Low intensity X-ray and gamma-ray imaging device
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
InventorLo I Yin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A radiation to visible light converter is combined with a visible light intensifier. The converter is a phosphor or scintillator material which is modified to block ambient light. The intensifier includes fiber optics input and output face plates with a photocathode-microchannel plate amplifier-phosphor combination. Incoming radiation is converted to visible light by the converter which is piped into the intensifier by the input fiber optics face plate. The photocathode converts the visible light to electrons which are amplified by a microchannel plate amplifier. The electrons are converted back to light by a phosphor layer and piped out for viewing by the output fiber optics face plate. The converter-intensifier combination may be further combined with it's own radiation source or used with an independent source.
Claims37
Apparatus for converting radiation to visible light, comprising:
- means for converting incoming invisible radiation to visible light;
- means for visible light intensification, which means includes a microchannel plate amplifier;
- and
- means for light coupling said means for converting incoming radiation and said means for visible light intensification.
A method of radiation imaging consisting of:
- positioning a radiation source before an object and positioning a device behind the object which converts invisible radiation to visible light and subsequently intensifies visible light by means of a light intensifier including a microchannel plate amplifier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.