RARE-EARTH HALIDE SCINTILLATOR COATED WITH A LIGHT ABSORBER OR LIGHT REFLECTOR

• US 20110017911A1
• Filed: 07/09/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Luxium Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Cristaux et Detecteurs
• Inventors: Flamanc, Jeremy, Menge, Peter R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,519,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/361.R
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/013 Fillers, pigments or reinforcing additives
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/61 inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/02 Use of particular materials as binders, particle coatings or suspension media therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/7704 Halogenides C09K11/7701 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/2002 Optical details, e.g. reflecting or diffusing layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/263 Coating layer not in excess of 5 mils thick or equivalent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/264 Up to 3 mils
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/269 including synthetic resin or polymer layer or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31529 Next to metal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31663 As siloxane, silicone or silane

Abstract

A scintillator material comprises a rare-earth halide coated with a layer comprising a resin and a pigment. In an embodiment, the scintillator material is used in an ionizing-radiation detector, and in particular embodiment, a gamma camera. The layer can adhere well and act as an absorbent or reflector depending on the color of the pigment.

Claims

1. A scintillator material comprising a rare-earth halide coated with a layer comprising a resin and a pigment.

2. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resin is an epoxy or silicone resin.

3. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the layer is between 10 μ

m and 5 mm.

4. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rare-earth halide comprises lanthanum chloride or lanthanum bromide.

5. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein its surface comprises a region that is not coated by the layer.

6. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pigment and the layer which contains it are black to the naked eye.

7. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pigment and the layer that contains it are white to the naked eye.

8. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pigment and the layer which contains it are gray to the naked eye.

9. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the layer comprises 0.01 to 20% by weight of pigment.

10. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the layer is partially transparent.

11. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interface between the layer and the scintillator material has been polished.

12. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resin is an epoxy or silicone resin, the thickness of the layer is between 10 μ

m and 5 mm, the rare-earth halide comprises lanthanum chloride or lanthanum bromide, and its surface comprises a region that is not coated by the layer.

13. The material as claimed in claim 12, wherein the interface between the layer and the scintillator material has been polished.

14. An ionizing-radiation detector comprising the scintillator material from claim 1, said scintillator material being coupled, via a region of the surface that is not coated by said layer, to a photodetector.

15. An ionizing-radiation detector comprising the scintillator material from claim 12, said scintillator material being coupled, via a region of the surface that is not coated by said layer, to a photodetector.

16. A process for manufacturing the scintillator material from claim 1, comprising the application of a homogeneous mixture of an adhesive resin and a pigment to the surface of the scintillator material containing less than 1% by weight of water.

17. The process as claimed in claim 16, wherein the mixture contains less than 100 ppm by weight of water.

18. The process as claimed in claim 16, wherein the surface of the material onto which the mixture is applied is polished.

19. A process for manufacturing the scintillator material from claim 12, comprising the application of a homogeneous mixture of an adhesive resin and a pigment to the surface of the scintillator material containing less than 1% by weight of water.

20. The process as claimed in claim 19, wherein the mixture contains less than 100 ppm by weight of water.

21. The process as claimed in claim 19, wherein the surface of the material onto which the mixture is applied is polished.

22. A gamma camera comprising the detector from claim 14.