List mode multichannel analyzer

• US 7,253,387 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2004
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Riot, Vincent J., Knapp, David A., Archer, Daniel E., Luke, S. John, Mauger, G. Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Que Tan
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI PHO, PASCAL M
• Application Number:
  US10/979,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20050094466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 250/207, 250/214.DC, 250/214.R, 250/214.VT, 313/528, 313/532, 313/103.R, 313/103.CM
• US Class Current: 250/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/026 Semiconductor dose-rate meters
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2029/5002 Characteristic
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/16 Multiple access memory array, e.g. addressing one storage element via at least two independent addressing line groups
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/773 comprising photon counting circuits, e.g. single photon detection [SPD] or single photon avalanche diodes [SPAD]

Abstract

A digital list mode multichannel analyzer (MCA) built around a programmable FPGA device for onboard data analysis and on-the-fly modification of system detection/operating parameters, and capable of collecting and processing data in very small time bins (<1 millisecond) when used in histogramming mode, or in list mode as a list mode MCA.

Claims

1. A standalone multichannel analyzer (MCA) for collecting and analyzing radiation data, comprising:

a PMT connector for connecting to a photomultiplier tube (PMT) and a radiation detector;

a power module having an on-board integrated high voltage power supply electrically connected to the PMT connector to supply power to the PMT and the radiation detector;

an analog chain module including an on-board integrated preamplifier electrically connected to the PMT connector to receive, integrate, and shape charges collected at the PMT, and digitize the data; and

a processor/controller module comprising an on-board integrated field-programmable gate array (FPGA) electrically connected to the analog chain module for performing either consecutive, uniform time binning of the digitized data in histogram mode or event recording in list mode, and an on-board integrated controller interface capable of enabling a user to customizably program said FPGA with a data processing preference of either list mode or histogram mode.

2. The MCA of claim 1,

wherein the FPGA is further programmable via the integrated controller interface to make selections of at least one of detector type, data output preference, and trigger algorithm preference.

3. The MCA of claim 1,

wherein the FPGA is programmable via the integrated controller interface using a Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) interface.

4. The MCA of claim 1,

wherein the integrated controller interface is a universal serial bus (USB) interface.

5. The MCA of claim 1,

wherein the FPGA is in-system programmable on-the-fly without any dead time.

6. The MCA of claim 5,

wherein the processor/controller module further comprises a dual port memory capable of loading a second algorithm therein when programming out a first algorithm on-the-fly.

7. The MCA of claim 1,

wherein the FPGA is capable of collecting data in uniform time bins less than 1 millisecond wide when operating in histogram mode.

8. The MCA of claim 1,

wherein the list mode MCA has a modular construction with said modules adapted for individual removal and/or substitution.

9. The MCA of claim 1,

wherein the analog chain module includes a preamplifier having a programmable gain in order to adapt to various PMT performances.

10. The MCA of claim 1,

wherein the analog chain module includes a test port for providing test input to allow for instrument testing.

11. The MCA of claim 1,

further comprising a standard 14 pin PMT connector electrically connected to a high voltage power supply of the power module, and electrically connected to a preamplifier of the analog chain module.

12. The MCA of claim 1,

wherein the radiation detector is one of a NaI (t1) crystal and a plastic detector.

13. A multichannel analyzer (MCA) comprising:

a digital data connector for connecting to a digital data device;

a power module having an on-board integrated high voltage power supply electrically connected to the digital data connector to supply power to the digital data device; and

a processor/controller module comprising an on-board integrated field programmable gate array (FPGA) for performing either consecutive, uniform time binning of digital data in histogram mode or event recording in list mode, an on-board integrated digital data input means electrically connected to the digital data connector for receiving digital data to be communicated directly to the FPGA, and an on-board integrated controller interface enabling a user to customizably program said FPGA with a data processing preference of either list mode or histogram mode.

14. The MCA of claim 13,

wherein the digital data connector is a transistor-transistor logic (TTL) connector for receiving external inputs from TTL producing devices.

15. The MCA of claim 13,

wherein the FPGA is further programmable via the integrated controller interface to make selections of at least one of detector type, data output preference, and trigger algorithm preference.

16. The MCA of claim 13,

wherein the FPGA is programmable via the integrated controller interface using a Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) interface.

17. The MCA of claim 13,

wherein the integrated controller interface is a universal serial bus (USB) interface.

18. The MCA of claim 13,

wherein the FPGA is in-system programmable on-the-fly without any dead time.

19. The MCA of claim 18,

wherein the processor/controller module further comprises a dual port memory capable of loading a second algorithm therein when programming out a first algorithm on-the-fly.

20. The MCA of claim 13,

wherein the FPGA is capable of collecting data in uniform time bins less than 1 millisecond wide when operating in histogram mode.

21. The MCA of claim 13,

wherein the list mode MCA has a modular construction with said modules adapted for individual removal and/or substitution.

22. The MCA of claim 13,

further comprising a standard 14 pin PMT connector electrically connected to a high voltage power supply of the power module.

23. The MCA of claim 13,

wherein the radiation detector is one of a NaI (t1) crystal and a plastic detector.