Radiological image conversion panel, method of manufacturing the same, and radiological image detection apparatus

• US 10,641,910 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaneko, Yasuhisa, Nakatsugawa, Haruyasu, Sato, Keiichirou, Kitada, Makoto, Miura, Kei
• Primary Examiner(s): Green, Yara B
• Application Number:
  US16/156,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20190049595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4216 using storage phosphor screens
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/06 to obtain multicolour or other optical effects B05D5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/243 Crucibles for source material C23C14/28, C23C14/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/20185 Coupling means between the photodiode and the scintillator, e.g. optical couplings using adhesives with wavelength-shifting fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/20186 Position of the photodiode with respect to the incoming radiation, e.g. in the front of, below or sideways the scintillator
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/20187 Position of the scintillator with respect to the photodiode, e.g. photodiode surrounding the crystal, the crystal surrounding the photodiode, shape or size of the scintillator
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/202 the detector being a crystal
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 2004/06 with a phosphor layer
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 4/00 Conversion screens for the conversion of the spatial distribution of X-rays or particle radiation into visible images, e.g. fluoroscopic screens photographic processes using X-ray intensifiers G03C5/17; discharge tubes comprising luminescent screens H01J1/62; cathode ray tubes for X-ray conversion with optical output H01J31/50

Abstract

A radiological image conversion panel 2 is provided with a phosphor 18 containing a fluorescent material that emits fluorescence by radiation exposure, in which the phosphor includes, a columnar section 34 formed by a group of columnar crystals which are obtained through columnar growth of crystals of the fluorescent material, and a non-columnar section 36, the columnar section and the non-columnar section are integrally formed to overlap in a crystal growth direction of the columnar crystals, and a thickness of the non-columnar section along the crystal growth direction is non-uniform in a region of at least a part of the non-columnar section.

Claims

1. A radiological image detection apparatus comprising:

a radiological image conversion panel comprising a phosphor containing a fluorescent material that emits fluorescence by radiation exposure; and

a sensor panel which detects fluorescence generated from the radiological image conversion panel and converts the fluorescence into an electrical signal,

wherein the phosphor comprises a columnar section formed by a group of columnar crystals which are obtained through columnar growth of crystals of a fluorescent material, and a non-columnar section,

the columnar section and the non-columnar section are integrally formed on the sensor panel to overlap in a crystal growth direction of the columnar crystals so that the sensor panel, the non-columnar section and the columnar section are provided in this order,

the thickness of the non-columnar section along the crystal growth direction is non-uniform in a region of at least a part of the non-columnar section,

the diameter of each crystal constituting the non-columnar section is 0.5 μ

m or more and 7.0 μ

m or less,

the non-columnar section comprises a group of spherical crystals obtained by growing crystals of the fluorescent material in a substantial spherical shape,

the crystals constituting the non-columnar section are irregularly bonded to or overlapped with each other,

the sensor panel is supported by a substrate comprising plastic, and

a surface of the sensor panel is flattened by a resin material comprising polyimide or parylene.

2. The radiological image detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein a difference between a maximum thickness and a minimum thickness in a central region of the non-columnar section is less than a difference between a maximum thickness and a minimum thickness in a peripheral region of the non-columnar section.

3. The radiological image detection apparatus of claim 2, wherein the thickness of the non-columnar section is non-uniform only in the peripheral region.

4. The radiological image detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein a deviation in a thickness distribution in a central region of the non-columnar section is less than a deviation in a thickness distribution in a peripheral region of the non-columnar section.

5. The radiological image detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the non-columnar section is distributed within a range of 5 μ

m or more and 125 μ

m or less.

6. The radiological image detection apparatus of claim 1, which has a radiation entrance surface at the sensor panel side.

7. The radiological image detection apparatus of claim 1, which has a radiation entrance surface at the radiological image conversion panel side.

8. The radiological image detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprising plastic comprises polyimide.

9. The radiological image detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein a deviation in a thickness distribution in a central region of the non-columnar section is less than a deviation in a thickness distribution in a peripheral region of the non-columnar section,

the crystals of the non-columnar section irregularly overlap, and some crystals thereof are fused to each other in a thickness direction or an in-plane direction, and

the non-columnar section includes a non-crystalline part,

wherein the radiological image detection apparatus has a radiation entrance surface at the sensor panel side.