Rare-earth halide scintillator coated with a light absorber or light reflector

• US 8,519,339 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2010
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Luxium Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Cristaux et Detecteurs
• Inventors: Flamanc, Jeremy, Menge, Peter R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Maupin, Hugh H
• Application Number:
  US12/833,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20110017911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 250/361.R
• US Class Current: 250/361.R
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/013 Fillers, pigments or reinforcing additives
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/61 inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/02 Use of particular materials as binders, particle coatings or suspension media therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/7704 Halogenides C09K11/7701 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/2002 Optical details, e.g. reflecting or diffusing layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/263 Coating layer not in excess of 5 mils thick or equivalent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/264 Up to 3 mils
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/269 including synthetic resin or polymer layer or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31529 Next to metal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31663 As siloxane, silicone or silane

Abstract

A scintillator material comprises a rare-earth halide coated with a layer comprising a resin and a pigment. In an embodiment, the scintillator material is used in an ionizing-radiation detector, and in particular embodiment, a gamma camera. The layer can adhere well and act as an absorbent or reflector depending on the color of the pigment.

Claims

1. A scintillator material comprising a rare-earth halide coated with a layer comprising a resin and a pigment, wherein the layer comprises 0.01 to 20% by weight of pigment.

2. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resin is an epoxy or silicone resin.

3. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the layer is between 10 μ

m; and

5 mm.

4. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rare-earth halide comprises lanthanum chloride or lanthanum bromide.

5. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein its surface comprises a region that is not coated by the layer.

6. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pigment and the layer which contains it are black to the naked eye.

7. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pigment and the layer that contains it are white to the naked eye.

8. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pigment and the layer which contains it are gray to the naked eye.

9. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the layer is partially transparent.

10. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interface between the layer and the scintillator material has been polished.

11. The material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resin is an epoxy or silicone resin, the thickness of the layer is between 10 μ

m and 5 mm, the rare-earth halide comprises lanthanum chloride or lanthanum bromide, and its surface comprises a region that is not coated by the layer.

12. The material as claimed in claim 11, wherein the interface between the layer and the scintillator material has been polished.

13. An ionizing-radiation detector comprising the scintillator material from claim 11, said scintillator material being coupled, via a region of the surface that is not coated by said layer, to a photodetector.

14. A process for manufacturing the scintillator material from claim 11, comprising the application of a homogeneous mixture of an adhesive resin and a pigment to the surface of the scintillator material containing less than 1% by weight of water.

15. The process as claimed in claim 14, wherein the mixture contains less than 100 ppm by weight of water.

16. The process as claimed in claim 14, wherein the surface of the material onto which the mixture is applied is polished.

17. An ionizing-radiation detector comprising the scintillator material from claim 1, said scintillator material being coupled, via a region of the surface that is not coated by said layer, to a photodetector.

18. A gamma camera comprising the detector from claim 17.

19. A process for manufacturing a scintillator material comprising:

providing a rare-earth halide; and

coating the rare-earth halide with a layer by applying a homogeneous mixture of an adhesive resin and a pigment to the surface of the scintillator material containing less than 1% by weight of water.

20. The process as claimed in claim 19, wherein the surface of the material onto which the mixture is applied is polished.

21. The material as claimed in claim 19, wherein the resin is an epoxy or silicone resin.

22. The material as claimed in claim 19, wherein the thickness of the layer is between 10 μ

m and 5 mm.

23. The material as claimed in claim 19, wherein the rare-earth halide comprises lanthanum chloride or lanthanum bromide.

24. The material as claimed in claim 19, wherein its surface comprises a region that is not coated by the layer.

25. The material as claimed in claim 19, wherein the pigment and the layer which contains it are black to the naked eye.

26. The material as claimed in claim 19, wherein the pigment and the layer that contains it are white to the naked eye.

27. The material as claimed in claim 19, wherein the pigment and the layer which contains it are gray to the naked eye.

28. The material as claimed in claim 19, wherein the layer comprises 0.01 to 20% by weight of pigment.

29. The material as claimed in claim 19, wherein the layer is partially transparent.

30. The material as claimed in claim 19, wherein the interface between the layer and the scintillator material has been polished.

31. The material as claimed in claim 19, wherein the resin is an epoxy or silicone resin, the thickness of the layer is between 10 μ

m and 5 mm, the rare-earth halide comprises lanthanum chloride or lanthanum bromide, and its surface comprises a region that is not coated by the layer.

32. The material as claimed in claim 31, wherein the interface between the layer and the scintillator material has been polished.

33. An ionizing-radiation detector comprising the scintillator material from claim 31, said scintillator material being coupled, via a region of the surface that is not coated by said layer, to a photodetector.

34. A process for manufacturing the scintillator material from claim 31, comprising the application of a homogeneous mixture of an adhesive resin and a pigment to the surface of the scintillator material containing less than 1% by weight of water.

35. The process as claimed in claim 34, wherein the mixture contains less than 100 ppm by weight of water.

36. The process as claimed in claim 34, wherein the surface of the material onto which the mixture is applied is polished.

37. An ionizing-radiation detector comprising the scintillator material from claim 19, said scintillator material being coupled, via a region of the surface that is not coated by said layer, to a photodetector.

38. A gamma camera comprising the detector from claim 37.

39. The process as claimed in claim 19, wherein the mixture contains less than 100 ppm by weight of water.

40. A scintillator material comprising a rare-earth halide coated with a layer comprising a resin and a pigment, wherein the layer is in direct contact with the rare-earth halide.

41. The material as claimed in claim 40, wherein the resin is an epoxy or silicone resin, the thickness of the layer is between 10 μ

m and 5 mm, the rare-earth halide comprises lanthanum chloride or lanthanum bromide, and its surface comprises a region that is not coated by the layer.

42. The material as claimed in claim 41, wherein the interface between the layer and the scintillator material has been polished.

43. An ionizing-radiation detector comprising the scintillator material from claim 41, said scintillator material being coupled, via a region of the surface that is not coated by said layer, to a photodetector.

44. A gamma camera comprising the detector from claim 43.

45. A process for manufacturing the scintillator material from claim 41, comprising the application of a homogeneous mixture of an adhesive resin and a pigment to the surface of the scintillator material containing less than 1% by weight of water.

46. The process as claimed in claim 45, wherein the mixture contains less than 100 ppm by weight of water.

47. The process as claimed in claim 45, wherein the surface of the material onto which the mixture is applied is polished.

48. The material as claimed in claim 40, wherein the resin is an epoxy or silicone resin.

49. The material as claimed in claim 40, wherein the thickness of the layer is between 10 μ

m and 5 mm.

50. The material as claimed in claim 40, wherein the rare-earth halide comprises lanthanum chloride or lanthanum bromide.

51. The material as claimed in claim 40, wherein its surface comprises a region that is not coated by the layer.

52. The material as claimed in claim 40, wherein the pigment and the layer which contains it are black to the naked eye.

53. The material as claimed in claim 40, wherein the pigment and the layer that contains it are white to the naked eye.

54. The material as claimed in claim 40, wherein the pigment and the layer which contains it are gray to the naked eye.

55. The material as claimed in claim 40, wherein the layer comprises 0.01 to 20% by weight of pigment.

56. The material as claimed in claim 40, wherein the layer is partially transparent.

57. The material as claimed in claim 40, wherein the interface between the layer and the scintillator material has been polished.

58. An ionizing-radiation detector comprising the scintillator material from claim 40, said scintillator material being coupled, via a region of the surface that is not coated by said layer, to a photodetector.

59. A process for manufacturing the scintillator material from claim 40, comprising the application of a homogeneous mixture of an adhesive resin and a pigment to the surface of the scintillator material containing less than 1% by weight of water.

60. The process as claimed in claim 59, wherein the mixture contains less than 100 ppm by weight of water.

61. The process as claimed in claim 59, wherein the surface of the material onto which the mixture is applied is polished.