Scintillating glass ceramics for use in flat panel x-ray detectors, flat panel x-ray detectors and imaging systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12270958-B2
Application number	US-202117790087-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2021
Priority date	Jan 24, 2020
Publication date	Apr 8, 2025
Grant date	Apr 8, 2025

Abstract

Scintillating glass ceramics are disclosed. The scintillating glass ceramics may be used as an x-ray conversion layer (screen) for a flat panel imager (FPD) and as part of an imaging system. The FPD may have a single screen or a dual screen. The scintillating glass ceramics may be used for either a front screen or a back screen. The scintillating glass ceramics may be used for high energy x-ray applications including for energies of about 0.3 to about 20 MeV. A build-up layer may be attached to the scintillating glass ceramics for high energy applications. The scintillating glass ceramics may include a glass matrix hosting luminescent centers and light scattering centers. The materials used for the luminescent centers and light scattering centers may be the same or different. The scintillating glass ceramics may be coated onto a glass substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A structure comprising:
a photosensor array; and
a screen comprising a scintillating glass ceramic, the scintillating glass ceramic comprising a glass matrix hosting luminescent centers and light scattering centers, the scintillating glass ceramic configured to convert incident x-ray radiation into light photons, where a surface of the scintillating glass ceramic faces the photosensor array, wherein the photosensor array is operable to capture at least a portion of the light photons from the screen and convert the captured light photons into electrical signals.

2. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the scintillating glass ceramic is a substrate for the photosensor array.

3. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the scintillating glass ceramic is configured to convert incident x-ray radiation incident on a surface of the scintillating glass ceramic opposite the surface facing the photosensor array.

4. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the light scattering centers or the luminescent centers or both the light scattering centers and the luminescent centers include crystals, the light scattering centers and the luminescent centers have different compositions.

5. The structure of claim 4 , wherein the crystals of the luminescent centers are doped with an activator.

6. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the luminescent centers include one or more materials selected from a group consisting of ions from the first and second row of transition metals, rare earth metals, actinides and ns 2 type activators.

7. The structure of claim 6 , wherein the luminescent centers are Th 3+ and the scintillating glass ceramic comprises Tb 2 O 3 .

8. The structure of claim 7 , wherein a mole percentage of the Tb 2 O 3 is about 6%.

9. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the crystals are halide crystals.

10. The structure of claim 5 , wherein the scintillating glass ceramic further comprises sensitizers configured to absorb the incident x-ray radiation and transfer energy to the activator.

11. The structure of claim 10 , wherein the sensitizers are one or more materials selected from a group consisting of ns 2 type and lanthanide ions.

12. The structure of claim 11 , wherein the ions are Gd 3+ and/or Ce 3+ .

13. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the glass matrix is an oxyhalide matrix.

14. The structure of claim 1 , further comprising a build-up layer positioned on a surface of the scintillating glass ceramic opposite the surface facing the photosensor array.

15. The structure of claim 14 , wherein the build-up layer comprises a material selected from a group consisting of copper, brass, lead and leaded glass.

16. An imaging system comprising:
a processor configured to be in communication with the structure according to claim 1 , wherein the photosensor array is configured to produce an image having a plurality of pixels,
wherein the processor is configured to:
receive the electrical signals from the structure; and
produce the image having the plurality of pixels using the electrical signals.

17. A structure comprising:
a first scintillating screen that converts an absorbed portion of incident radiation directed at the structure into light photons;

a photosensor array; and
a second scintillating screen comprising a scintillating glass ceramic, the photosensor array being between the first scintillating screen and the second scintillating screen,
the scintillating glass ceramic comprising a glass matrix hosting luminescent centers and light scattering centers, the scintillating glass ceramic is configured to convert at least a portion of the incident radiation transmitted through the first scintillating screen and the photosensor array into light photons,
wherein the photosensor array is operable to capture at least a portion of the light photons from the first scintillating screen and the second scintillating screen and convert the captured light photons into electrical signals.

18. The structure of claim 17 , wherein the second scintillating screen further comprises a backing, the backing contacting another surface of the scintillating glass ceramic, the another surface being opposite of a surface facing the photosensor array, and the backing is absorptive or reflective to the light photons.

19. The structure of claim 17 , wherein the scintillating glass ceramic is a substrate for the photosensor array.

20. The structure of claim 17 , wherein the light scattering centers or the luminescent centers or both the light scatting centers and the luminescent centers include crystals, wherein the light scattering centers and the luminescent centers have different compositions.

21. The structure of claim 20 , wherein the crystals are doped with an activator.

22. The structure of claim 17 , wherein the luminescent centers include one or more materials selected from a group consisting of ions from first and second row of transition metals, rare earth metals, actinides and ns 2 type activators.

23. The structure of claim 22 , wherein the luminescent centers are Th 3+ and the scintillating glass ceramic comprises Tb 2 O 3 .

24. The structure of claim 23 , wherein a mole percentage of the Tb 2 O 3 is about 6%.

25. The structure of claim 21 , wherein the scintillating glass ceramic further comprises sensitizers configured to absorb the incident radiation and transfer energy to the activator.

26. The structure of claim 25 , wherein the sensitizers is are one or more materials selected from a group consisting of ns 2 type and lanthanide ions.

27. The structure of claim 17 , wherein the scintillating glass ceramic is greater than about 0.5 mm thick.

28. An imaging system comprising:
a processor configured to be in communication with the structure according to claim 17 , wherein the photosensor array is configured to produce an image having a plurality of pixels,
wherein the processor is configured to:
receive the electrical signals from the structure; and
produce the image having the plurality of pixels using the electrical signals.

29. A scintillating glass ceramic for x-ray conversion comprising:
a glass matrix hosting luminescent centers, light scattering centers, and one or more high-Z elements.

30. The scintillating glass ceramic for x-ray conversion according to claim 29 , wherein the light scattering centers have a size greater than about 10 nm.

31. The scintillating glass ceramic for x-ray conversion according to claim 29 , wherein a concentration of light scattering centers in the glass matrix is such that a scattering length is greater than about 1 μm.

32. The scintillating glass ceramic for x-ray conversion according to claim 29 , wherein the ceramic has a density greater than about 3.0 g cm 31 3 .

33. The scintillating glass ceramic for x-ray conversion according to claim 29 , wherein photon emissions are in a wavelength range from about 375 nm to about 650 nm.

34. The scintillating glass ceramic for x-ray conversion according to claim 29 , wherein the one or more high-Z elements are sensitizers.

35. The scintillating glass ceramic for x-ray conversion according to claim 34 , wherein the sensitizers are one or more materials selected from a group consisting of ns 2 type and lanthanide ions.

Assignees

• Univ New York State Res Found
• Univ Tennessee Res Found
• Georgia Tech Res Inst

Inventors

• Lubinsky Anthony R
• Howansky Adrian
• Johnson Jacqueline
• Beckert Meredith Brooke
• Bond Charles
• Leonard Russell Lee

Classifications

• G01T1/2002

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

• C09K11/7733 Primary

  with alkali or alkaline earth metals · CPC title

• G01T1/20186

  Position of the photodiode with respect to the incoming radiation, e.g. in the front of, below or sideways the scintillator · CPC title

• G01T1/20181

  Stacked detectors, e.g. for measuring energy and positional information (using a combination of different types of scintillation detectors, e.g. phoswich detectors, G01T1/2008) · CPC title

• G01T1/20188 Primary

  Auxiliary details, e.g. casings or cooling · CPC title