Radiation detector for imaging applications with stabilized light output

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10996347-B2
Application number	US-201715493449-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2017
Priority date	Jun 14, 2013
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

Example embodiments of a radiation detection system including a detector is described. The detector can include a scintillator, a sensor, and a light source. The radiation detection system can further include a controller programmed to control the light source to expose the scintillator to a light to saturate traps in the scintillator. In some embodiments, the detector can further include a second light source, and the controller is programmed to control the second light source to expose the scintillator to a second light to detrap afterglow traps in the scintillator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a housing;
a scintillator;
a sensor;
a controller;
a first light source;
a second light source; and
a filter;
wherein:
the scintillator, the sensor, the controller, the first light source, and the filter are situated in the housing;
the device is configured to receive an exterior light generated by an exterior light source to reach the scintillator, the exterior light source being outside of the device;
the scintillator is configured to generate a visible light when the scintillator is exposed to the exterior light;
the first light source is situated next to the scintillator, and the first light source is configured to exposes the scintillator to a first light, wherein:
the first light saturates defect centers in the scintillator so that the defect centers are substantially incapable of trapping charge carriers; and
the first light has a wavelength of 345 or 445 nanometer;

the second light source is situated next to the scintillator, and the second light source is configured to exposes the scintillator to a second light, wherein the second light detraps afterglow trap centers to cause an optical bleaching of the scintillator;
the filter is situated between the scintillator and the sensor, wherein the filter is configured to block out the first light;
the controller is configured to control the first light source and the second light source; and
each of the following light sources is different than any other one of the light sources: the first light source, the second light source and the exterior light source.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the scintillator comprises a Gadolinium Gallium Aluminum garnet-based material.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first light from the first light source is one of visible or ultraviolet.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to tune the first light source to emit specific wavelengths of the first light.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to tune the first light source to expose the scintillator continuously with the first light.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to tune the first light source to expose the scintillator continuously with the first light during scintillation detection.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to tune the first light source to expose the scintillator intermittently or periodically with the first light.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to tune the first light source to expose the scintillator with pulses of the first light.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to tune the first light source to expose the scintillator with the first light for a predetermined duration during a calibration phase before performing scintillation detection.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to tune the second light source to emit specific wavelengths of the second light.

Assignees

• Univ Tennessee Res Found
• Siemens Medical Solutions U S A Inc

Inventors

• Melcher Charles L
• Tyagi Mohit
• Koschan Merry
• Cohen Peter Carl
• Schmand Matthias
• Andreaco Mark S
• Eriksson Lars Aldon

Classifications

• G01T1/202 Primary

  the detector being a crystal · CPC title

• G01T7/005

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

• A61B6/58

  Testing, adjusting or calibrating thereof · CPC title

• G01T1/2023

  Selection of materials · CPC title

• G01T1/20

  with scintillation detectors · CPC title