Panel type radiation image intensifier

A radiation sensitive image intensifier tube comprising;

• a. a tube envelope;
• b. an input window in the tube envelope;
• c. a scintillator assembly mounted in the envelope for converting impinging radiation into a first pattern of liberated electrons;
• d. means for accelerating said first pattern of electrons along a first path;
• e. an intermediate assembly mounted in the envelope along said first path and spaced from the scintillator assembly for receiving said first electron pattern and converting said first pattern into a second pattern of liberated electrons;
• f. means for accelerating said second pattern along a second path;
• g. an output assembly mounted in the envelope along said second path and spaced from the intermediate assembly for receiving and converting said second pattern into a visual image pattern;
• and
• h. wherein at least one of said scintillator assembly, said intermediate assembly and said output assembly comprises a substrate material having a cellular structure, the thickness of said substrate material being substantially greater than the width of the individual cells.

A proximity type, radiation sensitive image intensifier tube characterized by at least a scintillator stage for converting impinging radiation into a corresponding light pattern;

• a light amplification stage following the scintillation stage for producing a first pattern of photoelectrons corresponding to the first light pattern, accelerating said photoelectrons along a path and converting said photoelectrons to a second corresponding light pattern;
• and an output stage following the light amplification stage for producing a second pattern of photoelectrons corresponding to the second light pattern, accelerating said photoelectrons along a path substantially in line with the path of the first photoelectron pattern and converting said second photoelectron pattern to a visible light image, at least one of said stages comprising;
• a. a substrate material having a cellular structure said cells aligned along the path of the accelerated photoelectrons and wherein the thickness of the substrate material is substantially greater than the cell width;
• and
• b. a conductive layer coating of at least a portion of the walls of said cells.

An image intensifier tube comprising:

• a. a tube envelope;
• b. an input window mounted to one end of the tube envelope, said input window being transmissive to incident radiation;
• c. an output window mounted to an other end of the tube envelope, said output window being transmissive to visible light;
• and
• d. a conversion means mounted between said input window and said output window for converting incident radiation to visible light, said conversion means comprising a cellular substrate material having a thickness greater than the cell width.