US 6,151,382 AGranted

X-ray imaging apparatus and method using a flat amorphous silicon imaging panel

AssigneeVarian Medical Systems, Inc.

InventorDavid L. Gilblom

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Abstract

An x-ray imaging apparatus receives an image-carrying x-ray beam on a flat amorphous silicon imaging panel with a light detector unit disposed behind. The imaging panel is of a multi-layered structure having sequentially a light-blocking layer which is opaque to visible light but transmissive to x-rays, a converting layer of a phosphorescent material for converting x-rays incident thereon into visible light, and a two-dimensional array of photosensitive elements of an amorphous semiconductor material such as amorphous silicon, adapted to undergo a detectable change in electrical characteristic in response to impingement of light. The light detector unit may be a simple light detector for receiving the light emitted from the converting layer and passed through regions between neighboring pairs of the array of photosensitive elements. Since the energy of light thus detected is directly proportional to the total light energy emitted from the converting layer, the output signal from such a light detector unit can be conveniently used for the exposure control of the imaging panel.

Claims13

Dependent claims

An imaging apparatus comprising an imaging panel with a multi-layered structure having an energy-incident surface and a light-detecting surface opposite to each other and a plurality of detector units with an energy-receiving surface disposed proximally to said light-detecting surface, said imaging panel including:

a light-blocking layer which is opaque to visible light and transmissive to an incident form of imageing energy projected on said energy-incident surface;
a converting layer between said light-blocking layer and said light-detecting surface for converting said incident form of image-carrying energy into light energy;
and
an array of photosensitive elements between said converting layer and said light-detecting surface, said elements undergoing a detectable change in electrical characteristic in response to impingement of light;
at least one of said detector units being adapted to receive directly from said imaging panel that portion of said incident form of said image-carrying energy not converted into light energy by said converting layer to provide a first output detection signal indicative of the energy received thereby;
and
at least another of said detector units being adapted to receive directly from said imaging panel said light from said converting layer passing between mutually neighboring pairs of said photosensitive elements to provide a second output detection signal indicative of the energy received thereby.

4 more elements

An imaging method comprising the steps of:

causing a selected form of energy to penetrate and pass through a target object to thereby form image-carrying energy and projecting said image-carrying energy onto an energy-incident surface of an imaging panel with a multi-layered structure;
causing said image-carrying energy to pass through a light-blocking layer of said panel;
thereafter converting said image-carrying energy into light through a converting layer of said panel, said panel having an array of photosensitive elements behind said converting layer, said elements being capable of undergoing a detectable change in electrical characteristic in response to impingement of light;
detecting said change to obtain an image of said target object;
using a first detector unit outside a light-detecting surface of said imaging panel which is opposite said energy-incident surface to detect light from said converting layer passing between mutually neighboring pairs of said photosensitive elements and a second detector unit to detect said image-carrying energy of said incident form which has penetrated and passed through said imaging panel;
and
outputting a combined detection signal indicative of the energy received by said imaging panel.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.