Light guide layer for a radiographic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10677935-B2
Application number	US-201615396660-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2016
Priority date	Dec 31, 2016
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

An x-ray detector, system and related method are described wherein a light redirection layer is provided and used to redirect light, converted from x-rays by a scintillator, to at least one pixel. The light redirection layer comprises at least one light redirecting cell comprising a channel and a light reflecting region, wherein the channel is arranged relative to the at least one pixel to direct the incoming light away from a non-light sensitive part of the at least one pixel and toward the light sensitive part of the at least one pixel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An x-ray detector comprising:
a scintillator configured to convert x-rays into light; and
a light redirection layer configured to redirect the light from the scintillator to at least one pixel, the light redirection layer comprising at least one light redirecting cell comprising a channel and a light reflecting region, the channel arranged relative to the at least one pixel to direct incoming light away from a non-light sensitive part of the at least one pixel and toward the light sensitive part of the at least one pixel, wherein the light sensitive part and the non-light sensitive part of the at least one pixel directly contact each other along a same horizontal plane and the light reflecting region only covers the non-light sensitive part, and wherein the light reflecting region extends around an entirety of a perimeter of the light sensitive part of the at least one pixel;
wherein the scintillator is separate from the light redirection layer, and an entirety of the scintillator is disposed over the light redirection layer.

2. The x-ray detector of claim 1 , wherein the light reflecting region is adjacent to the channel to define a light reflecting interface tapering toward the at least one pixel.

3. The x-ray detector of claim 1 , wherein the channel comprises a first substance and the light reflecting region comprises a second substance.

4. The x-ray detector of claim 3 , wherein the first substance is a light permissive polymer and the second substance is a light reflecting polymer.

5. The x-ray detector of claim 3 , wherein the first substance is a light permissive polymer and the second substance is a fluid.

6. The x-ray detector of claim 3 , wherein the first substance is a fluid and the second substance is a light reflecting polymer.

7. The x-ray detector of claim 1 , wherein the light reflecting region comprises a first layer disposed on top of a second layer, and the first layer is less reflective than the second layer.

8. A method of redirecting light comprising:
emitting x-rays from an x-ray source;
receiving the x-rays into a scintillator;
converting the x-rays into light;
receiving the light into a light redirection layer, wherein the light redirection layer comprises a light reflecting region; and
redirecting the light in the light redirection layer away from a non-light sensitive part of at least one pixel and toward a light sensitive part of the at least one pixel, wherein the light sensitive part and the non-light sensitive part of the at least one pixel directly contact each other along a same horizontal plane and the light reflecting region only covers the non-light sensitive part, and wherein the light reflecting region extends around an entirety of a perimeter of the light sensitive part of the at least one pixel;
wherein the scintillator is separate from the light redirection layer, and an entirety of the scintillator is disposed over the light redirection layer.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the light redirection layer comprises a channel and the light reflecting region is adjacent to the channel to define a light reflecting interface tapering toward the at least one pixel.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the scintillator receives the x-rays from a first side of the scintillator that is facing the x-ray source, converts the x-rays to light, and emits the light from a second side of the scintillator that is not facing the x-ray source into the light redirection layer.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the scintillator receives x-rays through the light redirection layer into the first side of the scintillator that is facing the x-ray source, converts the x-rays to light, and emits the light from the first side of the scintillator that is facing the x-ray source into the light redirection layer.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the light reflecting region comprises a first layer disposed on top of a second layer, and the first layer is less reflective than the second layer.

13. A x-ray system comprising:
an x-ray source configured to generate x-rays; and
an x-ray receptor or detector comprising:
a scintillator configured to convert x-rays into light; and

a light redirection layer configured to redirect the light from the scintillator to at least one pixel, the light redirection layer comprising at least one light redirecting cell comprising a channel and a light reflecting region, the channel arranged relative to the at least one pixel to direct incoming light away from a non-light sensitive part of the at least one pixel and toward a light sensitive part of the at least one pixel, wherein the light sensitive part and the non-light sensitive part of the at least one pixel directly contact each other along a same horizontal plane and the light reflecting region only covers the non-light sensitive part, and wherein the light reflecting region extends around an entirety of a perimeter of the light sensitive part of the at least one pixel;
wherein the scintillator is separate from the light redirection layer, and an entirety of the scintillator is disposed over the light redirection layer.

14. The x-ray system of claim 13 , wherein the light reflecting region is adjacent to the channel to define a light reflecting interface tapering toward the at least one pixel.

15. The x-ray system of claim 13 , wherein the channel comprises a first substance and the light reflecting region comprises a second substance.

16. The x-ray system of claim 15 , wherein the first substance is a light permissive polymer and the second substance is a light reflecting polymer.

17. The x-ray system of claim 15 , wherein the first substance is a light permissive polymer and the second substance is a fluid.

18. The x-ray system of claim 15 , wherein the first substance is a fluid and the second substance is a light reflecting polymer.

19. The x-ray system of claim 13 , wherein the light reflecting region comprises a first layer disposed on top of a second layer, and the first layer is less reflective than the second layer.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Konkle Nicholas Ryan
• Schaepkens Marc
• Vera German Guillermo
• Jacob Biju

Classifications

• A61B6/4233

  using matrix detectors · CPC title

• G01T1/244

  Auxiliary details, e.g. casings, cooling, damping or insulation against damage by, e.g. heat, pressure or the like · CPC title

• G01T1/2002 Primary

  Optical details, e.g. reflecting or diffusing layers · CPC title

• G01T1/2018

  Scintillation-photodiode combinations · CPC title

• G01T1/2914

  Measurement of spatial distribution of radiation · CPC title