STRONTIUM HALIDE SCINTILLATORS, DEVICES AND METHODS

• US 20100268074A1
• Filed: 07/02/2009
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc. (Dynasil Corp. of America)
• Original Assignee: Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc. (Dynasil Corp. of America)
• Inventors: Wilson, Cody M., Glodo, Jarek, Van Loef, Edgar V., Shah, Kanai S.
• Application Number:
  US12/497,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20100268074A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/431
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4488 Means for cooling A61B6/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/482 involving multiple energy imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/508 for non-human patients
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/7705 with alkali or alkaline earth metals
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/772 with alkali or alkaline earth metals
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/7733 with alkali or alkaline earth metals
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/7772 Halogenides C09K11/7767 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 11/00 Single-crystal growth by normal freezing or freezing under temperature gradient, e.g. Bridgman-Stockbarger method C30B13/00, C30B15/00, C30B17/00, C30B19/00 take precedence; under a protective fluid C30B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/12 Halides
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/20182 Modular detectors, e.g. tiled scintillators or tiled photodiodes stacked detectors G01T1/20181
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/2023 Selection of materials see provisionally also G01T1/202

Abstract

The present invention provides strontium halide scintillators as well as related radiation detection devices, imaging systems, and methods.

Claims

1. An imaging system, comprising:

a subject area;

a radiation detection assembly comprising a doped strontium iodide scintillator material and a photodetector assembly optically coupled to the scintillator material; and

electronics coupled to the radiation detection assembly so as to output image data in response to radiation detected by the scintillator.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging system is a computed tomography system, X-ray computed tomography system, or a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the radiation detected by the scintillator comprises gamma rays emitted from a radiopharmaceutical label administered to a subject positioned in the subject area.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the dopant comprises europium.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the dopant comprises cerium or thallium.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the dopant is present at less than about 20% by molar weight.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the dopant is present at between about 0.01% to about 10% by molar weight.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the scintillator material comprises a crystalline, ceramic, or polycrystalline ceramic form.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the photodetector assembly comprises a photomultiplier tube, a photodiode, a PIN detector, a charge-coupled device, or an avalanche detector.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer control system coupled to the detection assembly so as to receive, output, or process the image data, or comprising instructions for operation of the system.

11. A method of performing imaging of a subject using the system of claim 1.

12. A method of performing imaging of a subject, comprising:

positioning a subject in a patient area, wherein the patient has been administered with a radiopharmaceutical label;

positioning a radiation detection assembly adjacent to the subject, the detection assembly comprising a europium doped strontium iodide scintillator material and a photodetector assembly optically coupled to the scintillator material;

detecting gamma ray emissions from the patient with the radiation detection assembly so as to generate subject image data.

13. A scintillator composition comprising a Tl or Ce doped strontium halide scintillator.

14. The scintillator composition of claim 13, wherein the scintillator is a thallium-doped strontium iodide scintillator.

15. A method of performing radiation detection at a high temperature location, comprising:

positioning a radiation detection assembly in a high temperature area, the assembly comprising a doped strontium iodide scintillator material and a photodetector assembly coupled to the scintillator material; and

detecting radiation emissions from a radiation source in the high temperature area.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the high temperature area comprises an average temperature exceeding 50 degrees C.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the high temperature area comprises an average temperature of greater than about 75 degrees C. to greater than about 200 degrees C.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the high temperature area comprises a wellbore or a subterranean location.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the radiation detection comprises a well logging or geological formation evaluation.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the radiation emissions comprise gamma-ray or neutron emissions.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing calibration data comprising one or more scintillation characteristics of the scintillator composition as a function of temperature;

and scaling a detected radiation emission spectra from the high temperature environment relative to the calibration data.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the one or more scintillation characteristic comprises light output.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the calibration data comprises measured light output versus temperature.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the calibration data is generated by recording radiation from a radiation source placed proximate to the detector, and the recording comprises continuously recording said source radiations or shuttering on and off radiation pulses during data acquisition.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising providing a light pulser so as to provide a fixed reference signal.