Scintillation array method and apparatus

• US 8,399,843 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2009
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics Incorporated (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics Incorporated (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Menge, Peter R., Solovyev, Vladimir, Gaspar, Renee, Bacon, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaworecki, Mark R
• Application Number:
  US12/640,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20100148074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 250/367, 250/368, 250/369, 250/361.R, 250/362, 250/370.11, 250/370.09
• US Class Current: 250/367
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/1644 using an array of optically separate scintillation elements permitting direct location of scintillations G01T1/1645 takes precedence

Abstract

In one aspect a scintillation array includes a transparent material between portions of adjacent scintillation pixels. The transparent material can allow light to pass from one scintillation pixel to an adjacent scintillation pixel. The resulting image provides information regarding the depth at which a scintillation event occurs. Another aspect regards a scintillation array that includes reflector strips separating portions of adjacent scintillation pixels. Other spaces between portions of scintillation pixels need not include reflector strips and may be filled with other reflective material.

Claims

1. A scintillation array comprising:

an array comprising a plurality of scintillation pixels, the array having a depth, a high energy end and a light exit end;

a light reflective material positioned within a space between at least some pairs of adjacent pixels along less than the full depth of the adjacent pixels; and

a solid transparent material adjacent to an end of the light reflective material.

2. The scintillation array of claim 1 wherein the light reflective material comprises an adhesive.

3. The scintillation array of claim 1 wherein the light reflective material comprises a reflective strip.

4. The scintillation array of claim 1 wherein the solid transparent material completely occupies the space between adjacent pixels along an entire height of the solid transparent material.

5. The scintillation array of claim 1 wherein at least 10% of the length of the scintillation array is void of light reflective material at the light exit end.

6. The scintillation array of claim 1 wherein a space between two adjacent pixels includes an opaque reflective portion and a transparent portion.

7. A device comprising the scintillation array of claim 1 and a photodetector.

8. A scanning instrument comprising the scintillation array of claim 1.

9. A method of detecting the position of a scintillation event comprising:

irradiating an array of scintillation pixels with excitatory energy, the array comprising a first portion at a first end of the array and a second portion at a second end of the array;

forming visible light within a first pixel as a result of a scintillation event;

conducting at least 60% of the visible light formed in the first pixel within the first portion of the array to a photo detector associated with the first pixel; and

transmitting at least 45% of the visible light formed in the first pixel within the second portion of the array to a photo detector that is not associated with the first pixel;

detecting a light output pattern from the array;

determining the position of the scintillation event by analyzing the light output pattern;

analyzing an image of the light output pattern from a given scintillation pixel;

determining the relative position of different light points within the pattern; and

correlating the distance of a light point from the center of the image with the depth of interaction of the corresponding scintillation event.

10. The method of claim 9 where depth of interaction can be determined to within a voxel height equal to 20% or less of the pixel length array depth.

11. The method of claim 9 comprising using the depth of interaction information to correct parallax effects.

12. A scintillation array comprising:

a matrix of scintillating pixels arranged in rows and columns, the matrix having a depth from a first end to a second end;

a first series of reflective strips, the strips having a first height less than the depth of the matrix, the strips separating the rows of the matrix;

a second series of reflective strips having a second height less than the depth of the matrix, the strips separating the columns of the matrix; and

a transparent polymer adjacent to the first series of reflective strips within the rows and the second series of reflective strips within the columns.

13. The scintillation array of claim 12 comprising reflective paint in spaces between pixels not occupied by reflective strips.

14. The scintillation array of claim 12 wherein the second series of reflective strips is stacked on top of the first series of reflective strips.

15. A scintillation array comprising:

an array comprising a plurality of adjacent scintillation pixels, the array having a depth, a high energy end and a light exit end; and

a separator disposed between adjacent pixels, wherein the separator comprises first portion comprising a light reflective material and a second portion comprising a solid transparent material.

16. The scintillation array of claim 15, wherein the second portion of the separator is between the first portion of the separator and the light exit end of the array.

17. The scintillation array of claim 15, wherein the array is disposed on a window and wherein the second portion of the separator has an index of refraction greater than or equal to the index of refraction of the window.

18. The scintillation array of claim 15, wherein the second portion of the separator has an index of refraction of at least 1.5.