# US 2017/0285184 A1 · Layered three-dimensional radiation position detector > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0285184 A1 - Document ID: US20170285184A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/474,514 - Filed: 2017-03-30 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-31 - Assignees: National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology - Applicants: National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology - Inventors: Eiji YOSHIDA; Taiga YAMAYA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170285184A1 ## CPC - G01T 1/2006: {using a combination of a scintillator and photodetector which measures the means radiation intensity} - G01T 1/2002: {Optical details, e.g. reflecting or diffusing layers} - 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) ## Abstract A layered three-dimensional radiation position detector includes two-dimensional scintillator arrays that are pixelated by optically discontinuous surfaces and stacked on a light receiving surface of a light receiving element, responses of scintillator elements detecting radiations being made identifiable on the light receiving surface to obtain a three-dimensional radiation detection position. A scintillator array lying on a radiation incident surface side has a pixel pitch smaller than that of a scintillator array lying on a light receiving element side so that the scintillator array on the radiation incident surface side has increased resolution. A layered three-dimensional radiation position detector achieving both low cost and high resolution can thus be provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A layered three-dimensional radiation position detector comprising: a light receiving element having a light receiving surface; and two-dimensional scintillator arrays that are pixelated by optically discontinuous surfaces and stacked on the light receiving surface of the light receiving element, responses of scintillator elements detecting radiations being made identifiable on the light receiving surface to obtain a three-dimensional radiation detection position, wherein a scintillator array lying on a radiation incident surface side has a pixel pitch smaller than that of a scintillator array lying on a light receiving element side so that the scintillator array on the radiation incident surface side has increased resolution. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The layered three-dimensional radiation position detector according to claim 1, wherein the scintillator array having the smaller pixel pitch is arranged on a first layer on the radiation incident surface side. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The layered three-dimensional radiation position detector according to claim 1, wherein the scintillator array is stacked 3 or more layers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The layered three-dimensional radiation position detector according to claim 3, wherein the scintillator array on the light receiving element side includes a plurality of scintillator arrays having a same pixel pitch. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The layered three-dimensional radiation position detector according to claim 3, wherein four layers of the scintillator arrays are stacked, and a first layer of the four layers on the radiation incident surface side has a pixel pitch smaller than that of the three layers of the scintillator arrays on the light receiving element side. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The layered three-dimensional radiation position detector according to claim 5, wherein the scintillator array of the first layer on the radiation incident surface side is an array of 16×16 scintillator elements, and an optical reflective material is inserted for every 4×4 scintillator elements. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The layered three-dimensional radiation position detector according to claim 6, wherein the scintillator arrays of the second to fourth layers are configured by a stack of three layers of arrays of 8×8 scintillator elements having a size twice that of the scintillator elements of the first layer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The layered three-dimensional radiation position detector according to claim 1, wherein a light guide is inserted between the scintillator arrays between which the pixel pitch changes, so that scintillation light from a scintillator array having a different pixel pitch spreads through the scintillator elements of the adjoining lower layer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The layered three-dimensional radiation position detector according to claim 2, wherein the scintillator array on the radiation incident surface side has a pixel pitch 1/n (n is a natural number of 2 or greater) of that of the scintillator array on the light receiving element side in a longitudinal direction and/or a lateral direction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The layered three-dimensional radiation position detector according to claim 1, wherein a radiation incident position on the scintillator array having the smaller pixel pitch is made identifiable on the light receiving surface by a layout pattern of an air gap and/or an optical adhesion layer.