Method and apparatus for creating coherent bundle of scintillating fibers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10399887-B2
Application number	US-201816024086-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2018
Priority date	Mar 6, 2014
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

A method and apparatus to manufacture a coherent bundle of scintillating fibers is disclosed. A method includes providing a collimated bundle having a glass preform with capillaries therethrough known in the industry as a glass capillary array, and infusing the glass capillary array with a scintillating polymer or a polymer matrix containing scintillating nanoparticles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing a collimated bundle having a glass preform with a plurality of capillaries therethrough known in the industry as a glass capillary array; and
infusing the glass capillary array with a scintillating polymer or a polymer matrix containing scintillating nanoparticles;
placing the collimated bundle in a pressure vessel;
applying pressure to the high refractive index scintillating polymer or polymer matrix;
driving it into the capillaries; and
applying a back pressure to the collimated bundle, the back pressure reducing the risk of failure of the collimated bundle, wherein the back pressure is applied by a high pressure gas.

2. A method comprising:
providing a collimated bundle having a glass preform with a plurality of capillaries therethrough known in the industry as a glass capillary array; and
infusing the glass capillary array with a scintillating polymer or a polymer matrix containing scintillating nanoparticles;
wherein a cladding glass is optically absorbing to the emitted photons of the scintillating material;
wherein there is a low refractive, transparent interfacial layer between a core and a cladding, with the interfacial layer being less than 1 micron in thickness, this interfacial layer being polymer, glass or transparent oxide.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the low index interfacial layer is a low refractive index transparent polymer.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the interfacial layer is a low index glass that is formed in conjunction with the glass capillary array.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the interfacial layer is a low index reflective metal coating.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the interfacial layer is a low index oxide formed by vapor phase deposition, including atomic layer deposition (ALD).

7. A method comprising:
providing a collimated bundle having a glass preform with a plurality of capillaries therethrough known in the industry as a glass capillary array; and
infusing the glass capillary array with a scintillating polymer or a polymer matrix containing scintillating nanoparticles;
wherein there is a reflective coating on the surface of the scintillating collimated bundle that is facing the incoming X-rays that reflect emitted photons back towards the photodetector.

Assignees

• Univ Brown

Inventors

• Morse Theodore F
• Gupta Rajiv
• Cramer Avilash
• Bull Christopher
• Waltz Paul
• Kingon Angus

Classifications

• G02B6/00

  Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings · CPC title

• G02B6/08

  with fibre bundle in form of plate · CPC title

• B29K2077/00

  Use of {PA, i.e.} polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material · CPC title

• C03B37/01262 Primary

  Depositing additional preform material as liquids or solutions, e.g. solution doping of preform tubes or rods · CPC title

• B29C2043/5808

  pressure or compressing force · CPC title