Reducing drift effects of scintillator detectors by light irradiation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017010366-A1
Application number	US-201615194665-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 28, 2016
Priority date	Jul 9, 2015
Publication date	Jan 12, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A detector is disclosed for detecting X-ray and/or gamma radiation, including a scintillator element for converting the X-ray and/or gamma radiation into light. The scintillator element has at least one side surface, an upper side and a lower side, a first photodiode on the lower side of the scintillator element. The detector further includes an electronic evaluation device, a light source designed to illuminate the scintillator element, and a light-impermeable housing which surrounds the scintillator element, the first photodiode, the electronic evaluation device and the light source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A detector for detecting at least one of X-ray and gamma radiation, comprising:
a scintillator element to convert the at least one of X-ray and gamma radiation into light, wherein the scintillator element includes at least one side surface, an upper side and a lower side; a first photodiode on the lower side of the scintillator element; an electronic evaluation device; a light source, designed to illuminate the scintillator element; and a light-impermeable housing, to house the scintillator element, the first photodiode, the electronic evaluation device and the light source.

2 . The detector of claim 1 , wherein the light source is designed to emit photons from the light source including a wavelength less than an excitation wavelength of the scintillator element.

3 . The detector of claim 1 , wherein the light source is designed to emit photons including a wavelength detectable by the first photodiode.

4 . The detector of claim 1 , further comprising an optical element for uniform illumination of at least one section of the scintillator element.

5 . The detector of claim 1 , further comprising a filter between the scintillator element and the first photodiode, the filter being impermeable for the wavelength of the light source.

6 . The detector of claim 1 , wherein the light source is arranged such that the upper side or the lower side of the scintillator element is illuminatable.

7 . The detector of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one side surface and the upper side of the scintillator element is at least partially covered by a reflector material.

8 . The detector of claim 1 , wherein the light source is integrated in the electronic evaluation device.

9 . The detector of claim 1 , further comprising a second photodiode, wherein the second photodiode is illuminatable by the light source.

10 . The detector of claim 1 , further comprising a controller to control the light source to emit a defined quantity of light.

11 . The detector of claim 1 , wherein the first photodiode is connected to an evaluation device.

12 . A method for determining a state of a scintillator element of a detector, comprising:
illuminating the scintillator element with a defined quantity of light; and determining a state of the scintillator element.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the determining includes establishing a state by illumination by way of the defined quantity of light.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the determining includes ascertaining the state by way of the quantity of light.

15 . A medical device comprising the detector of claim 1 .

16 . The medical device of claim 15 , wherein the medical device is a computer tomograph.

17 . The detector of claim 2 , wherein the light source is designed to emit photons including a wavelength detectable by the first photodiode.

18 . The detector of claim 2 , further comprising an optical element for uniform illumination of at least one section of the scintillator element.

19 . The detector of claim 3 , further comprising an optical element for uniform illumination of at least one section of the scintillator element.

20 . The detector of claim 4 , further comprising a filter between the scintillator element and the first photodiode, the filter being impermeable for the wavelength of the light source.

21 . The detector of claim 2 , wherein the light source is integrated in the electronic evaluation device.

22 . The detector of claim 2 , further comprising a second photodiode, wherein the second photodiode is illuminatable by the light source.

23 . The detector of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first photodiode and the second photodiode is connected to an evaluation device.

24 . A medical device comprising the detector of claim 2 .

25 . The medical device of claim 24 , wherein the medical device is a computer tomograph.

26 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the determining includes ascertaining the state by way of the quantity of light.

Assignees

• Siemens Healthcare Gmbh

Inventors

• Schroeter Christian

Classifications

• G01T1/208 Primary

  Circuits specially adapted for scintillation detectors, e.g. for the photo-multiplier section · CPC title

• A61B6/585

  Calibration of detector units · CPC title

• G01T1/2018

  Scintillation-photodiode combinations · CPC title

• G01N21/59

  Transmissivity (G01N21/25 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N21/31

  Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry {(G01N21/72 takes precedence)} · CPC title