Ion induced impact ionization detector and uses thereof

• US 9,213,107 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2014
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LOMA Linda University Medical Center (Mission Healthcare Services LLC)
• Original Assignee: LOMA Linda University Medical Center (Mission Healthcare Services LLC)
• Inventors: Bashkirov, Vladimir, Schulte, Reinhard W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): OSENBAUGH-STEWART, ELIZA W
• Application Number:
  US14/203,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20140191134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 250374-392, 324/464
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/16 Measuring radiation intensity G01T1/29 takes precedence ; self-powered detectors G01T3/006; using an ionisation chamber filled with a liquid or solid, e.g. frozen liquid, dielectric G01T3/008
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/185 with ionisation chamber arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 5/00 ICT specially adapted for modelling or simulations in systems biology, e.g. gene-regulatory networks, protein interaction networks or metabolic networks

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, devices and methodologies relating to an ion induced impact ionization detector and uses thereof. In certain implementations, the detector can include a dielectric layer having one or more wells. An anode layer defining apertures to accommodate the openings of the wells can be disposed on one side of the dielectric layer, and a cathode such as a solid resistive cathode can be disposed on the other side so as to provide an electric field in each of the wells. Various design parameters such as well dimensions and operating parameters such as pressure and high voltage are disclosed. In certain implementations, such an ion detector can be coupled to a low pressure gas volume to detect ionization products such as positive ions. Such a system can be configured to provide single ion counting capability. Various example applications where the ion detector can be implemented are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for modeling a sample of condensed matter, the method comprising:

directing ionizing radiation into a volume comprising a low-pressure gas;

detecting with an ion detector ions resulting from interactions between the ionizing radiation and the low-pressure gas, the ion detector configured to detect events with one or more ions, the ion detector comprising;

a first electrode;

a second electrode;

a dielectric layer positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode, the dielectric layer having a thickness of at least 2 mm; and

a plurality of wells extending through the dielectric layer;

identifying a number of ions formed in the volume;

determining a time difference between detected ions to identify ionization clusters, wherein similar ionization clusters are correlated to local damage to said condensed matter,

wherein the pressure of the low-pressure gas is substantially equal to the pressure of gas in the ion detector.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the condensed matter is selected from the group consisting of cells, polymers, nanoelectronics and nucleic acid molecules.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining effects of said ionizing radiation on said condensed matter by comparison of the identified ionization clusters to monte carlo simulations of ionizing radiation interactions with said condensed matter.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said effects are selected from a DNA double strand break, a central nervous system effect, and cancer induction.