System and method for capturing scintillation events

A scintillation event capture system for capturing scintillation events generated by a scintillator block upon interaction with incident radiation, the system comprising:

• a plurality of image intensifiers configured to amplify scintillation light produced by the scintillation block at respective faces of the scintillation block;
• a plurality of sensors optically coupled to respective ones of said plurality of image intensifiers;
• and
• a control system configured to detect coincident amplification of scintillation light by said plurality of image intensifiers and upon detecting coincident amplification to deactivate said plurality of image intensifiers and to switch said plurality of sensors from a clear mode to a capture mode,
• wherein the capture mode of said plurality of sensors comprises an acquisition mode in which said plurality of sensors are configured to capture the amplified scintillation light generated by the respective ones of said plurality of image intensifiers and a read mode in which said plurality of sensors are configured to read out the locations and intensities of the amplified scintillation light captured in the acquisition mode, and
• wherein said control system is configured to switch said plurality of sensors from the clear mode to the acquisition mode in a period of time less than a decay time of said plurality of image intensifiers.

A radiation detector, comprising:

• a scintillator block that generates scintillation light upon interaction with incident radiation;
• a first image intensifier configured to amplify scintillation light generated by said scintillator block at a first face of said scintillator block;
• a second image intensifier configured to amplify scintillation light generated by said scintillator block at a second face of said scintillator block orthogonal to the first face;
• a first charge-coupled device optically coupled to said first image intensifier;
• a second charge-coupled device optically coupled to said second image intensifier;
• and
• a control system configured to detect coincident amplification of scintillation light by said first and second image intensifiers and upon detecting coincident amplification to deactivate said first and second image intensifiers and to switch said first and second charge-coupled devices from a clear mode to a capture mode,
• wherein the capture mode of said first and second charge-coupled devices comprises an acquisition mode in which said first and second charge-coupled devices capture amplified scintillation light generated said first and second image intensifiers, respectively, and a read mode in which said first and second charge-coupled devices read out the locations and intensities of the amplified scintillation light captured in the acquisition mode, and
• wherein said control system is configured to switch said first and second charge-coupled devices from the clear mode to the acquisition mode in a period of time less than a decay time of said first and second image intensifiers.

A method for capturing photon generating events, the method comprising the steps of:

• activating an image intensifier configured to amplify light photons;
• operating a sensor in a clear mode, wherein the sensor is optically coupled to the image intensifier;
• detecting amplification of light photons by the image intensifier;
• deactivating the image intensifier upon detecting amplification of light photons;
• switching the sensor from the clear mode to an acquisition mode upon detecting amplification of light photons, wherein the acquisition mode comprises capturing the amplified light photons generated by the image intensifier, and wherein the sensor is switched from the clear mode to the acquisition mode in a period of time less than a decay time of the image intensifier;
• and
• switching the sensor from the acquisition mode to a read mode, wherein the read mode comprises reading out the locations and intensities of the amplified light photons captured in the acquisition mode.

A photon event capture system, comprising:

• an image intensifier configured to amplify light photons;
• a sensor optically coupled to the image intensifier;
• and
• a control system configured to detect amplification of light photons by said image intensifier and upon detecting amplification of light photons to deactivate said image intensifier and to switch said sensor from a clear mode to a capture mode,
• wherein the capture mode of said sensor comprises an acquisition mode in which said sensor is configured to capture the amplified light photons generated by said image intensifier and a read mode in which said sensor is configured to read out the locations and intensities of the amplified light photons captured in the acquisition mode, and
• wherein said control system is configured to switch said sensor from the clear mode to the acquisition mode in a period of time less than a decay time of said image intensifier.