Solid-state port digital imager
First Claim
1. A high resolution high-energy-x-ray digital imager for therapeutic x-rays comprising a sensor array and circuitry for timing and signal conditioning,said sensor array comprising a plurality of sensor chip arrays, associated converters, and output electronics chips,said sensor chip arrays each having associated therewith a plurality of detectors and readout electronics comprising signal storage capacitors separate from said detectors,said detectors and readout electronics adapted to change state in response to an x-ray pulse, producing data indicative of the change of state,said output electronics adapted to provide said data in digitized form in real time with data indicative of the location of said detector.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A high resolution high-energy x-ray digital imager suitable for patient x-ray diagnosis and the location of bony landmarks in high energy radiation therapy. The imager employs an array of sensor chips which need not lie in a plane in order to provide overlap of non-active components and direct readout (non - CCD) signal processing electronics incorporating a switched capacitor per detector readout to sense a short x-ray pulse. The switching prevents dark current from discharging sensing capacitors and corrupting the data signal.
36 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A high resolution high-energy-x-ray digital imager for therapeutic x-rays comprising a sensor array and circuitry for timing and signal conditioning,
said sensor array comprising a plurality of sensor chip arrays, associated converters, and output electronics chips, said sensor chip arrays each having associated therewith a plurality of detectors and readout electronics comprising signal storage capacitors separate from said detectors, said detectors and readout electronics adapted to change state in response to an x-ray pulse, producing data indicative of the change of state, said output electronics adapted to provide said data in digitized form in real time with data indicative of the location of said detector.
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11. A multi-layered sensor, said sensor comprising a layer of high density metal at least the thickness of the x-ray attenuation length and a sensor chip array,
said sensor chip array comprising a plurality of unit cells comprising PIN detectors and associated readout electronics comprising signal storage capacitors separate from said detectors, said PIN detectors and associated readout electronics adapted to change state in response to an x-ray pulse, and to produce data indicative of the change of state.
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14. A high resolution diagnostic x-ray digital imager comprising a sensor array and circuitry for timing and signal conditioning,
said sensor array comprising a plurality of sensor chip arrays, an associated scintillator, and output electronics chips, said sensor chip arrays each comprising a plurality of PIN detectors and associated readout electronics comprising signal storage capacitors separate from said detectors, said detectors and associated readout electronics adapted to change state in response to an x-ray pulse, producing data indicative of the change of state, said electronics adapted to read out said data in digitized form in real time with data indicative of the location of said detector.
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23. A multi-layered sensor, said sensor comprising a first layer of scintillator material about the thickness of the x-ray attenuation length and one or more additional layers each comprising a sensor chip array,
said sensor chip array comprising a plurality of unit cells, each unit cell comprising detectors and readout electronics adapted to change state in response to an x-ray pulse, producing data indicative of the change of state, said readout electronics comprising signal storage capacitors separate from said detectors.
Specification