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US 8,410,449 B2Granted
Silicon photomultiplier energy resolution
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
InventorsAndreas Thon, Thomas Frach
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A family of photodetectors includes at least first and second members. In one embodiment, the family includes members having different pixel sizes. In another, the family includes members having the same pixel size. The detection efficiency of the detectors is optimized to provide a desired energy resolution at one or more energies of interest.
Claims19
A radiation detector comprising:
- a first scintillator pixel;
- a second scintillator pixel;
- a first detector cell of a first silicon photomultiplier pixel including a plurality of avalanche photodiode cells, wherein the first detector cell produces an output that varies as a function of the energy of radiation received by the first scintillator pixel and provides a maximum energy resolution at a first energy;
- a second detector cell of a second silicon photomultiplier pixel including a plurality of avalanche photodiode cells, wherein the second detector cell produces an output that varies as a function of the energy of radiation received by the second scintillator pixel and provides a maximum energy resolution at a second energy, wherein the first and second detector cells are not part of a same single detector.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- using a first detector cell of a first silicon photomultiplier pixel including a plurality of avalanche photodiode cells, to produce an output that varies as a function of the energy of radiation received by a first scintillator, wherein the first detector has a maximum energy resolution at a first energy;
- using a second detector cell of a second silicon photomultiplier pixel including a plurality of avalanche photodiode cells to produce an output that varies as a function of the energy of radiation received by a second scintillator, wherein the second detector has a maximum energy resolution at a second energy, wherein the first and second detector cells are not part of a same single detector.
A family of radiation detectors, wherein members of the family include:
- a first detector of a first silicon photomultiplier that includes a first detector pixel having a first pixel area, wherein the first pixel includes a first number of avalanche photodiode cells having a first cell area, and the first pixel is characterized by a first scintillation photon detection efficiency;
- a second detector of a second silicon photomultiplier that includes a second detector pixel having a second pixel area that is greater than the first pixel area, wherein the second pixel includes a second number of avalanche photodiode cells having the first cell area, the second number is greater than the first number, and the second pixel is characterized by a second scintillation photon detection efficiency that is greater than the first scintillation photon detection efficiency.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.