US 4,303,860 A · High resolution radiation detector

Abstract

A high resolution detector having a scintillation crystal for receiving incident X-rays at a front face and interacting with the radiation to generate corresponding visible light radiation. Silicon photodiode arrays are positioned on top and bottom lateral faces of the scintillation crystal to receive the visible light that is radiated laterally with respect to the direction of propagation of the incident X-rays. Photodiode elements in each photodiode array extend from the forward face of the scintillation crystal in the direction of propagation of the incident X-rays. The length of the photodiode elements determines the radiation stopping power of the high resolution detector and the height of the front face of the scintillation crystal determines the resolution of the detector. The height of the forward face of the crystal may be made small with respect to the length of the photodiode elements to provide a detector having high resolution and high radiation stopping power.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A high resolution radiation detecting apparatus for generating electrical signals representative of the intensity of incident primary radiation, the apparatus comprising:

at least one scintillation crystal for receiving primary radiation and generating corresponding secondary radiation, said at least one scintillation crystal including a front face for receiving incident primary radiation, a back face opposite said front face and top and bottom emission faces for emitting at least a portion of said secondary radiation, the distance between said front and back faces being sufficiently great to allow a desired portion of said primary radiation to be stopped by said at least one scintillation crystal, and the distance between said top and bottom emission faces being sufficiently small to minimize the scattering of said secondary radiation within said scintillation crystal before the secondary radiation is emitted from the crystal;
detector means including a plurality of radiation detecting elements, each element having means for generating an electrical signal representative of the intensity of incident secondary radiation;
and
coupling means for passing the secondary radiation emitted from areas of at least one of said emission faces to associated detecting elements.

1 more element

An improved radiant energy imaging apparatus of a type wherein a source of high energy radiation generates an associated beam of radiation and the beam is moved to irradiate successive cross-sections of a target body and the radiation that is transmitted through the body is converted to video signals for display, the improvement comprising:

a scintillation crystal positioned adjacent said body and having a front face for receiving the transmitted radiation, the crystal extending a particular distance in the direction of propagation of said transmitted radiation for interacting with a desired portion of the transmitted radiation and generating corresponding light radiation that is emitted from a top and a bottom lateral emission face of the crystal, the distance between said top and bottom lateral emission faces being sufficiently small to minimize the scattering of said light radiation within the scintillation crystal before the light radiation is emitted from the crystal;
and
detector means for receiving the emitted light radiation from at least one of said emission faces and generating electrical signals corresponding to the intensity of the emitted light radiation, the detector means including a plurality of radiation detecting elements, each element for receiving the secondary radiation emitted from an associated area of said at least one emission face.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

High resolution radiation detector

Life of this patent

High resolution radiation detector

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12