Radiation detector for imaging applications with stabilized light output

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9664799-B2
Application number	US-201414897881-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2014
Priority date	Jun 14, 2013
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

A radiation detector may include a scintillator, a light source, and a sensor. The scintillator may include various scintillation materials capable of converting non-visible radiation (incoming radiation) into visible light. The sensor may be placed in adjacent or in close proximity to the scintillator, such that any converted visible light may be detected or measured by the sensor. The light source may be placed in adjacent or in close proximity to the scintillator, such that light from the light source may interact with defects in the scintillator to minimize interference on the conversion of non-visible radiation into visible light caused by the defects.

First claim

We claim:

1. A radiation detector, comprising:
a scintillator;
a light source;
a sensor, and
a filter, wherein
the scintillator is configured to convert ionizing radiation into visible light, the ionizing radiation originating externally to the radiation detector,
the sensor is configured to detect the visible light from the scintillator,
the light source is configured to expose the scintillator to a light to saturate traps in the scintillator, and
the filter is configured to prevent the light from the light source from reaching the sensor.

2. The radiation detector of claim 1 , wherein the filter is between the light source and the sensor.

3. The radiation detector of claim 1 , wherein the scintillator comprises a Gadolinium Gallium Aluminum garnet-based material.

4. The radiation detector of claim 1 , wherein the light from the light source is one of visible, infrared, ultraviolet, X-ray, and ionizing radiation.

5. The radiation detector of claim 1 , wherein the light from the light source is continuous.

6. The radiation detector of claim 1 , further comprising a second light source, wherein
the second light source is configured to expose the scintillator to a second light to detrap afterglow traps in the scintillator.

Assignees

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

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

• G01T1/2002 Primary

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

• G01T1/2023

  Selection of materials · CPC title

• G01T1/2018

  Scintillation-photodiode combinations · CPC title

• G01T7/005

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