Radiation detector and imaging system

• US 9,151,850 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2012
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Hedler, Harry, Hughes, Timothy, Spahn, Martin, Wirth, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): TANINGCO, MARCUS H
• Application Number:
  US14/124,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20140124676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 250/366
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/20 with scintillation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/2006 using a combination of a scintillator and photodetector which measures the means radiation intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/28 with secondary-emission detectors

Abstract

The invention relates to a radiation detector (100; 101; 102; 103; 104; 105; 106), having a scintillator (120) for generating electromagnetic radiation (202) in response to the action of incident radiation (200). The scintillator (120) has two opposing end faces (121; 122) and a lateral wall (123) between the end faces (121; 122). The radiation detector has, in addition, a conversion system (160) located on the lateral wall (123) of the scintillator (120), said system comprising a plurality of channels (165). Each channel (165) has a photocathode section (130; 131; 132) for generating electrons (204) in response to the action of electromagnetic radiation (202) that is generated by the scintillator (120), said electrons being multipliable by impact processes in the channels (165). A detection system (170) for detecting electrons (204) that have been multiplied in the channels (165) of the conversion system (160) is also provided. The invention also relates to an imaging system (110) comprising a radiation detector of this type (100; 101; 102; 103; 104; 105; 106).

Claims

1. A radiation detector, comprising:

a scintillator for generating electromagnetic radiation in response to an action of incident radiation, wherein the scintillator has two mutually opposite end faces and a lateral wall between the end faces;

a conversion device arranged on the lateral wall of the scintillator and having a plurality of channels, wherein each channel has a photocathode section for generating electrons in response to an action of the electromagnetic radiation generated by the scintillator, which electrons are multipliable by impact processes in the channels, and wherein the plurality of channels of the conversion device run parallel to a longitudinal axis of the scintillator, the longitudinal axis extending between the end faces; and

a detection device for detecting electrons multiplied in the channels of the conversion device,

wherein the lateral wall of the scintillator has depressions through which the channels of the conversion device are formed.

2. The radiation detector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detection device has an electrode for trapping electrons, the electrode being arranged at one end of the channels, and wherein the radiation detector has a counterelectrode for bringing about a movement of electrons to the electrode of the detection device, the counterelectrode being arranged at an opposite end of the channels.

3. The radiation detector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lateral wall of the scintillator is embodied in a planar fashion, and wherein the conversion device is embodied in the form of a plate-shaped structure on the lateral wall of the scintillator.

4. The radiation detector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the photocathode sections of the channels of the conversion device are embodied in the form of a continuous photocathode.

5. The radiation detector as claimed in claim 4, wherein the continuous photocathode is arranged on a carrier element.

6. The radiation detector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lateral wall of the scintillator is provided with a layer that is transmissive to the electromagnetic radiation generated by the scintillator.

7. The radiation detector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channels of the conversion device have a wall coating designed to liberate a plurality of electrons per impact process of an electron.

8. The radiation detector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of channels of the conversion device are arranged in a plane alongside one another on the lateral wall of the scintillator.

10. The radiation detector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detection device is designed for separately detecting electrons generated in channels of different conversion devices or in channels of different subsections of the conversion device.

11. The radiation detector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radiation detector is additionally designed to convert part of the electromagnetic radiation generated in the scintillator and emerging at an end face into electrons and to detect the electrons.

9. A radiation detector comprising:

a scintillator for generating electromagnetic radiation in response to an action of incident radiation, wherein the scintillator has two mutually opposite end faces and a lateral wall between the end faces, and wherein the scintillator is embodied in a parallelepipedal fashion and has four lateral walls between the end faces;

a conversion device having a plurality of channels is arranged on each lateral wall of the four lateral walls of the scintillator, wherein each channel has a photocathode section for generating electrons in response to an action of the electromagnetic radiation generated by the scintillator, which electrons are multipliable by impact processes in the channels, and wherein the plurality of channels of the conversion device run parallel to a longitudinal axis of the scintillator, the longitudinal axis extending between the end faces; and

a detection device for detecting electrons multiplied in the channels of the conversion device.

12. A radiation detector comprising:

two scintillators arranged alongside one another, each scintillator configured for generating electromagnetic radiation in response to an action of incident radiation, wherein each scintillator has two mutually opposite end faces and a lateral wall between the end faces;

conversion devices arranged in an interspace between the scintillators and on opposite lateral walls of the scintillators and assigned to the scintillators and having a plurality of channels, wherein each channel has a photocathode section for generating electrons in response to an action of the electromagnetic radiation generated by the scintillators, which electrons are multipliable by impact processes in the channels, and wherein the plurality of channels of the conversion devices run parallel to a longitudinal axis of the scintillators, the longitudinal axis extending between the end faces; and

a detection device for detecting electrons, the detection device being assigned to the conversion devices.

13. An imaging system comprising:

a radiation detector comprising;

a scintillator for generating electromagnetic radiation in response to an action of incident radiation, wherein the scintillator has two mutually opposite end faces and a lateral wall between the end faces;

a conversion device arranged on the lateral wall of the scintillator and having a plurality of channels, wherein each channel has a photocathode section for generating electrons in response to an action of the electromagnetic radiation generated by the scintillator, which electrons are multipliable by impact processes in the channels, and wherein the plurality of channels of the conversion device run parallel to a longitudinal axis of the scintillator, the longitudinal axis extending between the end faces; and

a detection device for detecting electrons multiplied in the channels of the conversion device,

wherein the radiation detector is designed to bring about a movement of electrons in channels of different conversion devices or in channels of different subsections of the conversion device in different directions.