Autonomous gamma, X-ray, and particle detector

US9835737B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignees

• The Research Foundation for The State University of New York · US
• Cornell University · IT
• UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · US
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · US

Inventors

• Steve Czarnecki · Apalachin, US
• Andrzej Krol · Wayne, US
• Krishna C. Mandal · Ashland, US
• Mark D. Poliks · Vestal, US
• C. Ross Schmidtlein · New York, US
• Michael Thompson · Ithaca, US
• James E. Turner · Homewood, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 24, 2017
• Grant date: Dec 5, 2017
• Expiry date: Mar 24, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01T1/245
• WIPO field: Environmental technology
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A system and method for imaging gamma- and x-ray, and charged particles sources employing a three dimensional array of scintillation elements arranged surrounding an emission source. According to a preferred embodiment, each element of the array comprises a scintillator element, a solid-state photon detector, and processing electronics to output an electronic signal. The elements may be efficiently packed in both the X-Y plane and stacked in the Z-axis, to provide depth of interaction information. The elements of the array are preferably hierarchically arranged with control electronics provided together for subarray modules (e.g., an n×m×1 module), and synchronization electronics provided at a larger scale. The modules preferably communicate with a control system through a shared addressable packet switched digital communication network with a control and imaging system, and receive control information from that system through the network.