Flexible radiation probe
First Claim
1. A flexible radiation probe comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate with a pair of insulated gate field effect transistors integrated into said semiconductor substrate, each having a gate, source and drain; and
an elongated flexible member having;
a first end for supporting said semiconductor substrate,a second end remote to said first end, said second end being provided with connecting means for electrical connection to external circuitry, andconductor means provided in said flexible member for connecting said gate, source and drains of each of said transistors to said connecting means.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This invention describes a flexible radiation probe which has a pair of insulated gate field effect transistors integrated into the same substrate each having a gate, source and drain. The transistors are mounted at the end of a flexible circuit board. The flexible circuit board has conductive tracks which connect the gate, source and drains of each of the transistors to a connection at an opposite end of the flexible circuit board. This connection end may then be connected to a suitable differential biasing circuit for biasing the transistors, and a circuit for reading the differential threshold voltages of the transistors. This differential threshold voltage being indicative of radiation received by the transistors when exposed in the bias mode. The flexible circuit allows the probe to be used in catheters or similar medical equipment.
82 Citations
37 Claims
-
1. A flexible radiation probe comprising:
-
a semiconductor substrate with a pair of insulated gate field effect transistors integrated into said semiconductor substrate, each having a gate, source and drain; and an elongated flexible member having; a first end for supporting said semiconductor substrate, a second end remote to said first end, said second end being provided with connecting means for electrical connection to external circuitry, and conductor means provided in said flexible member for connecting said gate, source and drains of each of said transistors to said connecting means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 28, 33, 34, 35, 36)
-
-
19. A radiation dosimeter comprising:
-
a flexible member having a plurality of electrical connection tracks extending between first and second ends thereof; a semiconductor radiation sensor supported on said first end of said flexible member, said sensor having a pair of insulated gate field effect transistors integrated into a semiconductor substrate each having a gate, source and drain, and said electrical connection tracks for connecting to a respective one of said source, drain and gate; and terminal means at said second end for receiving a differentially biasing signal so that one of said transistors is more sensitive to ionizing radiation than the other of said transistors during exposure of said transistors to radiation. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. A radiation dosimeter comprising:
-
flexible means having a plurality of electrical connection tracks extending between first and second ends thereof; a radiation sensor supported on said first end of said flexible means, said sensor having a pair of insulated gate field effect transistors integrated into a semiconductor substrate each having a gate, source and drain, said electrical connection tracks connecting said source, drain and gate to said second end; and terminal means at said second end for periodically receiving a biasing signal and for transmitting a reading signal indicative of the differential threshold voltage between said transistors.
-
-
27. A method for monitoring of radiation applied to a patient'"'"'s body comprising the steps of:
-
(a) inserting into the patient'"'"'s body a flexible radiation probe having a flexible member including a plurality of electrical connection tracks extending between first and second ends thereof and a radiation sensor supported at a first end of said flexible member, said sensor having a pair of insulated gate field effect transistors integrated into a semiconductor substrate each having a gate, source and drain, said electrical connection tracks connecting said source, drain and gate to said second end; (b) irradiating the body and differentially biasing said transistors by a bias source connected at said second end of said flexible member through said connection tracks; (c) disconnecting said bias source from said second end of said flexible member after a predetermined time period; and (d) reading out the differential threshold voltage between said transistors with a read out means connected at said second end of said flexible member through said connection tracks. - View Dependent Claims (31)
-
-
29. A method for monitoring of radiation applied to a body comprising the steps of:
-
(a) inserting into the body a flexible radiation probe having a flexible member including a plurality of electrical connection tracks extending between first and second ends thereof and a radiation sensor supported at a first end of said flexible member, said sensor having a pair of insulated gate field effect transistors integrated into a semiconductor substrate each having a gate, source and drain, said electrical connection tracks connecting said source, drain and gate to said second end; (b) periodically biasing said transistors differentially and reading out the differential threshold voltage between said transistor through said flexible member. - View Dependent Claims (30)
-
-
32. A method for monitoring of radiation applied to an extremity of a body comprising the steps of:
-
(a) providing a flexible radiation probe having a flexible member including a plurality of electrical connection tracks extending between first and second ends thereof and a radiation sensor supported at a first end of said flexible member, said sensor having a pair of insulated gate field effect transistors integrated into the same substrate each having a gate, source and drain, said electrical connection tracks connecting said source, drain and gate to said second end; (b) attaching said first end with said sensor, to said extremity by way of a fixing tab; (c) connecting said second end to a means for differentially biasing said transistors; and (d) reading out the differential threshold voltage between said transistors by a reader means, said differential threshold voltage being indicative of a radiation dose received at said extremity. - View Dependent Claims (37)
-
Specification