Scintillation separator

• US 8,481,952 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2009
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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., Perna, Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannaher, Constantine
• Application Number:
  US12/644,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20100155610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 250/368
• US Class Current: 250/368
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/483 Reactive adhesives, e.g. chemically curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/5057 positioned between the surfaces to be joined B29C65/5035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/45 Joining of substantially the whole surface of the articles methods or apparatus for laminating B32B37/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/00 Use of polyalkenes or derivatives thereof as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/12 containing fluorine
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/18 PTFE, i.e. polytetrafluorethene , e.g. ePTFE, i.e. expanded polytetrafluorethene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2077/00 Use of PA, i.e. polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2079/085 Thermoplastic polyimides, e.g. polyesterimides, PEI, i.e. polyetherimides, or polyamideimides; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0018 having particular optical properties, e.g. fluorescent or phosphorescent
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/003 Reflective
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/00 Measuring X-radiation, gamma radiation, corpuscular radiation, or cosmic radiation G01T3/00, G01T5/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/2002 Optical details, e.g. reflecting or diffusing layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1052 with cutting, punching, tearing or severing

Abstract

A scintillation reflector can include a specular material having a first and second surface, and a first diffuse material arranged adjacent to the first surface of the specular material and proximal to the scintillator surface. The composite reflector may surround at least a portion of a scintillator surface as provide in a scintillation detector.

Claims

1. A scintillation detector, comprising:

a first scintillator having a first surface; and

a composite reflector adjacent to at least a portion of the first surface, wherein;

the composite reflector includes a specular material layer having a first and second surface, an adhesive layer disposed on the first surface of the specular material layer, and a diffuse material layer disposed on the adhesive layer, wherein the diffuse material layer is adjacent to the first scintillator and is capable of transmitting 5% to 50% of incident light in a wavelength range of 200 nm to 800 nm.

2. The scintillation detector of claim 1, wherein the composite reflector further includes a second adhesive layer disposed on the second surface of the specular material layer and a second diffuse material layer disposed on the second adhesive layer.

3. The scintillation detector of claim 1, further comprising a second scintillator, wherein the first and second scintillators are disposed along a same side of the composite reflector.

4. The scintillator detector of claim 3, wherein further comprising an adhesive layer capable of transmitting 80% or more of incident light having a wavelength in the range of 380 nm to 800 nm.

5. The scintillation detector of claim 1, wherein the scintillator is in optical communication with a photodetector.

6. The scintillator detector of claim 1, wherein the diffuse material layer includes a polyolefin or a fluorocarbon.

7. The scintillation detector of claim 1, wherein the composite reflector exhibits a diffuse transmission of less than 15% of incident light having a wavelength in the range of 350 nm to 750 nm.

8. The scintillation detector of claim 1, wherein the diffuse material layer directly contacts the scintillator.

9. A method of forming a scintillation detector, comprising:

arranging a first surface of a diffuse material layer proximal to at least a portion of a scintillator surface such that the first surface of the diffuse material layer is adjacent to the scintillator, wherein the diffuse material layer is capable of transmitting 5% to 50% of incident light in a wavelength range of 200 nm to 800 nm, and wherein the diffuse material layer further includes a second surface; and

arranging a specular material layer adjacent to the second surface of the diffuse material layer.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising applying adhesive to one of the second surface of the first diffuse material layer and the specular material layer.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first diffuse material layer and specular material layer comprises a first sheet and the scintillator comprises a second sheet.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising cutting the sheets into slices and stacking the slices.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising arranging a second diffuse material layer adjacent to the specular material layer opposite the first diffuse material layer.

14. A scintillation detection system, comprising:

a scintillator having a surface;

a composite reflector surrounding at least a portion of the scintillator surface, wherein the composite reflector includes a specular material layer having a first and second surface, an adhesive layer disposed on the first surface of the specular material layer, and a diffuse material layer disposed on the adhesive layer, wherein the diffuse material is adjacent to the surface of the scintillator, and wherein the composite reflector exhibits a diffuse transmission of less than 15% of incident light having a wavelength in the range of 350 nm to 750 nm;

a photodetector in optical communication with the scintillator; and

an analyzer in electrical communication with the photodetector.

15. The scintillation detection system of claim 14, wherein the diffuse material layer directly contacts the scintillator.

16. The scintillation detection system of claim 14, wherein the diffuse material layer is capable of transmitting 5% to 50% of incident light in a wavelength range of 200 nm to 800 nm.

17. A medical device comprising:

a first scintillator having a first surface;

a second scintillator having a second surface;

a composite reflector adjacent to the first surface of the first scintillator and the second surface of the second scintillator, wherein;

the first and second scintillators are disposed along a same side of the composite reflector; and

the composite reflector includes a specular material layer and a diffuse material layer disposed between the specular material layer and first and second scintillators; and

the first diffuse material is adjacent to the surface of the scintillator; and

an adhesive layer disposed between the first diffuse material layer and each of the first and second scintillators, wherein the adhesive layer is capable of transmitting 80% or more of incident light having a wavelength in the range of 380 nm to 800 nm.

18. The medical device of claim 17, wherein the medical device is selected from the group consisting of a positron emission tomography scanner, a gamma camera, and a computed tomography scanner.

19. The medical device of claim 17, wherein the diffuse material layer is capable of transmitting 5% to 50% of incident light in a wavelength range of 200 nm to 800 nm.