System and method for verifying the integrity of a radiation detector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10794758-B2
Application number	US-201715720519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2017
Priority date	Sep 29, 2017
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

A system for verifying the integrity of a radiation detector is provided. the system includes one or more data modules, one or more data lines, and a controller. The one or more data lines electronically connect one or more detector elements of the radiation detector to the one or more data modules. Each of the detector elements is operative to detect electromagnetic radiation. The controller is operative to induce a voltage in the one or more detector elements, obtain a reading from the one or more detector elements via the one or more data modules; and determine whether the integrity of the radiation detector has been compromised based at least in part on comparing the reading to a benchmark.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for verifying a functional integrity of a radiation detector comprising:
one or more data modules;
one or more data lines that electronically connect one or more detector elements of the radiation detector to the one or more data modules, each of the detector elements operative to detect electromagnetic radiation; and
a controller operative to:
induce a voltage in the one or more detector elements, wherein the induced voltage simulates detection of an optical photon;
obtain a reading from the one or more detector elements via the one or more data modules; and
determine whether the functional integrity of the radiation detector has been compromised based at least in part on comparing the reading to a benchmark.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further operative to:
change a voltage level of the one or more detector elements.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the benchmark corresponds to a threshold beyond a base voltage level of the one or more detector elements.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein a determination by the controller that the functional integrity of the radiation detector has been compromised indicates that a break exists in the one or more data lines.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising: a common line that electronically connects the one or more detector elements to one another; and wherein the controller induces the voltage in the one or more detector elements via the common line.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more detector elements are disposed in a peripheral zone of an encompassing detector array.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more detector elements are simulated detector elements of an encompassing detector array.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more detector elements are arranged into a first set of detector elements and a second set of detector elements, each detector element of the first set electronically connected to a first data module of the one or more data modules via a first set of data lines of the one or more data lines, and each detector element of the second set electronically connected to a second data module of the one or more data modules via a second set of data lines of the one or more data lines; and the reading is obtained from at least one of the first data module and the second data module.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further operative to: generate an indicator that provides notice that the functional integrity of the radiation detector has been compromised.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic rays are at least one of x-rays and gamma rays.

11. A method for verifying a functional integrity of a radiation detector comprising:
inducing a voltage in one or more detector elements of the radiation detector, each of the detector elements operative to detect electromagnetic radiation, wherein the induced voltage simulates detection of an optical photon;
obtaining a reading from the one or more detector elements; and
determining whether the functional integrity of the radiation detector has been compromised based at least in part on comparing the reading to a benchmark.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising: changing a voltage level of the one or more detector elements.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the benchmark corresponds to a threshold beyond a base voltage level of the one or more detector elements.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more detector elements are connected to one or more data modules via one or more data lines under normal operating conditions, and determining whether the functional integrity of the radiation detector has been compromised comprises: determining whether a break exists in the one or more data lines.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein inducing a voltage in one or more detector elements of the radiation detector is based at least in part on a common line that electronically connects the one or more detector elements to one another.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more detector elements are disposed within a peripheral zone of an encompassing detector array.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more detector elements are simulated detector elements of an encompassing detector array.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising: generating an indicator that provides notice that the functional integrity of the radiation detector has been compromised.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising: preventing operation of at least one of the radiation detector and an imaging system that includes the radiation detector.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions configured to adapt a controller to:
induce a voltage in one or more detector elements of a radiation detector, wherein the induced voltage simulates detection of an optical photon;
obtain a reading from the one or more detector elements via one or more data modules electrically connected to the one or more detector elements via one or more data lines; and
determine whether a functional integrity of the radiation detector has been compromised based at least in part on comparing the reading to a benchmark.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Albagli Douglas
• Konkle Nicholas
• Kulak Joseph

Classifications

• G01T1/244 Primary

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

• G01T7/005

  calibration techniques (stabilization of spectrometer G01T1/40) · CPC title

• G01T7/00

  Details of radiation-measuring instruments · CPC title

• G01J1/18 Primary

  using comparison with a reference electric value · CPC title

• G01T1/1612 Primary

  with scintillation detectors (G01T1/20 takes precedence) · CPC title