Patent · US Active

Single photon radiation detector

US8723132B2 · kind B2 · utility

6Cited by

3References

17Claims

0Family size

Assignee

KONINIKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V. · NL

Inventors

Christian Baeumer · Hergenrath, BE
Thomas Frach · Aachen, DE
Christoph Herrmann · Aachen, DE
Gordian Prescher · Kürten, DE
Torsten Solf · Aachen, DE
Roger Steadman Booker · Aachen, DE
Guenter Zeitler · Aachen, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Mar 12, 2009
Grant date	May 13, 2014
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Mar 3, 2030

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH04N25/773
WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The invention relates to a radiation detector that is particularly suited for energy resolved single X-ray photon detection in a CT scanner. In a preferred embodiment, the detector has an array of scintillator elements in which incident X-ray photons are converted into bursts of optical photons. Pixels associated to the scintillator elements determine the numbers of optical photons they receive within predetermined acquisition intervals. These numbers can then be digitally processed to detect single X-ray photons and to determine their energy. The pixels may particularly be realized by avalanche photodiodes with associated digital electronic circuits for data processing.

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