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US 8,552,386 B2Granted
Image acquisition devices with contrast and spatial resolution enhanced back-scatter shielding
AssigneeVarian Medical Systems International AG
InventorsDaniel Morf, Viktor Steinlin, Harald Mikula
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image acquisition device employs a low-Z material to maximize the probability of backscattering or direct hits in Compton scattering for radiation with a given energy spectrum that passes through a detector array to enhance the contrast and spatial resolution of the image acquisition device. A radiation apparatus including the image acquisition device is also provided.
Claims24
An image acquisition device, comprising:
- a conversion layer adapted to produce visible light photons or electrical charges in response to radiation at Megavolt energy levels;
- a detector array adapted to detect the produced visible light photons or electrical charges, said detector array comprising a substrate and a plurality of detector elements over the substrate;
- and
- a layer of a low-Z material behind the substrate to scatter back radiation that passes through the detector array.
1 more element
An image acquisition device comprising:
- a conversion layer comprising photoconductors configured to produce electron-hole charges in response to X-ray radiation;
- a detector array configured to detect the produced electron-hole charges;
- and
- a layer of a low-Z material configured to scatter back radiation that passes through the detector array.
1 more element
A radiation apparatus, comprising:
- a radiation source operable to produce radiation at Megavolt energy levels;
- an image acquisition device;
- and
- a support structure adapted to position the image acquisition device relative to the radiation source;
- wherein the image acquisition device comprises a radiation conversion layer to produce visible light photons or electrical charges in response to radiation at Megavolt energy levels, a detector array to detect the produced visible light photons or electrical charges, and a layer of a low-Z material behind the detector array to scatter back radiation that passes through the detector array.
2 more elements
An imaging method, comprising the steps of:
- passing x-ray radiation at Megavolt energy levels through a conversion layer comprising a scintillator, thereby a minor portion of the x-ray radiation is converted into visible light and a major portion of the x-ray radiation passes through the conversion layer;
- scattering the major portion of the x-ray radiation that passes through the conversion layer using a layer of a low Z-material, thereby additional visible light is generated by x-ray radiation scattered back into the conversion layer;
- detecting the visible light and the additional visible light using a detector array.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.