High-density scintillators for imaging system and method of making same

A method of manufacturing a scintillator composition, the method comprising:

• providing a garnet represented by (M1-x-yNxAy)3(Al5-a-bCaDb)O12, wherein M comprises yttrium, or terbium, or gadolinium, or holmium, or erbium, or thulium, or ytterbium, or lutetium, or combinations thereof, wherein N comprises additives including an alkali metal, or an alkaline earth metal, or combinations thereof, wherein A comprises a suitable activator ion including cerium, or europium, or praseodymium, or terbium, or ytterbium, or combinations thereof, wherein C or D comprise lithium, or magnesium, or gallium, or an element from group IIIa, or IVa, or Va, or IIId transition metal, or IVd transition metal, or combinations thereof, wherein x ranges from about 0.001 to about 0.90, y ranges from about 0.0005 to about 0.30, and a sum of a and b ranges from about 0.001 to 2.0;
• and
• compacting the garnet composition to form a compact form.

A detector element of an imaging system comprising a scintillator composition, the scintillator composition comprising:

• a garnet represented by (M1-x-yNxAy)3(Al5-a-bCaDb)O12, wherein M comprises yttrium, or terbium, or gadolinium, or holmium, or erbium, or thulium, or ytterbium, or lutetium, or combinations thereof, wherein N comprises additives including an alkali metal, or an alkaline earth metal, or combinations thereof, wherein A comprises a suitable activator ion including cerium, or europium, or praseodymium, or terbium, or ytterbium, or combinations thereof, wherein C or D comprise lithium, or magnesium, or gallium, or an element from group IIIa, or IVa, or Va, or IIId transition metal, or IVd transition metal, or combinations thereof, wherein x ranges from about 0.001 to about 0.90, y ranges from about 0.0005 to about 0.30, and a sum of a and b ranges from about 0.001 to 2.0.

An imaging system, comprising:

• a scintillator composition, comprising:
• a garnet represented by (M1-x-yNxAy)3(Al5-a-bCaDb)O12, wherein M comprises yttrium, or terbium, or gadolinium, or holmium, or erbium, or thulium, or ytterbium, or lutetium, or combinations thereof, wherein N comprises additives including an alkali metal, or an alkaline earth metal, or combinations thereof, wherein A comprises a suitable activator ion including cerium, or europium, or praseodymium, or terbium, or ytterbium, or combinations thereof, wherein C or D comprise lithium, or magnesium, or gallium, or an element from group IIIa, or IVa, or Va, or IIId transition metal, or IVd transition metal, or combinations thereof, wherein x ranges from about 0.001 to about 0.90, y ranges from about 0.0005 to about 0.3, and a sum of a and b ranges from about 0.001 to 2.0.