Very bright scintillators
AssigneeRadiation Monitoring Devices, Inc.
InventorVivek V. Nagarkar
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Abstract
The present application discloses methods and devices for increasing the light output of a scintillator. Using the methods of the present disclosure, a very high intensity electric field is applied to a scintillator exposed to ionizing radiation and provides light outputs that far exceeds those previously obtained in the art. The light output gains are very high, on the order of 10 to 100 times those obtained with prior methods, and will make it possible to achieve sufficient brightness to enable the use of a cathode ray tube or a field emission display in new devices. In the field of x-ray imaging, a bright scintillator will have tremendous potential in many important applications, such as computed tomography (CT), SPECT, diagnostic digital radiology, and the like.
Claims65
A method to obtain luminescence gain from a scintillator, the method comprising providing a scintillator and applying an electric field to the scintillator so as to increase luminescence output of the scintillator during radiation detection, wherein the luminescence output comprises a number of light photons produced per unit energy deposited by a detected energetic electron.
A device to obtain luminescence gain from a scintillator by application of an electric field to the scintillator, the device comprising a scintillator and an assembly for coupling a plurality of electrodes to the scintillator so as to provide an electric field to the scintillator to increase luminescence output of the scintillator during radiation detection, wherein the luminescence output comprises a number of light photons produced per unit energy deposited by a detected energetic electron.
A device for obtaining luminescence gain from a scintillator by the application of an electric field to such scintillator, wherein scintillator luminescence comprises a number of light photons produced per unit energy deposited by a detected energetic electron, the device comprising:
- an assembly comprising a plurality of scintillator layers, each scintillator layer of the plurality disposed between a pair of electrode layers, the electrode layers coupled to the scintillator layer so as to provide an electric field to the scintillator layer to increase luminescence output of the scintillator layer during radiation detection.
A cathode ray tube (CRT) device, comprising:
- a cathode ray tube;
- a scintillator coupled to a face of a CRT substrate;
- an assembly for coupling a plurality of electrodes to the scintillator so as to provide an electric field to the scintillator to increase luminescence output of the scintillator during radiation detection, wherein the luminescence output comprises a number of light photons produced per unit energy deposited by a detected energetic electron;
- an energy source coupled to the plurality of electrodes to provide the electric field to the scintillator;
- and
- an activated electron source.
A Field Emission Display (FED) device, comprising:
- a scintillator;
- an assembly for coupling a plurality of electrodes to the scintillator so as to provide an electric field to the scintillator to increase luminescence output of the scintillator during radiation detection, wherein the luminescence output comprises a number of light photons produced per unit energy deposited by a detected energetic electron;
- an energy source coupled to the plurality of electrodes to provide the electric field to the scintillator;
- a video controlled array of microbeams that provide an array of electrons aimed to strike the scintillator;
- and
- a display substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.