Loading patent…
OwnerSamuel Blahuta, Eric E. Mattmann +3inventors
InventorsSamuel Blahuta, Eric E. Mattmann, Damien Pauwels, Bruno Viana, Vladimir Ouspenski
Estimating the term…
A scintillation compound can include a rare earth element that is in a divalent (RE2+) or a tetravalent state (RE4+). The scintillation compound can include another element to allow for better change balance. The other element may be a principal constituent of the scintillation compound or may be a dopant or a co-dopant. In an embodiment, a metal element in a trivalent state (M3+) may be replaced by RE4+ and a metal element in a divalent state (M2+). In another embodiment, M3+ may be replaced by RE2+ and M4+. In a further embodiment, M2+ may be replaced by a RE3+ and a metal element in a monovalent state (M1+). The metal element used for electronic charge balance may have a single valance state, rather than a plurality of valence states, to help reduce the likelihood that the valance state would change during formation of the scintillation compound.
A material comprising a rare earth (Ln) silicate doped with an element RE different from Ln, RE being chosen among Ce, Pr, Tb, wherein the element RE is at least partially in its 4+ oxidation state (RE4+), the quantity of RE4+ in said material being comprised between 0.0001% and 0.1% in mass.
2-23. (canceled)
A scintillation material comprising a cerium-doped rare-earth silicate, wherein an absorbance of the scintillation material at a wavelength of 357 nm is less than an absorbance of the scintillation material at 280 nm.
25-43. (canceled)
A scintillation compound comprising a rare earth element in a tetravalent state at a concentration of at least approximately 10 ppm atomic of the scintillation compound, wherein the scintillation compound is a rare earth silicate compound.
45-57. (canceled)
A scintillation compound comprising a rare earth element in a tetravalent state at a concentration of at least approximately 10 ppm atomic of the scintillation compound, wherein the scintillation compound is not a rare earth silicate compound.
59-71. (canceled)
A scintillation compound comprising:
73-88. (canceled)
A scintillation compound comprising:
90-117. (canceled)
119-135. (canceled)
A scintillation compound comprising a rare earth element in a divalent, trivalent, or tetravalent state at a concentration of the scintillation compound, wherein the scintillation compound has a greater light output, a smaller energy resolution, a lower afterglow, a shorter decay time, or a more proportional response over a range of radiation energies, or any combination thereof as compared to a corresponding base compound, and wherein the scintillation compound is not a rare earth silicate compound.
137-141. (canceled)
143-160. (canceled)
162-177. (canceled)
179-249. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.