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Gamma ray detector for three-dimensional position encoding

  • US 5,349,191 A
  • Filed: 11/03/1993
  • Issued: 09/20/1994
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for determining the X, Y and Z positions of a point of gamma ray induced light emission in a pattern of a plurality of scintillating light guides, comprising:

  • (1) a plurality of spatially separated, closely adjacent, elongated, scintillating, crystal, light guides arrayed in a pattern having known X and Y positions for each light guide, each of said light guides having a gamma ray receiving end, a light transmitting end, and walls therebetween;

    (2) a light reflective surface on at least a portion of the walls of each of the light guides having light reflectivity such that the fraction of gamma ray induced light passing through the transmitting end is substantially greater for gamma ray induced light emissions closer to the transmitting end and substantially less for emissions closer to the receiving end;

    (3) at least one photodetector disposed in register with the transmitting ends such that the said fraction of gamma ray induced light transmitted through the transmitting ends is intercepted by the at least one photodetector;

    (4) detector means responsive to gamma ray induced light emitted in the said light guides for determining an excited light guide from which gamma ray induced light was emitted to thereby establish the X and Y positions of the gamma ray induced light within the pattern of light guides; and

    (5) measuring means responsive to light intercepted by the at least one photodetector for determining the amount of emitted light received by the at least one photodetector and from that determined amount of emitted light determining the distance from the transmitting end to the point of gamma ray induced light emission in the excited light guide, to thereby establish the Z position of the gamma ray induced light within the pattern of light guides.

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