X-ray phosphor powders, methods for making phosphor powders and devices incorporating same
AssigneeSuperior MicroPowders LLC
InventorsMark J. Hampden-Smith, Toivo T. Kodas, James Caruso, Daniel J. Skamser, Quint H. Powell, Klaus Kunze
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Abstract
X-ray phosphor powders and a method for making phosphor powders. The phosphor powders have a small particle size, narrow particle size distribution and are substantially spherical. The method of the invention advantageously permits the economic production of such powders. The invention also relates to improved devices, such as x-ray image intensifiers, incorporating the phosphor powders.
Claims39
A powder batch comprising (Y,Gd)2SiO5 x-ray phosphor particles, wherein said particles have a weight average particle size of from about 0.1 μm to about 10 μm and a substantially spherical morphology, wherein at least about 80 weight percent of said particles are not larger than about two times said average particle size.
A powder batch comprising (Y,Gd)2SiO5 x-ray phosphor particles, wherein said particles have a weight average particle size of from about 0.1 μm to about 10 μm and wherein said particles are substantially spherical and wherein at least about 80 weight percent of said particles are not larger than about two times said average particle size.
An x-ray imaging device, comprising:
- a) an excitation source;
- and
- b) at least a first layer of x-ray phosphor particles adapted to be stimulated by said excitation source, wherein said phosphor particles have a weight average particle size of from about 0.1 μm to about 10 μm, a substantially spherical morphology and wherein at least about 80 weight percent of said particles are not larger than about two times said average particle size.
A method for the production of a x-ray phosphor powder, comprising the steps of:
- a) forming a liquid comprising precursors to an x-ray phosphor compound;
- b) generating an aerosol of droplets from said liquid;
- c) pyrolyzing said droplets to remove liquid therefrom and at least partially react said precursors to form intermediate precursor particles;
- and
- d) heating said intermediate precursor particles to form a powder batch of phosphor particles.
A flowable medium suitable for applying x-ray phosphor particles onto a substrate, comprising:
- a) a liquid vehicle phase;
- and
- b) a functional phase dispersed throughout said vehicle phase, said functional phase comprising (Y,Gd)2O2S x-ray phosphor particles, wherein said phosphor particles are substantially spherical and have a weight average particle size of from about 0.1 μm to about 5 μm
- wherein said flowable medium comprises from about 5 to about 95 weight percent of said phosphor particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.