Device for the spatially resolved measurement of photons

• US 10,444,380 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Graf, Alexander, Hauke, Gerald, Hilderscheid, Thomas, Windsheimer, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Valentiner, Jeremy S
• Application Number:
  US15/703,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20180081070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/046 using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/175 Power supply circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/2006 using a combination of a scintillator and photodetector which measures the means radiation intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/20182 Modular detectors, e.g. tiled scintillators or tiled photodiodes stacked detectors G01T1/20181
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/208 Circuits specially adapted for scintillation detectors, e.g. for the photo-multiplier section
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/247 Detector read-out circuitry for processing gain or off-set correction H04N

Abstract

A device is for the spatially resolved measurement of photons, in particular x-ray photons. In an embodiment, the device includes a first plurality of photoelectric converters, a second plurality of current measuring apparatuses and a third plurality of voltage conditioners. Each current measuring apparatus is electrically connected to at least one photoelectric converter; each voltage conditioner is electrically connected to at least one current measuring apparatus; and each photoelectric converter is configured to generate a photocurrent from an incident photon. Each voltage conditioner is connectable to a supply bar, configured to provide a supply voltage. The voltage conditioner is configured to down-convert the supply voltage to an operating voltage of a current measuring apparatus. Each current measuring apparatus is configured to measure a photocurrent under operating voltage when this is generated in a photoelectric converter, electrically connected to the respective current measuring apparatus.

Claims

1. A device for spatially resolved measurement of photons, comprising:

a plurality of photoelectric converters;

a plurality of current measuring apparatuses; and

a plurality of voltage conditioners,

wherein each current measuring apparatus, of the plurality of current measuring apparatuses, is electrically connected to at least one photoelectric converter of the plurality of photoelectric converters,

wherein each voltage conditioner, of the plurality of voltage conditioners, is electrically connected to at least one current measuring apparatus of the plurality of current measuring apparatuses,

wherein each photoelectric converter of the plurality of photoelectric converters is configured to generate a photocurrent from an incident photon,

wherein each voltage conditioner is connectable to a supply bar, configured to provide a supply voltage, and wherein each of the voltage conditioners is configured to down-convert the supply voltage to an operating voltage of one of the plurality of current measuring apparatuses,

wherein each current measuring apparatus is configured to measure a photocurrent under operating voltage, when the photocurrent is generated in respective one of the plurality of photoelectric converters electrically connected to the respective current measuring apparatus, and

wherein a voltage conditioner, of the plurality of voltage conditioners, includes a first step-down converter, configured to pre-convert the supply voltage to a maximum of 0.5 V above the operating voltage of a current measuring apparatus, of the plurality of current measuring apparatuses.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one scintillator, arranged upstream of the plurality of photoelectric converters with respect of a direction which, during operation of the device, corresponds to a direction of incidence of photons to be measured.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of photoelectric converters are provided by photodiodes.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of current measuring apparatuses is provided by a correspondingly configured ASIC.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of voltage conditioners are connectable, in parallel with one another, to the supply bar.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein a voltage conditioner, of the plurality of voltage conditioners, includes a linear regulator, configured to at least one of

down-convert an input voltage to the operating voltage of a current measuring apparatus, of the plurality of current measuring apparatuses and

stabilize the input voltage at the operating voltage of a current measuring apparatus, of the plurality of current measuring apparatuses.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein a voltage conditioner, of the plurality of voltage conditioners, comprises a second step-down converter, configured to down-convert the supply voltage to an auxiliary voltage of the linear regulator.

8. An x-ray detector comprising the device of claim 2.

9. A computed tomograph including at least one x-ray detector as claimed in claim 8.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of photoelectric converters are provided by photodiodes.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of current measuring apparatuses is provided by a correspondingly configured ASIC.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of voltage conditioners are connectable, in parallel with one another, to the supply bar.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein a voltage conditioner, of the plurality of voltage conditioners, includes a linear regulator, configured to at least one of

down-convert an input voltage to the operating voltage of a current measuring apparatus, of the plurality of current measuring apparatuses and

stabilize the input voltage at the operating voltage of a current measuring apparatus, of the plurality of current measuring apparatuses.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein a voltage conditioner, of the plurality of voltage conditioners, comprises a second step-down converter, configured to down-convert the supply voltage to an auxiliary voltage of the linear regulator.

15. An x-ray detector comprising the device of claim 1.

16. A computed tomograph including at least one x-ray detector as claimed in claim 15.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is for spatially resolved measurement of x-ray photons.