CT array with improved photosensor linearity and reduced crosstalk
First Claim
1. A computed tomography (CT) radiation imager comprising:
- a scintillator;
a photosensor array optically coupled to said scintillator, said photosensor array comprising a block having a plurality of photosensitive devices disposed to receive incident light from said scintillator through a first surface of said block, each of said photosensitive devices comprising a pixel in said array, each of said pixels further comprising a respective fully photoactive region; and
an optical coupling layer disposed between said scintillator and said photosensor array, said optical coupling layer further comprising a pixel boundary light barrier comprising a light absorptive material disposed in said optical coupling layer overlying the area on said photosensor array first surface between respective fully photoactive regions of adjoining ones of said photosensitive devices;
whereby said pixel boundary light barrier is disposed so as to absorb light photons passing along a path between said scintillator and pixels in said photosensor array other than the pixel underlying the portion of the scintillator in which the light photons were generated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A computed tomography (CT) imager includes a scintillator and a photosensor array optically coupled to the scintillator through an optical coupling layer. The photosensor array includes a plurality of photosensitive devices disposed in a block so as to receive incident light from the scintillator through a first surface of the block; each photosensitive device forms a pixel in the array, and each pixel further has a fully photoactive region in which the quantum efficiency of the photosensor is greater than about 65%. The optical coupling layer further includes a pixel boundary light barrier that is made of light absorptive material disposed in the optical coupling layer overlying the areas on the photosensor array first surface between respective fully photoactive regions of the photosensitive devices. The pixel boundary light barrier is disposed to absorb substantially all light photons passing along a path between the scintillator and pixels in the photosensor array other than the pixel underlying the portion of the scintillator in which the light photons were generated, thereby reducing noise and cross-talk in the array and enhancing the linear operating characteristics of photosensors in the array.
71 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A computed tomography (CT) radiation imager comprising:
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a scintillator; a photosensor array optically coupled to said scintillator, said photosensor array comprising a block having a plurality of photosensitive devices disposed to receive incident light from said scintillator through a first surface of said block, each of said photosensitive devices comprising a pixel in said array, each of said pixels further comprising a respective fully photoactive region; and an optical coupling layer disposed between said scintillator and said photosensor array, said optical coupling layer further comprising a pixel boundary light barrier comprising a light absorptive material disposed in said optical coupling layer overlying the area on said photosensor array first surface between respective fully photoactive regions of adjoining ones of said photosensitive devices; whereby said pixel boundary light barrier is disposed so as to absorb light photons passing along a path between said scintillator and pixels in said photosensor array other than the pixel underlying the portion of the scintillator in which the light photons were generated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification