# US 9,750,467 B2 · Direct conversion X-ray detector, CT system, and associated procedure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,750,467 B2 - Document ID: US9750467B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/609,621 - Filed: 2015-01-30 - Published: 2015-08-06 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2014-01-31 - Assignees: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Thorsten Ergler; Edgar Göderer; Björn Kreisler; Mario Reinwand; Christian Schröter - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9750467B2 ## CPC - A61B 6/032: {Transmission computed tomography [CT]} - A61B 6/4233: {using matrix detectors} - A61B 6/4291: {the detector being combined with a grid or grating} - G01T 1/241: {Electrode arrangements, e.g. continuous or parallel strips or the like} - G01T 1/2928: {using solid state detectors} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01T: MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION (radiation analysis of materials, mass spectrometry G01N23/00; tubes for determining the presence, intensity, density or energy of radiation or particles H01J47/00) ## Abstract A direct conversion X-ray detector for the detection of X-rays includes at least a semiconductor used for detecting X-rays, which has areas that are shaded against X-rays and unshaded areas, a pixelated electrode attached to the semiconductor and an all-over electrode attached to the semiconductor opposite the pixelated electrode, and at least one light source to illuminate the all-over electrode with additional light radiation for the purpose of generating additional charge carriers. In an embodiment, the at least one light source is designed such that the shaded areas are irradiated with a different intensity of the additional light radiation than are the unshaded areas. A CT system including the direct conversion X-ray detector is also disclosed, together with a method for the detection of incident X-rays via direct conversion X-ray detector, wherein the shaded areas are irradiated with a different intensity of the additional light radiation than the unshaded areas. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A direct conversion X-ray detector for the detection of X-rays, comprising: a semiconductor to detect X-rays, the semiconductor including areas that are shaded against X-rays and areas that area unshaded areas; a pixelated electrode, attached to the semiconductor and attached to an all-over electrode, the all-over electrode being attached to the semiconductor opposite the pixelated electrode; and at least one light source to illuminate the all-over electrode with additional light radiation to generate additional charge carriers, the at least one light source being designed such that the shaded areas are irradiated with a different intensity of the additional light radiation than the unshaded areas, wherein the intensity of the light radiation applied to the shaded areas is relatively greater than the intensity of the light radiation applied to the unshaded areas. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The X-ray detector of claim 1, wherein the irradiation with the additional light radiation, of the both the shaded areas and the unshaded areas, is homogeneous. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The X-ray detector of claim 1, wherein the irradiation with the additional light radiation, of the both the shaded areas and the unshaded areas, is inhomogeneous. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The X-ray detector of claim 1, further comprising: a scattered radiation grid, to reduce an incidence of scattered X-rays on the semiconductor, so that the shading of the semiconductor is effected by the scattered radiation grid. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The X-ray detector of claim 1, wherein the all-over electrode includes a differing transparency. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The X-ray detector of claim 5, wherein the all-over electrode includes at least in parts an overprint. ### Claim 7 A direct conversion X-ray detector for the detection of X-rays, comprising: a semiconductor to detect X-rays, the semiconductor including areas that are shaded against X-rays and areas that area unshaded areas; a pixelated electrode, attached to the semiconductor and attached to an all-over electrode, the all-over electrode being attached to the semiconductor opposite the pixelated electrode; and at least one light source to illuminate the all-over electrode with additional light radiation to generate additional charge carriers, the at least one light source being designed such that the shaded areas are irradiated with a different intensity of the additional light radiation than the unshaded areas, wherein the pixelated electrode includes a plurality of subpixels, wherein in each case a group of subpixels is linked into a counting unshaded image pixel, used for detection, and other non-counting shaded subpixels which are not used for detection are electrically linked to each other. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The X-ray detector of claim 7, wherein the shading of the counting image pixels is relatively greater than the shading of the non-counting subpixels. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The X-ray detector of claim 1, wherein the additional light radiation has a wavelength in at least one of the infrared and the visible region. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A CT system comprising: the direct conversion X-ray detector of claim 1. ### Claim 11 A method for the detection of incident X-rays via a direct conversion X-ray detector at least including a pixelated electrode attached to a semiconductor and an all-over electrode attached to the semiconductor opposite the pixelated electrode, wherein the semiconductor includes areas which are shaded against the X-rays and areas which are unshaded, the method comprising: irradiating, via at least one light source, the all-over electrode with additional light radiation to generate additional charge carriers, the shaded areas being irradiated with a different intensity of the additional light radiation than the unshaded areas, wherein the intensity of the light radiation irradiated to the shaded areas is relatively greater than the intensity of the light radiation applied to the unshaded areas. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The X-ray detector of claim 1, wherein the direct conversion X-ray detector is for use in a CT system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The X-ray detector of claim 7, wherein the intensity of the light radiation applied to the shaded areas is relatively greater than the intensity of the light radiation applied to the unshaded areas. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The X-ray detector of claim 7, wherein the intensity of the light radiation applied to the shaded areas is relatively less than the intensity of the light radiation applied to the unshaded areas. ### Claim 15 (depends on 5) The X-ray detector of claim 5, wherein the all-over electrode is at least partially semi-transparent. ### Claim 16 (depends on 6) The X-ray detector of claim 6, wherein the all-over electrode includes at least in parts an overprint which is at least partially impenetrable to light. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The X-ray detector of claim 15, wherein the all-over electrode includes at least in parts an overprint which is at least partially impenetrable to light. ### Claim 18 (depends on 4) The X-ray detector of claim 4, wherein the pixelated electrode includes a plurality of subpixels, wherein in each case a group of subpixels is linked into a counting unshaded image pixel, used for detection, and other non-counting shaded subpixels which are not used for detection are electrically linked to each other. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The X-ray detector of claim 18, wherein the shading of the counting image pixels is relatively greater than the shading of the non-counting subpixels. ### Claim 20 (depends on 4) The X-ray detector of claim 4, wherein the additional light radiation has a wavelength in at least one of the infrared and the visible region. ### Claim 21 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the direct conversion X-ray detector is for use in a CT system. ### Claim 22 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the irradiation with the additional light radiation, of the both the shaded areas and the unshaded areas, is homogeneous. ### Claim 23 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the irradiation with the additional light radiation, of the both the shaded areas and the unshaded areas, is inhomogeneous. ### Claim 24 (depends on 7) A CT system comprising: the direct conversion X-ray detector of claim 7. ### Claim 25 (depends on 7) The X-ray detector of claim 7, wherein the irradiation with the additional light radiation, of the both the shaded areas and the unshaded areas, is homogeneous. ### Claim 26 (depends on 7) The X-ray detector of claim 7, wherein the irradiation with the additional light radiation, of the both the shaded areas and the unshaded areas, is inhomogeneous. ### Claim 27 (depends on 7) The X-ray detector of claim 7, wherein the all-over electrode includes a differing transparency. ### Claim 28 (depends on 7) The X-ray detector of claim 7, wherein the all-over electrode includes at least in parts an overprint which is at least partially impenetrable to light.