Imaging device with gated integrator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11531011-B1
Application number	US-202017026587-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 21, 2020
Priority date	Feb 5, 2020
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

The present invention relates to an imaging device that includes a gating element which receives incident photons and releases pulsed electrons; a single microchannel-plate (MCP) which receives the pulsed electrons and amplifies the pulsed electrons as an amplified pulsed electron flux; a collection element which receives the amplified pulsed electron flux; a high-pass filter; and a gated integrator; wherein the high-pass filter element receives the amplified pulsed electron flux from the collection element and alternate current (AC) couples the amplified pulsed electron flux as a charge pulse to the gated integrator; and wherein the gating element and the gated integrator are time-synchronized to allow charge-integration only while the AC-coupled charge pulse is unipolar. A feedback loop can provide an auto-gating function. The imaging device can be used in night vision goggles or a mass spectrometer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging device, the imaging device comprising:
a gating element which receives incident photons and releases pulsed electrons;
a single microchannel-plate (MCP) which receives said pulsed electrons and amplifies said pulsed electrons as an amplified pulsed electron flux;
a collection element which receives said amplified pulsed electron flux;
a high-pass filter element; and
a gated integrator,
wherein said high-pass filter receives said amplified pulsed electron flux from said collection element and alternate current (AC) couples said amplified pulsed electron flux as a charge pulse to said gated integrator; and
wherein said gating element and said gated integrator are time-synchronized to allow charge-integration only while said AC-coupled charge pulse is unipolar.

2. The imaging device of claim 1 , the imaging device further comprising:
a feedback loop disposed between said gated integrator and said gating element, said feedback loop which provides an auto-gating function.

3. The imaging device of claim 2 , wherein the imaging device is night vision goggles.

4. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the imaging device is a mass spectrometer, and wherein said gating element is an electrostatic lens and serves to modulate particle flux from incident flux.

Assignees

• Nasa

Inventors

• Gershman Daniel J
• Avanov Levon
• Tucker Corey J

Classifications

• H01J31/507 Primary

  using a large number of channels, e.g. microchannel plates · CPC title

• H01J43/246

  Microchannel plates [MCP] (image amplification tubes using MCP H01J31/507) · CPC title

• H01J37/22

  Optical {, image processing} or photographic arrangements associated with the tube · CPC title

• G01N30/72 Primary

  Mass spectrometers {(mass spectrometers per se H01J49/00)} · CPC title

• H01J49/28

  Static spectrometers · CPC title