, the arrangement comprising a plurality of scintillator pixels arranged in a scintillator array, and a plurality of photodetectors arranged to receive light from, or address, the scintillator pixels. The photodetectors may be arranged on both a first side and a second side of the scintillator array. Each photodetector may be arranged to leave a gap adjacent to the scintillator pixel which is addressed by that photodetector. Non-photosensitive elements such as tracking and bondpads may be arranged in at least some of the gaps. Electronic components such as electronic amplifiers may be arranged in at least some of the gaps. The photodetectors may be arranged in linear arrays addressing alternate lines of scintillator pixels on either side of the scintillator array. Each photodetector may be arranged to address a single pixel (as illustrated) or more than one pixel (not shown). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pixellated scintillator readout arrangement comprising a plurality of scintillator pixels arranged in a scintillator array, and a plurality of photodetectors arranged to receive light from, or address, the scintillator pixels, wherein the photodetectors are arranged on both a first side and a second side of the scintillator array. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the photodetectors comprise an avalanche photodiode or a Geiger mode avalanche photodiode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) An arrangement as claimed claim 1, wherein each photodetector comprises a silicon photomultiplier. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein each photodetector is arranged to leave a gap adjacent to the scintillator pixel which is addressed by that photodetector. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) An arrangement as claimed in claim 4, wherein non-photosensitive elements such as tracking and bondpads are arranged in at least some of the gaps. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) An arrangement as claimed in claim 4, wherein electronic components such as electronic amplifiers are arranged in at least some of the gaps. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the photodetectors are arranged in linear arrays addressing alternate lines of scintillator pixels on either side of the scintillator array. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of at least some of the photodetectors is arranged to address a single pixel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of at least some of the photodetectors is arranged to address a first pixel and a second pixel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) An arrangement as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first pixel is substantially covered by the photodetector and the second pixel is at least partially covered by the photodetector. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) An arrangement as claimed in claim 9, wherein each pixel is addressed from both the first side and second side of the array. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) An arrangement as claimed in claim 11, wherein the photodetectors are arranged in linear arrays with each linear array addressing first alternate lines of scintillator pixels on either side of the array, and with each linear array addressing second alternate lines of scintillator pixels adjacent to the first alternate lines, wherein each scintillator pixel is addressed as part of a first line by a detector array on the first side of the array, and as part of a second line by a detector array on the second side of the array. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) A method of using a pixellated scintillator readout arrangement according to claim 11, in which the readout from both sides of the scintillator pixels is used to provide information on a depth of interaction. ### Claim 14 A silicon photomultiplier based pixellated scintillator readout arrangement having alternating top and bottom placed readout photodiode elements grouped as linear arrays, thereby allowing spacing out any of neighbouring elements on both sides. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) An arrangement as claimed in claim 14, having some overlap of a photodiode to the neighbouring scintillator crystal thus allowing for light sharing of the scintillator light between two opposing photodiodes and consequently enabling a depth-of-interaction estimate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) An arrangement as claimed in claim 14, having tracking with uniform track lengths to minimise non-uniformity and signal degradation and maximise TOF. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) An arrangement as claimed in claim 14, in which the extra space is used to include additional chip amplifiers so as to improve performance.