X-ray imaging system and solid state detector therefor
AssigneeGeneral Imagining Corporation
InventorsJohn D. Cox, Alan M. Jacobs, Stephen A. Scott, Yi-Shung Juang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The x-ray detector comprises a plurality of closely adjacent radiation sensing arrays facing a plurality of preprocessing circuits. Bump bonds are connected directly from said sensing arrays to said preprocessing circuits. Added absorber material may be included next to the sensing arrays for converting impinging x-rays to free electrons for affecting a charge on the sensing arrays. Alternately, a scintillator may be positioned between the sensing arrays and the preprocessing circuits and sensing cells in the sensing arrays may be exposed to the scintillator.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a first support member;
- a second support member, said first and second support members having facing surfaces;
- a plurality of radiation sensor arrays attached to said facing surface of said first support member, each said sensor array having a plurality of radiation sensing cells, said cells being connected by conductors in a random access pattern;
- a plurality of preprocessors attached to said facing surface of said second support member;
- a plurality of conductors extending from said radiation sensor arrays to said preprocessors to connect said sensing cells to said preprocessors;
- and
- means for causing impinging x-rays to affect a charge on said sensing cells so that said impinging x-rays are sensed by said sensing cells.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a scintillator for converting impinging x-rays into visible light;
- a plurality of sensing cells on one side of said scintillator for sensing said visible light;
- a plurality of processing circuits on the other side of said scintillator for processing data received from said sensing cells;
- and
- bump bonds extending through said scintillator for connecting said sensing cells to said processors.
A method, comprising:
- mounting a plurality of x-ray sensing arrays in close proximity on a first support surface;
- mounting a plurality of processing circuits on a second support surface;
- disposing said first and second support surfaces such that said sensing arrays face said processing circuits;
- and
- connecting said sensing arrays to said processing circuits by extending connectors directly out from said sensing arrays to said processing circuits.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.