Method for fabricating pixelated scintillators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12092774-B2
Application number	US-202117480220-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2021
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

In a method of making pixelated scintillators, an amorphous scintillator material in a molten state is pressed into a plurality of cavities defined by a plurality of walls of a mesh array. The molten scintillator material in the plurality of cavities is cooled to form a pixelated scintillator array. An x-ray imager including a pixelated scintillator is also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pixelated scintillator layer, comprising:
a first pixelated scintillator array including a plurality of scintillator pixels arranged substantially in parallel in a first direction; and
a second pixelated scintillator array including a plurality of scintillator pixels arranged substantially in parallel in a second direction, the second direction being different from the first direction; wherein
a top surface of the second pixelated scintillator array is unparallel with a bottom surface of the second pixelated scintillator array,
a side of the second pixelated scintillator array is parallel to a side of the first pixelated scintillator array, and
the first pixelated scintillator array and the second pixelated scintillator array are arranged such that the first direction and the second direction focus substantially at a source.

2. The pixelated scintillator layer of claim 1 , wherein
the first pixelated scintillator array has a top surface proximal to the source and a bottom surface opposite to the top surface, the top surface and the bottom surface of the first pixelated scintillator array being substantially parallel; and
the top surface of the second pixelated scintillator array proximal to the source.

3. The pixelated scintillator layer of claim 2 , wherein the top surface of the second pixelated scintillator array is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.

4. The pixelated scintillator layer of claim 3 , wherein the second pixelated scintillator array comprises a plurality of pixelated scintillator arrays generally symmetrically arranged with respect to the first pixelated scintillator array.

5. The pixelated scintillator layer of claim 4 , further comprising:
a plurality of reflective layers each being sandwiched between adjacent scintillator pixels of the first pixelated scintillator array and the second pixelated scintillator array.

6. The pixelated scintillator layer of claim 1 , wherein the second pixelated scintillator array comprises a plurality of pixelated scintillator arrays, the plurality of pixelated scintillator arrays of the second pixelated scintillator array and the first pixelated scintillator array collectively forming a generally concave profile facing the source.

7. The pixelated scintillator layer of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of scintillator pixels of the first pixelated scintillator array and the second pixelated scintillator array comprise an amorphous scintillator material.

8. The pixelated scintillator layer of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of scintillator pixels of the first pixelated scintillator array and the second pixelated scintillator array comprise a crystalline scintillator material.

9. The pixelated scintillator layer of claim 1 , wherein the second pixelated scintillator array comprises a plurality of pixelated scintillator arrays generally symmetrically arranged with respect to the first pixelated scintillator array.

10. The pixelated scintillator layer of claim 9 , further comprising
a plurality of reflective layers each being sandwiched between adjacent scintillator pixels of the first pixelated scintillator array and the second pixelated scintillator array.

11. The pixelated scintillator layer of claim 1 , wherein the second pixelated scintillator array is formed by
making a first cut along a first plane adjacent to the bottom surface of the second pixelated scintillator array such that the top surface of the second pixelated scintillator array is unparallel with the bottom surface, and
making a second cut along the side of the second pixelated scintillator array such that the side is parallel to the side of the first pixelated scintillator array.

Assignees

• Varian Med Sys Inc
• Collimated Holes Inc

Inventors

• Shedlock Daniel
• Star-Lack Josh
• Mead Richard

Classifications

• G01T1/202

  the detector being a crystal · CPC title

• B29C65/48

  using adhesives {, i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding} · CPC title

• G01T1/20183

  Arrangements for preventing or correcting crosstalk, e.g. optical or electrical arrangements for correcting crosstalk · CPC title

• G01T1/20187

  Position of the scintillator with respect to the photodiode, e.g. photodiode surrounding the crystal, the crystal surrounding the photodiode, shape or size of the scintillator · CPC title

• G01T1/20

  with scintillation detectors · CPC title