Lanthanum-yttrium oxide scintillators and use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9739897-B2
Application number	US-201414907601-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2014
Priority date	Jul 29, 2013
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

The disclosure relates to lanthanum-yttrium oxide scintillators used for detecting radiation, such as X-rays, gamma rays and thermal neutron radiation and charged particles, in security, medical imaging, particle physics and other applications.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for detecting the presence of a radioactive element or a source of radiation, comprising:
a) receiving radiation from a radiation source, the radiation impinging upon a scintillator having the formula:
A x B 2-x O 3
wherein A is an element chosen from La, Y, Lu or Sc;
B is an element chosen from La, Y, Lu or Sc;
provided that A and B are not the same element;
the index x is greater than 0 and less than 2 (0<x<2);
wherein the impinging radiation causes the scintillator to emit electromagnetic radiation; and

b) measuring the resulting electromagnetic emission.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the radiation impinging upon the scintillator is from an ultraviolet source and the electromagnetic emission is photoluminescence.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the radiation impinging upon the scintillator is from an X-ray source and the electromagnetic emission is X-ray induced luminescence or fluorescence.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the scintillator has the formula La x Y 2-x O 3 .

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the scintillator is chosen from La 0.05 Y 1.95 O 3 , La 0.1 Y 1.9 O 3 ; La 0.2 Y 1.8 O 3 ; La 0.3 Y 1.7 O 3 ; La 0.4 Y 1.6 O 3 ; La 0.5 Y 1.5 O 3 ; and La 0.6 Y 1.4 O 3 .

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the scintillator has the formula La x Sc 2-x O 3 .

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the scintillator is chosen from La 0.05 Sc 1.95 O 3 , La 0.1 Sc 1.9 O 3 ; La 0.2 Sc 1.8 O 3 ; La 0.3 Sc 1.7 O 3 ; La 0.4 Sc 1.6 O 3 ; La 0.5 Sc 1.5 O 3 ; and La 0.6 Sc 1.4 O 3 .

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the scintillator has the formula La x Lu 2-x O 3 .

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the scintillator is chosen from La 0.05 Lu 1.95 O 3 , La 0.1 Lu 1.9 O 3 ; La 0.2 Lu 1.8 O 3 ; La 0.3 Lu 1.7 O 3 ; La 0.4 Lu 1.6 O 3 ; La 0.5 Lu 1.5 O 3 ; and La 0.6 Lu 1.4 O 3 .

10. A method for detecting the presence of a source of radiation, comprising:
a) receiving radiation from an ultraviolet radiation source, the radiation impinging upon a scintillator having the formula:
A x B 2-x O 3
wherein A is chosen from La, Y, Lu or Sc;
B is chosen from La, Y, Lu or Sc;
provided that A and B are not the same element;
the index x is greater than 0 and less than 2 (0<x<2);
wherein the impinging radiation causes photoluminescence; and

b) measuring the resulting photoluminescence.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the scintillator has the formula La x Y 2-x O 3 .

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the scintillator is chosen from La 0.05 Y 1.95 O 3 , La 0.1 Y 1.9 O 3 ; La 0.2 Y 1.8 O 3 ; La 0.3 Y 1.7 O 3 ; La 0.4 Y 1.6 O 3 ; La 0.5 Y 1.5 O 3 ; and La 0.6 Y 1.4 O 3 .

13. A device for detecting the presence of radiation, comprising:
a) a scintillator having the formula:
A x B 2-x O 3
wherein A is chosen from La, Y, Lu or Sc;
B is chosen from La, Y, Lu or Sc;
provided that A and B are not the same element;
the index x is greater than 0 and less than 2 (0<x<2); and

b) a detector for receiving emitted electromagnetic radiation.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the scintillator has the formula La x Y 2-x O 3 .

15. The device according to claim 14 , wherein the scintillator is chosen from La 0.05 Y 1.95 O 3 , La 0.1 Y 1.9 O 3 ; La 0.2 Y 1.8 O 3 ; La 0.3 Y 1.7 O 3 ; La 0.4 Y 1.6 O 3 ; La 0.5 Y 1.5 O 3 ; and La 0.6 Y 1.4 O 3 .

16. A method for detecting the presence of a radiation source, comprising:
a) contacting a scintillator having the formula:
A x B 2-x O 3
wherein A is chosen from La, Y, Lu or Sc;
B is chosen from La, Y, Lu or Sc;
provided that A and B are not the same element;
the index x is greater than 0 and less than 2 (0<x<2) with a suspected source of radiation; and

b) observing whether induced luminescence or X-ray fluorescence florescence occurs.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the scintillator has the formula La x Y 2-x O 3 .

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the scintillator is chosen from La 0.05 Y 1.95 O 3 , La 0.1 Y 1.9 O 3 ; La 0.2 Y 1.8 O 3 ; La 0.3 Y 1.7 O 3 ; La 0.4 Y 1.6 O 3 ; La 0.5 Y 1.5 O 3 ; and La 0.6 Y 1.4 O 3 .

19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the suspected radiation is in a container.

20. The method according to claim 16 , wherein a person has possession of the suspected radiation.

Assignees

• Univ Texas
• Univ Texas

Inventors

• Chen Wei

Classifications

• G01T1/202 Primary

  the detector being a crystal · CPC title

• C09K11/7787

  Oxides (C09K11/7785 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G21K4/00

  Conversion screens for the conversion of the spatial distribution of X-rays or particle radiation into visible images, e.g. fluoroscopic screens (photographic processes using X-ray intensifiers G03C5/17; discharge tubes comprising luminescent screens H01J1/62; cathode ray tubes for X-ray conversion with optical output H01J31/50) · CPC title

• G01T1/2018

  Scintillation-photodiode combinations · CPC title

• G01T1/2023 Primary

  Selection of materials · CPC title