Radiation detector and a method of manufacturing the detector
AssigneeShimadzu Corporation
InventorJunichi Ooi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A radiation detector has a lattice frame laid in a light guide. The lattice frame is prepared by combining thin strips of optical elements, i.e. light reflecting elements. In manufacture, the lattice frame is placed in a recess of a trestle, and a thoroughly defoamed, optically transparent liquid resin is poured into the recess. After the liquid resin cures, the lattice frame and the resin form the light guide which is then removed from the trestle. The light guide is then contoured by cutting and polishing. This construction allows a thickness and angles of the light reflecting elements freely, and has no gaps formed between the reflecting elements and transparent resin, thereby assuring high reflecting efficiency.
Claims20
A radiation detector having a scintillator array formed of a plurality of scintillators in a compact, two-dimensional arrangement, a light guide optically combined to said scintillator array, and a plurality of photomultiplier tubes smaller in number than said scintillators and optically combined to said light guide, wherein:
- said light guide is formed of at least a lattice frame having plate-like optical elements combined crosswise, and a transparent resin, said lattice frame defining a plurality of cubicles;
- and
- said optical elements forming the cubicles are subjected to at least one of (a) an adjustment to predetermined intervals in a direction of arrangement of said scintillator array, (b) an adjustment to a predetermined angle to the direction of arrangement of said scintillator array, and (c) an adjustment to intervals different from intervals between said scintillators.
A method of manufacturing a radiation detector having a scintillator array formed of a plurality of scintillators in a compact, two-dimensional arrangement, a light guide optically combined to said scintillator array, and a plurality of photomultiplier tubes smaller in number than said scintillators and optically combined to said light guide, said method comprising:
- (A) a step of fabricating a lattice frame by combining a plurality of plate-like optical elements crosswise;
- (B) a step of pouring a transparent liquid resin into a rectangular vessel for receiving said lattice frame, before or after placing said lattice frame in said rectangular vessel;
- and
- (C) a step of removing from said rectangular vessel a cured resin object integrating said liquid resin having cured and said lattice frame, and contouring the resin object to make said light guide;
- wherein the step (A) above is executed to combine said optical elements by making at least one of (a) an adjustment to predetermined intervals in a direction of arrangement of said scintillator array, (b) an adjustment to a predetermined angle to the direction of arrangement of said scintillator array, and (c) an adjustment to intervals different from intervals between said scintillators.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.