Image sensor
AssigneesPi Imaging Technology SA, Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
InventorsAugusto Carimatto, Ivan Michel Antolovic
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image sensor includes photon-counting detector elements and a first group of pulse shapers to convert signals from the photon-counting detector elements into pulse shaper output streams in which pulses have at minimum a first pulse length. A connection unit combines a plurality of the pulse shaper output streams into at least one macropixel stream. The at least one macropixel stream is processed by at least one monostable/astable circuit which outputs a processed stream in which pulses have a second pulse length. The second pulse length is shorter than the first pulse length by a time span t_PF and thus a pulse-free interval for at least the time span t_PF is created after each pulse in the processed stream.
Claims13
An image sensor including:
- photon-counting detector elements;
- a first group of pulse shapers which are arranged to convert signals from the photon-counting detector elements into pulse shaper output streams in which pulses have at minimum a first pulse length;
- a connection unit configured to combine a plurality of the pulse shaper output streams into at least one macropixel stream;
- at least one monostable/astable circuit arranged to receive the at least one macropixel stream and to output a processed stream in which pulses have a second pulse length;
- wherein the at least one monostable/astable circuit is configured such that the second pulse length is shorter than the first pulse length by a time span t_PF, to create a pulse-free interval for at least the time span t_PF after each pulse in the processed stream.
A method for operating an image sensor, including:
- receiving photons with photon-counting detector elements which output signals indicative of received photons;
- using a first group of pulse shapers to convert the signals of the photon-counting detector elements into pulse shaper output streams in which pulses have a first pulse length;
- using a connection unit to combine a plurality of the pulse shaper output streams into at least one macropixel stream;
- and
- using at least one monostable/astable circuit which processes the at least one macropixel stream to output a processed stream in which pulses have a second pulse length which is shorter than the first pulse length by a time span t_PF, thus creating a pulse-free interval for at least the time span t_PF after each pulse in the processed stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.