Patent · US Expired

Circuit arrangement for reading out sensors sensitive to light or X-rays

US5153423A · kind A · utility

10Cited by

4References

22Claims

0Family size

Assignee

U.S. Philips Corporation · US

Inventors

Norbert Conrads · Raeren, BE
Ulrich Schiebel · Aachen, DE
Herfried Karl Wieczorek · Aachen, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Nov 30, 1990
Grant date	Oct 6, 1992
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Nov 30, 2010

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG01J2001/446
WIPO fieldMeasurement
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A photodiode radiation sensor sensitive to luminous or x-ray radiation, has an inherent capacitance which is charged by the radiation. The charge is read out by a switching diode. The diode is placed in its conductive state by an auxiliary voltage and is switched off after the read-out process. The quantity of charge flowing during the read-out process is measured and used to determine the quantity of incident radiation. To measure relatively small quantities of charge, a voltage is coupled in when the auxiliary voltage is switched on to place the switching diode in a more strongly conducting state so that during the read-out process a larger quantity of charge flows away.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.