Radiation detection apparatus and method, data processing method and processor

• US 10,338,236 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2017
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuctech Company Limited (Tsinghua Tongfang Co., Ltd.), Tsinghua University
• Original Assignee: Nuctech Company Limited (Tsinghua Tongfang Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Li, Yuanjing, Zhao, Ziran, Li, Jianmin, Li, Yulan, Zhu, Weibin, Zou, Xiang, Zhang, Qingjun, Zong, Chunguang, Zhao, Xiaolin, Li, Shuwei, Wang, Junxiao
• Primary Examiner(s): Green, Yara B
• Application Number:
  US15/719,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20180164449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/17 Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular type of detector pulse-selection circuits H03K, G01R
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/248 Silicon photomultipliers [SiPM], e.g. an avalanche photodiode [APD] array on a common Si substrate

Abstract

This disclosure provides a radiation detection apparatus and a method, a data processing method and a processor, which relates to the field of radiation detection technology. Wherein, the radiation detection apparatus of this disclosure comprises: a radiation detector which generates an electrical signal by interacting with X-rays; an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) which is coupled to the radiation detector and transmits the electrical signal to a waveform data; and a data processor which receives the waveform data from the ADC, determines the number of single photon signals according to the waveform data, and determines whether an integral signal and/or a count signal of the waveform data will be used for imaging according to the number of the single photon signals.

Claims

1. A radiation detection apparatus, comprising:

a radiation detector which generates an electrical signal by interacting with X-rays;

an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) which is coupled to the radiation detector and converts the electrical signal to a waveform data;

a data processor which determines the number of single photon signals according to the waveform data from the ADC, and determines whether an integral signal and/or a count signal of the waveform data will be used for imaging according to the number of the single photon signals, comprising;

using the integral signal of the waveform data as an imaging signal to perform imaging if the number of the single photon signals is less than a predetermined lower threshold, and using the count signal of the waveform data as an imaging signal to perform imaging if the number of the single photon signals is greater than a predetermined upper threshold; and

an imaging apparatus which;

performs imaging according to the integral signal of the waveform data when the number of the single photon signals is less than the

predetermined lower threshold; and

performs imaging according to the count signal of the waveform data when the number of the single photon signals is greater than the

predetermined upper threshold.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data processor is further configured to determine whether an integral signal and/or a count signal of the waveform data will be used for imaging according to the number of the single photon signals by:

comparing the number of the single photon signals with the predetermined lower threshold and the predetermined upper threshold;

using a weighted value of the count signal and the integral signal as an imaging signal to perform imaging if the number of the single photon signals is between the predetermined lower threshold and the predetermined upper threshold.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the data processor comprises a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data processor is further configured to determine the number of the single photon signals by acquiring single photon signal recognition parameters according to the waveform data, wherein the single photon signal recognition parameters includes peak amplitude, the number of peaks and/or integral area size.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the data processor is further configured to sum pulse waveform data signals which amplitudes exceed a predetermined amplitude threshold to obtain the integral signal of the waveform data;

and/or

the data processor is further configured to recognize peaks with respect to the pulse waveform data signals which amplitudes exceed a predetermined amplitude threshold to determine the number of the peaks and amplitude of each peak, so as to obtain the count signal of the waveform data.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an amplifier which amplifies electrical signals from the radiation detector and sends the amplified signals to the ADC;

and/or,

a temperature compensator which adjusts a working bias voltage of the radiation detector according to a temperature change of the radiation detector.

7. A radiation detection method, comprising:

generating an electrical signal by interacting with X-rays;

converting the electrical signal to a waveform data;

determining the number of single photon signals according to the waveform data;

determining whether an integral signal and/or a count signal of the waveform data will be used for imaging according to the number of the single photon signals, comprising;

using the integral signal of the waveform data as an imaging signal to perform imaging if the number of the single photon signals is less than a predetermined lower threshold, and using the count signal of the waveform data as an imaging signal to perform imaging if the number of the single photon signals is greater than a predetermined upper threshold;

performing imaging according to the integral signal of the waveform data when the number of the single photon signals is less than the predetermined lower threshold; and

perform imaging according to the count signal of the waveform data when the number of the single photon signals is greater than the predetermined upper threshold.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein,

it is determined whether an integral signal and/or a count signal of the waveform data will be used for imaging according to the number of the single photon signals by:

comparing the number of the single photon signals with the predetermined lower threshold and the predetermined upper threshold;

using a weighted value of the count signal and the integral signal as an imaging signal to perform imaging if the number of the single photon signals is between the predetermined lower threshold and the predetermined upper threshold.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein,

the number of single photon signals is determined by acquiring single photon signal recognition parameters according to the waveform data, wherein the single photon signal recognition parameters including peak amplitude, the number of peaks and/or integral area size.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

summing pulse waveform data signals which amplitudes exceed a predetermined amplitude threshold to obtain the integral signal of the waveform data; and

/or

recognizing peaks with respect to the pulse waveform data signals which amplitudes exceed a predetermined amplitude threshold to determine the number of peaks and amplitude of each peak, so as to obtain the count signal of the waveform data.

11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

amplifying electrical signals from the radiation detector and sending the amplified signals to the ADC; and

/or

adjusting a working bias voltage of the radiation detector according to a temperature change of the radiation detector.

12. A radiation detection data processing method, comprising:

determining the number of single photon signals according to a waveform data;

determining whether an integral signal and/or a count signal of the waveform data will be used for imaging according to the number of the single photon signals, comprising;

using the integral signal of the waveform data as an imaging signal to perform imaging if the number of the single photon signals is less than a predetermined lower threshold, and using the count signal of the waveform data as an imaging signal to perform imaging if the number of the single photon signals is greater than a predetermined upper threshold; and

performing imaging according to the integral signal of the waveform data when the number of the single photon signals is less than the predetermined lower threshold; and

perform imaging according to the count signal of the waveform data when the number of the single photon signals is greater than the predetermined upper threshold.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein it is determined whether an integral signal and/or a count signal of the waveform data will be used for imaging according to the number of the single photon signals by:

comparing the number of the single photon signals with the predetermined lower threshold and the predetermined upper threshold;

using a weighted value of the count signal and the integral signal as an imaging signal to perform imaging if the number of the single photon signals is between the predetermined lower threshold and the predetermined upper threshold.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the number of the single photon signals is determined by acquiring single photon signal recognition parameters according to the waveform data, wherein the single photon signal recognition parameters including peak amplitude, the number of peaks and/or integral area size.