A scintillation crystal array, detector, medical imaging device and manufacturing method

Abstract

The present application discloses a scintillation crystal array, a detector, a medical imaging device and a manufacturing method, which relate to the field of radiation detection technology and solve the problem of PET image distortion caused by the use of an ESR reflective layer in the scintillation crystal array in the prior art. The scintillation crystal array includes a plurality of scintillation crystal units, a gap is provided between two adjacent scintillation crystal units, a first reflective layer is provided in part of the gaps of the scintillation crystal array, and a second reflective layer is provided in part of the gaps; wherein the first reflective layer is a reflective layer made of a thin film material, and the second reflective layer is a reflective layer made of a material without a definite shape. The present application can effectively avoid the problem of light leakage or crosstalk of the scintillation crystal array while exerting the high reflective effect of the thin film material, thereby improving the light collection efficiency, preventing PET image distortion, and improving the detector performance and PET imaging quality by mixing and filling two reflective layers in the gaps between the scintillation crystal units.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to a utility model patent with an application date of March 25, 2022, application number 202220678767.X, and invention name “A scintillation crystal array, detector and medical imaging equipment”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of radiation detection technology, and in particular to a scintillation crystal array, a detector, a medical imaging device and a manufacturing method thereof. Background Art

[0003] The medical imaging device PET (Positron Emission Computed Tomography) is a new imaging technology that can display the metabolism of biological molecules, receptors and neurotransmitter activities in living bodies. It is now widely used in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of various diseases, disease assessment, efficacy evaluation, organ function research and new drug development.

[0004] During PET imaging, radioactive drugs labeled with nuclides are injected into the body. The radioactive drugs accumulate in diseased tissues or organs, and the radioactive nuclides they carry decay and emit positrons. The positrons annihilate with the negative electrons in the body to emit a pair of gamma photons in almost opposite directions. After the two gamma photons are emitted from the subject's body, they are captured by the scintillation crystals of the ring detector, emitting scintillation light. The photoelectric sensor collects the scintillation light and converts it into a readable electrical signal. The electrical signal can be used to obtain the position and energy information of the gamma photons, and then obtain a tomographic distribution map of the positron nuclides in the body.

[0005] Scintillating crystals are crystals that can convert the kinetic energy of high-energy particles into light energy and emit flashes when hit by high-energy particles. Scintillating crystals can be used to detect x-rays, gamma rays, neutrons and other high-energy particles. The detection and imaging technology based on scintillating crystals has been widely used in nuclear medicine, high-energy physics, safety inspection, industrial non-destructive testing, space physics and nuclear prospecting.

[0006] In PET, scintillation crystals are generally stacked into scintillation crystal arrays to collect position information. Scintillation crystal arrays are multi-unit structures composed of several scintillation crystal units arranged in a linear or planar array. Linear arrangements are called one-dimensional array scintillators, and planar arrangements are called two-dimensional scintillation crystal arrays. These array blocks are installed in PET scanners to form detector rings of different sizes, which are the core components for radiation detection.

[0007] As an extension of PET, small animal PET has the advantages of high sensitivity, low cost, functional imaging, and quantitative measurement. At present, small animal PET has been widely used in gene expression, brain function imaging, brain tumor proliferation, and early clinical diagnosis of new drugs. Its emergence provides a new method for "living" small animal experiments. Since the weight of small animals is about 3 orders of magnitude lower than that of humans (usually compared with 70 kg for adults and 30 g for mice), the photoelectric detection module used in human PET is affected by sensitivity and resolution and cannot meet the imaging index requirements of small animals. Therefore, small animal PET has higher performance requirements in terms of spatial resolution and sensitivity, which in turn puts higher requirements on the core component of the detection module, the scintillation crystal array. Ultra-small scintillation crystal arrays are required in small animal PET, such as 16*16 channel scintillation crystal arrays with a single pixel size of only 0.25*0.25mm. In this case, the scintillation crystal array is required to have ultra-high precision light collection efficiency, otherwise it will not be enough to support ultra-precision small animal PET imaging. The reflective layer in the scintillation crystal array is crucial to the light collection efficiency, so efforts need to be made to select the best reflective layer so that the scintillation crystal array meets the requirements.

[0008] Fig.11 and Fig.12 It is a typical scintillation crystal array product in this technical field. Fig.11 The intervals between the scintillation crystal units 40 of the scintillation crystal array 400 are all made of barium sulfate reflective layers 41, such as the scintillation crystal array disclosed in CN107003218A. However, the reflectivity of the barium sulfate reflective layer 41 is about 93%, which is not as good as the ESR (Enhanced Specular Reflector). Moreover, since the barium sulfate reflective layer 41 has fluidity or plasticity, it is difficult to process and it is difficult to ensure that the thickness of the barium sulfate reflective layer 41 is uniform.

[0009] Fig.12 The intervals between the scintillation crystal units 50 of the scintillation crystal array 500 are all made of ESR reflective layers 51, such as the scintillation crystal array disclosed in CN106646581B. Its advantage is that the ESR reflective layer 51 does not have fluidity or plasticity, is easy to process, and can ensure uniform thickness. Moreover, the ESR reflectivity is as high as 98%. When used in a general scintillation crystal array, more scintillation light can be reflected and collected on the photodetector, thereby improving the signal-to-noise ratio and detector efficiency. However, the inventors found that when the ESR reflective layer 51 is applied to an ultra-small size scintillation crystal array (≤0.5mm), not only does it fail to exert the advantage of the high reflectivity of the ESR, but it also causes the problem of severe distortion of the small animal PET image, which needs to be solved urgently. Summary of the invention

[0010] The embodiments of the present application provide a scintillation crystal array, a detector, a medical imaging device and a manufacturing method, which can solve the problem of image distortion in small animal PET caused by the use of an ESR reflective layer in the scintillation crystal array in the prior art.

[0011] In a first aspect, a scintillation crystal array is provided, comprising a plurality of scintillation crystal units, wherein a gap is provided between two adjacent scintillation crystal units, a first reflection layer is provided in part of the gaps in the scintillation crystal array, and a second reflection layer is provided in part of the gaps; wherein the first reflection layer is a reflection layer made of a thin film material, and the second reflection layer is a reflection layer made of a material without a definite shape.

[0012] Optionally, the scintillation crystal array includes a first gap arranged along the first direction and a second gap arranged along the second direction;

[0013] The first reflective layer and the second reflective layer are respectively disposed in partially intersecting first gaps and second gaps in the scintillation crystal array; or

[0014] The first reflective layer and the second reflective layer are respectively disposed in all intersecting first gaps and second gaps in the scintillation crystal array.

[0015] Optionally, when the first reflective layer and the second reflective layer are respectively disposed in partially intersecting first gaps and second gaps in the scintillation crystal array, the second reflective layer is respectively disposed in gaps in the scintillation crystal array except for the partially intersecting first gaps and second gaps.

[0016] Optionally, in the first gaps and second gaps in which the first reflective layer and the second reflective layer are respectively provided, the first reflective layer is respectively provided in all the first gaps and the second reflective layer is respectively provided in all the second gaps, or the second reflective layer is respectively provided in all the first gaps and the first reflective layer is respectively provided in all the second gaps.

[0017] Optionally, the first reflective layer includes one or more of the following: an ESR reflective layer, a polyethylene terephthalate reflective layer, a polytetrafluoroethylene film reflective layer, an aluminum foil reflective layer, and an aluminum-plated plastic reflective layer.

[0018] Optionally, the second reflective layer includes one or more of the following: a reflective layer formed of a powder material, a reflective layer formed of a liquid material, a reflective layer formed by a mixture of a powder material and a liquid material, and a reflective layer formed of a paste material.

[0019] Optionally, the second reflective layer includes one or more of the following: a barium sulfate reflective layer, a titanium dioxide reflective layer, a magnesium oxide reflective layer, and a polytetrafluoroethylene powder reflective layer.

[0020] Optionally, the thickness of the gap is greater than or equal to 0.01 mm and less than or equal to 0.5 mm.

[0021] In a second aspect, a detector is provided, comprising the scintillation crystal array as described above.

[0022] In a third aspect, a medical imaging device is provided, comprising the detector as described above.

[0023] In a fourth aspect, a method for manufacturing the scintillation crystal array as described above is provided, comprising:

[0024] During the manufacturing process of the scintillation crystal array, the first reflection layer is arranged in some gaps of the scintillation crystal array, and the second reflection layer is arranged in some gaps; wherein the first reflection layer is a reflection layer made of a thin film material, and the second reflection layer is a reflection layer made of a material without a definite shape.

[0025] In the embodiment of the present application, the first reflection layer and the second reflection layer are mixed to fill the crystal interval between the scintillation crystal units. The first reflection layer is made of a thin film material with high reflectivity, and the second reflection layer is made of a material without a definite shape, which has fluidity or plasticity and can fill the gap at the intersection position. Thus, the high reflection effect of the thin film material is exerted in the scintillation crystal array, and the problem of light leakage or light crosstalk at the intersection position is effectively avoided, the PET image quality is improved, and image distortion is avoided. Moreover, when the second reflection layer is pressed, the first reflection layer can remain stable without dislocation and deformation, thereby ensuring that the thickness of the reflection layer is uniform, and the scintillation crystal units are evenly distributed, so that the obtained PET image decoding is clearly distinguished. The scintillation crystal array of the embodiment of the present application effectively avoids the problem of light leakage or light crosstalk in the reflection layer, reduces the difficulty of processing, ensures product accuracy, and can effectively improve the light collection efficiency, improve the performance of the detector and the quality of PET imaging. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 A top view showing an exemplary scintillation crystal array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing an exemplary arrangement of scintillation crystal units provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 3 A perspective view showing an exemplary scintillation crystal array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 4 express Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the light inside the middle area E;

[0030] Figure 5A schematic diagram showing the manufacture of an exemplary scintillation crystal array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 6 A top view showing another exemplary scintillation crystal array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 7 A top view showing another exemplary scintillation crystal array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 8 A perspective view showing an exemplary detector provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram showing the structure of the PET system;

[0035] Fig.10 A schematic diagram showing the structure of the detector ring;

[0036] Fig.11 A schematic diagram showing a conventional scintillator crystal array using a barium sulfate reflective layer;

[0037] Fig.12 A schematic diagram showing a conventional scintillation crystal array using an ESR reflective layer;

[0038] Fig.13 express Fig.12 Schematic diagram of the light inside area G;

[0039] Fig.14 A scatter plot showing the test of applying the existing scintillator crystal array using an ESR reflective layer to PET;

[0040] Fig.15 A scatter plot showing the application of existing scintillation crystal arrays using a barium sulfate reflective layer to PET;

[0041] Fig.16 A test scatter plot showing the application of the scintillation crystal array provided in an embodiment of the present application to PET. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field belong to the scope of protection of this application.

[0043] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, so that the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described here, and the objects distinguished by "first" and "second" are generally of the same type, and the number of objects is not limited. For example, the first object can be one or more. In addition, "and / or" in the specification and claims represents at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally represents that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship.

[0044] In order to better understand the present invention, PET and related contents are briefly described first.

[0045] like Fig. 9 , Fig.10 As shown, the PET system 300 includes a mainframe 301 and a bed 303. A detector ring 302 is arranged on the mainframe 301. The detector ring 302 is composed of a plurality of detectors arranged. The object to be tested can enter the detector ring 302 along with the bed 303. Each detector includes a scintillation crystal array, a photoelectric sensor (such as a photomultiplier tube PMT or a silicon photomultiplier tube SiPM) and a post-processing circuit. The scintillation crystal array can receive photons emitted from the object to be tested and convert the photons into optical signals. The photoelectric sensor converts the optical signals into readable electrical signals. The post-processing circuit performs imaging based on the electrical signals.

[0046] The assembly of scintillation crystal arrays is the core technology of PET. The uniformity of the distribution of the internal units of the scintillation crystal array and the consistency of the X / Y alignment on the two-dimensional surface have a direct impact on the coupling quality of the detector module and the detection efficiency of the detector. At present, the resolution of most commercial small animal PET on the market is below 2mm, which limits the size of the crystal units in the scintillation crystal array, which puts higher requirements on the production of the array.

[0047] like Fig.11In the scintillation crystal array 400 shown, the intervals between the scintillation crystal units 40 are all formed by a barium sulfate reflective layer 41. The barium sulfate reflective layer 41 is generally prepared by mixing barium sulfate powder into a resin material. In the manufacturing process of the scintillation crystal array 400, after the scintillation crystal units 40 are arranged, the flowing barium sulfate reflective layer 41 is filled between the scintillation crystal units 40, and then the barium sulfate reflective layer 41 is pressed flat manually or with the aid of auxiliary tools, and then the barium sulfate reflective layer 41 is waited for to solidify. The inventors have found that since the barium sulfate reflective layer 41 has fluidity or plasticity during the manufacturing process, when pressing in one direction (such as the X direction), there is a high probability of misalignment and deformation in the other direction (the Y direction), and it is difficult to ensure uniform thickness in the X / Y directions and consistency in alignment in the X / Y directions, resulting in uneven distribution of the crystal units. Therefore, when using the barium sulfate reflective layer 41 to manufacture scintillation crystal arrays, especially ultra-small sized scintillation crystal arrays, there are problems such as complex operation, high processing difficulty, and poor processing accuracy, resulting in uneven distribution of the scintillation crystal units. Fig.15 As shown, when the scintillation crystal array 400 using the barium sulfate reflective layer 41 is installed in the small animal PET for image testing, the uneven distribution of the scintillation crystal units will cause unclear PET image decoding, with large cracks between some pixels and some pixels being squeezed and adhered together.

[0048] In order to improve the problem of difficult processing of the barium sulfate reflective layer and uneven distribution of the scintillation crystal units, the inventors used Fig.12 In the scintillation crystal array 500 shown, the intervals between the scintillation crystal units 50 are all made of a thin film ESR reflective layer 51. The ESR reflective layer 51 has no fluidity or plasticity, and can ensure uniform thickness in the X and Y directions, and is easy to process. Moreover, the reflectivity of the ESR reflective layer 51 is as high as 98%. In general human PET applications, the scintillation crystal array 500 using the ESR reflective layer 51 has shown excellent performance, which can make more scintillation light reflected and collected on the light detector, thereby improving the signal-to-noise ratio and detector efficiency. However, the inventors found that when the ESR reflective layer 51 is applied to an ultra-small size scintillation crystal array (such as ≤0.5mm), not only does it fail to exert the advantage of the high reflectivity of the ESR, but it also causes the problem of severe distortion of the PET image.

[0049] After repeated research, the inventors found that the reason for the distortion of PET images is that if the thin film ESR reflective layer 51 material is filled in the crystal intervals in two approximately perpendicular directions (X direction and Y direction), the ESR reflective layer 51 in at least one direction of the intersection position F of the two crystal intervals is disconnected and discontinuous. Fig.13As shown, the scintillation light of the scintillation crystal unit 50 will crosstalk to the adjacent crystal unit through the cross position F, affecting the performance of the detector and the quality of PET imaging. This light leakage phenomenon is more obvious when the scintillation crystal unit is relatively small (such as ≤0.5mm), because the smaller the scintillation crystal unit, the larger the proportion of the gap in the reflective layer to the total area of ​​the reflective layer, and the greater the proportion of light leakage, which is unacceptable for ultra-precision small animal PET using ultra-small size scintillation crystal arrays. Fig.14 As shown, when the square scintillation crystal array 500 using the ESR reflective layer 51 is installed in the small animal PET for image testing, according to the application requirements, the length and width ratio of the test scatter diagram should be consistent with the length and width ratio of the scintillation crystal array 500. However, due to light leakage or crosstalk at the fracture position of the ESR film, the scatter diagram is a rectangle, and the image is distorted (compressed in the X direction), which affects the imaging effect.

[0050] In this technical field, how to overcome the disadvantage of difficult processing of barium sulfate, give full play to the advantages of high reflectivity thin film materials represented by ESR thin film reflective layer, and overcome its disadvantages of light leakage or cross-talk to meet the high-precision application of small animal PET is a daunting challenge. The main difficulty lies in the innovation of improvement ideas and solving the feasibility of practical operation.

[0051] Based on the above research, the embodiment of the present invention proposes a scintillation crystal array with a mixed reflection layer, in which a first reflection layer and a second reflection layer are mixed to fill the crystal interval between the scintillation crystal units, the first reflection layer is made of a thin film material with high reflectivity, and the second reflection layer is made of a material without a definite shape, which has fluidity or plasticity and can fill the gaps at the intersection position, thereby achieving the high reflection effect of thin film materials in the scintillation crystal array while effectively avoiding the problem of light leakage or light crosstalk at the intersection position, improving the PET image quality and avoiding image distortion. Moreover, when the second reflection layer is pressed, the first reflection layer can remain stable without dislocation and deformation, thereby ensuring that the thickness of the reflection layer is uniform, the scintillation crystal units are evenly distributed, and the obtained PET image decoding is clearly distinguished. The scintillation crystal array of the embodiment of the present application effectively avoids the problem of light leakage or light crosstalk in the reflection layer, reduces the difficulty of processing, ensures product accuracy, and can effectively improve the light collection efficiency, improve the performance of the detector and the quality of PET imaging.

[0052] Figure 1-7 Schematic diagram of an exemplary scintillation crystal array according to some embodiments disclosed in the present application is shown. Figure 1-7 As shown, the scintillation crystal array 100 includes a plurality of scintillation crystal units 10 , a gap 20 is provided between two adjacent scintillation crystal units 10 , a first reflection layer 31 is provided in part of the gap 20 , and a second reflection layer 32 is provided in part of the gap 20 .

[0053] The first reflective layer 31 is a reflective layer made of a thin film material, which has a stable shape and high reflectivity and is not easily deformed during the manufacturing process of the scintillation crystal array. The second reflective layer 32 is a reflective layer made of a material without a definite shape, which can fill the gaps at the intersections by virtue of its fluidity or plasticity, thus avoiding the problems of light leakage or crosstalk.

[0054] In this way, by mixing and filling the first reflection layer 31 and the second reflection layer 32 in the gap 20 between the scintillation crystal units 10, it is possible to effectively avoid the problem of light leakage or crosstalk in the scintillation crystal array while exerting the high reflective effect of the thin film material, thereby improving the light collection efficiency of the detector composed of the scintillation crystal array, preventing the PET image applied by the detector from being distorted, and improving the detector performance and PET imaging quality. And when the second reflection layer 32 is pressed, the first reflection layer 31 always remains stable and will not be dislocated or deformed, thereby ensuring that the thickness of the reflection layer is uniform and the scintillation crystal units 10 are evenly distributed, so that the obtained PET image can be clearly decoded and distinguished. In particular, for ultra-small sized scintillation crystal arrays, by mixing and filling the first reflection layer 31 and the second reflection layer 32, ultra-high precision light collection efficiency can be achieved to support ultra-precision PET imaging of small animals. Fig.16 As shown, when the scintillation crystal array 100 using the mixed two reflective layers is installed in a small animal PET for image testing, the test scatter Figure X The Y-axis is consistent and there is no distortion. The decoding spots are clear and uniform, and each point can be distinguished, and it can be used normally on the PET machine.

[0055] In some embodiments, Figure 2 As shown, a plurality of scintillation crystal units 10 can be arranged into a plurality of rows (e.g., M rows) along a first direction (e.g., X direction), and arranged into a plurality of columns (e.g., N columns) along a second direction (e.g., Y direction). The first direction is approximately perpendicular to the second direction. M and N can be the same or different, such as M and N are both 8, or M is 6, N is 5, etc. The size of each scintillation crystal unit 10 can be the same or different. The shape of the scintillation crystal unit 10 can be, for example, a cuboid, a cube, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0056] In some embodiments, Figure 2 , Figure 3As shown, each scintillation crystal unit 10 may include a top surface 11, a bottom surface 12 opposite to the top surface 11, and a side surface 13 extending between the top surface 11 and the bottom surface 12. After the scintillation crystal units 10 are arranged into a scintillation crystal array 100, the top surfaces 11 of all scintillation crystal units 10 face one side as a light emitting surface 101 of the scintillation crystal array 100; the bottom surfaces 12 of all scintillation crystal units 10 face one side as a light incident surface 102 of the scintillation crystal array 100; and a gap 20 is provided between the inner side surfaces of any two adjacent scintillation crystal units 10 for filling a reflective layer to prevent light crosstalk between adjacent scintillation crystal units 10.

[0057] In some embodiments, Figure 8 As shown, the light emitting surface 101 of the scintillation crystal array 100 can be connected to the silicon photomultiplier tube SiPM array 200, and the light signal emitted by the scintillation crystal unit 10 of the scintillation crystal array 100 is collected by the SiPM unit on the SiPM array 200 and converted into an electrical signal, and imaging is performed based on the electrical signal of the SiPM array 200.

[0058] In some embodiments, the thickness of the gap 20 between the scintillation crystal units 10 may be greater than or equal to 0.01 mm and less than or equal to 0.5 mm.

[0059] In some embodiments, the side surface of the scintillation crystal unit 10 can be divided into an inner side surface facing the inside of the array and an outer side surface facing the outside of the array, and the outer side surfaces of multiple scintillation crystal units 10 constitute the outer side surface 103 of the scintillation crystal array 100. The outer side surface 103 of the scintillation crystal array and the light incident surface 102 also need to be provided with a reflective layer to ensure that all scintillation light is output from the light emitting surface 101 and reaches the photoelectric sensor. In some embodiments, the reflective layer of the outer side surface 103 of the scintillation crystal array 100 and the reflective layer of the light incident surface 102 can be the same or different. For example, the reflective layer at the outer side surface 103 and the light incident surface 102 of the scintillation crystal array 100 can respectively adopt a thin film reflective layer such as ESR with high reflectivity, but is not limited thereto.

[0060] In some embodiments, the top surface 11 of each scintillation crystal unit 10 may be smooth; the bottom surface 12 and the side surface 13 of each scintillation crystal unit 10 may be smooth or rough.

[0061] In some embodiments, the material of the scintillation crystal unit 10 may be NaI(Tl), CsI(Tl), CWO, BGO, LYSO, GAGG, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0062] In some embodiments, the first reflective layer 31 may be selected from one or more of the following: an ESR reflective layer, a polyethylene terephthalate reflective layer, a polytetrafluoroethylene film reflective layer, an aluminum foil reflective layer, and an aluminum-plated plastic reflective layer.

[0063] Among them, the ESR reflective layer is a typical high reflectivity thin film reflective material. The first reflective layer 31 can use the ESR reflective layer to improve the light collection efficiency. It can also be selected from PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) reflective layer, polytetrafluoroethylene film, aluminum foil, aluminum-plated plastic film, etc. The reflectivity of thin film reflective layers such as ESR can reach more than 90%.

[0064] In some embodiments, the second reflective layer 32 may be selected from one or more of the following: a reflective layer formed of a powder material, a reflective layer formed of a liquid material, a reflective layer formed by mixing a powder material and a liquid material, and a reflective layer formed of a paste material.

[0065] At this time, the powder material, liquid material, a mixture of powder material and liquid material, and paste material all have fluidity or plasticity and can fill the gaps at the intersection positions to prevent light leakage from the crystal or light crosstalk between crystals.

[0066] It should be noted that the fluidity or plasticity of the second reflective layer 32 refers to a state at a certain stage of the manufacturing process, and the second reflective layer 32 will eventually form a reflective layer with a stable state after being pressed and solidified. For example, assuming that the second reflective layer 32 is formed of a powder material and a liquid material, the raw material mixed with the powder material and the liquid material is filled into the gap 20 between the scintillation crystal units 10 during manufacturing, and the gaps at the intersection are filled, and then after solidification, a reflective layer with a stable state is formed.

[0067] In some embodiments, the second reflective layer 32 may be selected from one or more of the following: a barium sulfate reflective layer, a titanium dioxide reflective layer, a magnesium oxide reflective layer, and a polytetrafluoroethylene powder reflective layer.

[0068] Among them, the barium sulfate reflective layer, the titanium dioxide reflective layer, the magnesium oxide reflective layer and the polytetrafluoroethylene powder reflective layer can be reflective layers formed by doping inorganic compound powders such as barium sulfate, titanium dioxide, magnesium oxide and polytetrafluoroethylene into organic resins. These reflective layers have fluidity during production and form reflective layers with stable shapes after curing. In some embodiments, the organic resin can be epoxy resin, acrylic resin, phenol resin, etc.

[0069] In some embodiments, the scintillation crystal array 100 includes a first gap 21 arranged along a first direction and a second gap 22 arranged along a second direction.

[0070] The first direction may be the X direction, the second direction may be the Y direction, and the first direction is approximately perpendicular to the second direction. If the first gaps 21 and the second gaps 22 arranged in two directions intersect, it is necessary to ensure that there is no gap at the intersection.

[0071] Specifically, the first reflective layer 31 and the second reflective layer 32 may be respectively disposed in the first gap 21 and the second gap 22 that are partially or completely intersected, so as to solve the problem of light leakage or light crosstalk at the intersection. Figure 4 As shown, by mixing and filling two reflective layers in two vertically intersecting gaps 20, the second reflective layer 32 can fill the gap at the intersection position. Even if light is incident on the intersection position, it will not crosstalk with other scintillation crystal units 10 or cause light leakage.

[0072] As an optional implementation, Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown, the first reflective layer 31 and the second reflective layer 32 are respectively disposed in the partially intersecting first gap 21 and the second gap 22 in the scintillation crystal array 100 .

[0073] At this time, by mixing and filling two kinds of reflective layers in two partially vertically intersecting gaps 20, the second reflective layer 32 can be used to fill the gaps at most of the intersection positions in the array, thereby avoiding light leakage or crosstalk at the intersection positions, improving the light collection efficiency of the detector composed of the scintillation crystal array, preventing the detector from being applied to PET and PET image distortion, and improving the detector performance and PET imaging quality. In addition, the first reflective layer 31 in the first gap 21 is stable, which can ensure that there will be no deformation when pressing the second reflective layer 32 in another direction, so that the thickness of the pressed reflective layer is uniform, thereby ensuring that the scintillation crystal units 10 are evenly distributed, so that the obtained PET image is clearly decoded and distinguished.

[0074] When the first reflective layer 31 and the second reflective layer 32 are respectively provided in the partially intersecting first gap 21 and the second gap 22 in the scintillation crystal array 100, in order to further improve the light collection efficiency, optionally, the second reflective layer 32 is respectively provided in the gaps 20 other than the partially intersecting first gap 21 and the second gap 22 in the scintillation crystal array 100.

[0075] At this time, when two reflective layers are mixed and filled in two partially vertically intersecting gaps 20, the second reflective layer 32 is filled in the remaining gaps 20, which can avoid light leakage or light crosstalk in the remaining gaps 20, so as to ensure that there is no light leakage or light crosstalk inside the scintillation crystal array 100 as a whole, and further improve the light collection efficiency.

[0076] Although the solution of mixing two reflective layers in the two partially perpendicularly intersecting gaps 20 and filling the remaining gaps 20 with the second reflective layer 32 can ensure that there is no light leakage or crosstalk problem inside the scintillation crystal array 100 as a whole, there is still room for improvement in light collection efficiency.

[0077] In order to further improve the light collection efficiency, such as Figure 1 , Figure 3 As shown, as another optional implementation, the first reflective layer 31 and the second reflective layer 32 are respectively disposed in all the intersecting first gaps 21 and second gaps 22 in the scintillation crystal array 100 .

[0078] At this time, by mixing and filling the two types of reflective layers in all intersecting first gaps 21 and second gaps 22, the fluidity and plasticity of the second reflective layer 32 can be relied on to fill the gaps in all the intersection positions in the array, ensuring that there is no light leakage or cross-light problem inside the array as a whole, and increasing the proportion of the first reflective layer 31 used in the array, which can maximize the high reflectivity of the thin film material, further improve the light collection efficiency of the detector composed of the scintillation crystal array, prevent the detector from being used in PET, and prevent the PET image from being distorted, thereby improving the detector performance and PET imaging quality. In addition, the overall structure is more stable, which can ensure that there will be no deformation when pressing the second reflective layer 32 in another direction, so that the thickness of the pressed reflective layer is uniform, thereby ensuring that the scintillation crystal units 10 are evenly distributed, so that the obtained PET image decoding is clearly distinguished.

[0079] For the solution of mixing and filling two kinds of reflective layers in the partially or completely intersecting first gap 21 and second gap 22, the distribution of the two reflective layers in the array can be regular, such as Figure 1 , Figure 6 As shown, it can also be irregular, such as Figure 7 As shown, there can be many deformations. However, in order to improve the stability of the overall structure and reduce the difficulty of processing, a regular distribution method is preferred.

[0080] Preferably, in the first gaps 21 and the second gaps 22 where the first reflective layer 31 and the second reflective layer 32 are respectively provided, the first reflective layer 31 is respectively provided in all the first gaps 21 and the second reflective layer 32 is respectively provided in all the second gaps 22, or the second reflective layer 32 is respectively provided in all the first gaps 21 and the first reflective layer 31 is respectively provided in all the second gaps 22.

[0081] At this time, whether the two partially intersecting gaps 20 are filled with two kinds of reflective layers or the two completely intersecting gaps 20 are filled with two kinds of reflective layers, it is ensured that the gap in one direction is filled with one kind of reflective layer and the gap in the other direction is filled with another kind of reflective layer, which can reduce the processing difficulty and improve the stability of the overall structure. Figure 1 As shown, in the scintillation crystal array 100, all the first gaps 21 in the X direction are filled with the first reflection layer 31, and all the second gaps 22 in the Y direction are filled with the second reflection layer 32 (of course, all the first gaps 21 in the X direction may be filled with the second reflection layer 32, and all the second gaps 22 in the Y direction may be filled with the first reflection layer 31); for another example, Figure 6 As shown, all the first gaps 21 in the X direction in the upper left part A and the lower right part D are filled with the first reflective layer 31, and all the second gaps 22 in the Y direction are filled with the second reflective layer 32, and all the first gaps 21 in the X direction in the upper right part B and the lower left part C are filled with the second reflective layer 32, and all the second gaps 22 in the Y direction are filled with the first reflective layer 31. By filling one reflective layer in the gaps 20 in the same direction, the whole row or column can be manufactured during the manufacturing process, which improves the convenience of manufacturing, improves the production efficiency, and improves the stability of the overall structure.

[0082] In some embodiments, when two or more first reflective layers 31 are adjacently arranged in the same row of gaps 20 or the same column of gaps 20, the two or more first reflective layers 31 adjacently arranged in the same row of gaps 20 or the same column of gaps 20 are not interrupted, or the breaks between the two or more first reflective layers 31 adjacently arranged in the same row of gaps 20 or the same column of gaps 20 are filled with the intersecting second reflective layers 32.

[0083] At this time, if two or more gaps 20 connected to each other in the same row or column are provided with the first reflective layer 31, in order to prevent light leakage or light crosstalk in the two or more gaps 20, it is sufficient to control that there is no break between the first reflective layers 31 in the two or more gaps 20. Of course, if there is a break between two or more first reflective layers 31 connected to each other in the same row or column, the second reflective layer 32 provided in another direction can also be used to fill the gap at the break position to prevent light leakage or light crosstalk.

[0084] Below Figure 1 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 Several specific application examples are shown and introduced in detail.

[0085] Application Example 1:

[0086] like Figure 1-3As shown, the scintillation crystal array 100 includes 8 rows*8 columns of scintillation crystal units 10, and LYSO crystal material can be selected; the top surfaces 11 of all scintillation crystal units 10 face one side as the light-emitting surface 101 of the scintillation crystal array 100 coupled to the photoelectric sensor; the bottom surfaces 12 of all scintillation crystal units 10 face one side as the light-entering surface 102 of the scintillation crystal array 100; a gap 20 is provided between the inner side surfaces of any two adjacent scintillation crystal units 10, and the thickness of the gap 20 can be between 0.01 mm and 0.5 mm; the first reflection layer 31 (such as ESR reflection layer) is filled in all the second gaps 22 in the Y direction of the scintillation crystal array 100, and the second reflection layer 32 (such as barium sulfate reflection layer) is filled in all the first gaps 21 in the X direction; the ESR reflection layer can be provided on the outer side surface 103 and the light-entering surface 102 of the scintillation crystal array 100. By mixing and filling the two reflective layers, there is no problem of light leakage or light crosstalk inside the scintillation crystal array 100 as a whole, and the light collection efficiency is highly efficient, and the uniformity of the distribution of the scintillation crystal units 10 is ensured.

[0087] Application Example 2:

[0088] like Figure 6 As shown, the scintillation crystal array 100 includes 8 rows*8 columns of scintillation crystal units 10, and LYSO crystal material can be selected; the scintillation crystal array 100 is divided into four parts, in the upper left part A and the lower right part D, except for the gaps 20 adjacent to other parts, all the first gaps 21 in the X direction are filled with the second reflection layer 32, and all the second gaps 22 in the Y direction are filled with the first reflection layer 31; in the upper right part B and the lower left part C, except for the gaps 20 adjacent to other parts, all the first gaps 21 in the X direction are filled with the first reflection layer 31, and all the second gaps 22 in the Y direction are filled with the second reflection layer 32; the adjacent gaps 20 in the four parts are filled with the second reflection layer 32; Figure 6 The scintillation crystal array 100 shown does not have the problem of light leakage or light crosstalk as a whole, has high light collection efficiency, and ensures the uniformity of the distribution of the scintillation crystal units 10 .

[0089] Application Example 3:

[0090] like Figure 7 As shown, the scintillation crystal array 100 includes 8 rows*8 columns of scintillation crystal units 10, and LYSO crystal material may be used; Figure 7 In the scintillation crystal array 100 shown, the two reflective layers are mixed and filled in the array in an irregular manner, but there is no problem of light leakage or crosstalk in the gaps outside each scintillation crystal unit 10, which has high light collection efficiency and ensures the uniformity of the distribution of the scintillation crystal units 10.

[0091] Of course, the above application examples are only for illustration and are not intended to limit the present application. In actual application, the arrangement of the scintillation crystal units 10 of the scintillation crystal array 100 and the arrangement of the mixed reflection layer can be reasonably adjusted according to the situation.

[0092] The scintillation crystal array of the embodiment of the present application can effectively avoid the problem of light leakage or crosstalk of the scintillation crystal array while exerting the high reflective effect of thin film materials by mixing and filling the first reflection layer 31 and the second reflection layer 32 in the gap 20 between the scintillation crystal units 10, thereby improving the light collection efficiency of the detector composed of the scintillation crystal array, preventing the PET image applied by the detector from being distorted, and improving the detector performance and PET imaging quality. And when the second reflection layer 32 is pressed, the first reflection layer 31 always remains stable and will not be dislocated and deformed, thereby ensuring that the thickness of the reflection layer is uniform, and the scintillation crystal units 10 are evenly distributed, so that the obtained PET image decoding is clearly distinguished. In particular, for ultra-small-sized scintillation crystal arrays, by mixing and filling the first reflection layer 31 and the second reflection layer 32, ultra-high-precision light collection efficiency can be achieved to support ultra-precision small animal PET imaging.

[0093] The present application also provides a method for manufacturing a scintillation crystal array as described in the above embodiment, comprising:

[0094] During the manufacturing process of the scintillation crystal array, the first reflection layer 31 is set in part of the gap 20 of the scintillation crystal array, and the second reflection layer 32 is set in part of the gap 20; wherein the first reflection layer 31 is a reflection layer made of a thin film material, and the second reflection layer 32 is a reflection layer made of a material without a definite shape.

[0095] The manufacturing method of the embodiment of the present application can effectively avoid the problem of light leakage or crosstalk of the scintillation crystal array while exerting the high reflective effect of thin film materials by mixing and filling the first reflective layer 31 and the second reflective layer 32 in the gap 20 between the scintillation crystal units 10, thereby improving the light collection efficiency of the detector composed of the scintillation crystal array, preventing the PET image applied by the detector from being distorted, and improving the detector performance and PET imaging quality. And when the second reflective layer 32 is pressed, the first reflective layer 31 always remains stable and will not be dislocated and deformed, thereby ensuring that the thickness of the reflective layer is uniform, and the scintillation crystal units 10 are evenly distributed, so that the obtained PET image decoding is clearly distinguished. In particular, for ultra-small-sized scintillation crystal arrays, by mixing and filling the first reflective layer 31 and the second reflective layer 32, ultra-high-precision light collection efficiency can be achieved to support ultra-precision small animal PET imaging.

[0096] Furthermore, in the process of manufacturing the scintillation crystal array, the step of providing the first reflective layer 31 in part of the gaps 20 of the scintillation crystal array and providing the second reflective layer 32 in part of the gaps 20 may include:

[0097] In the case where two or more first reflective layers 31 arranged adjacent to each other in the same row or column are not interrupted, the scintillation crystal array is divided into a plurality of array units, each array unit comprising one or more rows of scintillation crystal units;

[0098] Arrange each row of scintillation crystal units 10 of each array unit in a row along the second direction (Y direction), with the top surface 11 of each scintillation crystal unit 10 facing the same side, the bottom surface 12 facing the same side, and adjacent scintillation crystal units 10 arranged at intervals according to a preset gap size, to obtain a plurality of first single-row crystals;

[0099] Adhere each of the first reflective layers to the side of a first single-row crystal, with the edge of the first reflective layer flush with the edge of the first single-row crystal, to obtain a plurality of second single-row crystals;

[0100] Bonding a plurality of second single-row crystals, bonding the other side of each second single-row crystal opposite to the side where the ESR film is located to the side where the ESR film of another second single-row crystal is located, the edges of the two single-row crystals are flush, and the axes of each adjacent scintillation crystal unit 10 along the first direction (X direction) between the two single-row crystals are kept consistent, to obtain an array unit;

[0101] After the plurality of array units are manufactured, the plurality of array units are arranged into an array, with adjacent array units spaced apart by a preset gap size, to obtain a first crystal array;

[0102] In the first crystal array, a second reflective layer is poured into the gap 20 where the first reflective layer 31 is not provided, so that the second reflective layer slightly overflows the array surface, the second reflective layer is pressed flat, and excess second reflective layer material on the array surface is scraped off to obtain a second crystal array;

[0103] The first reflective layer is bonded to the outer side surface and the light incident surface of the second crystal array, and the edge of the first reflective layer is flush with the edge of each surface. After the resin is cured, the final crystal array is obtained.

[0104] The production method is further described in detail below in conjunction with specific application examples.

[0105] like Figure 1-3The structure of the scintillation crystal array 100 shown can be described with reference to the above-mentioned scintillation crystal array embodiment, which will not be described in detail here. The exemplary manufacturing process thereof may include the following steps:

[0106] Single crystal production: 64 LYSO scintillation crystal units 10 are produced. Each scintillation crystal unit 10 is a rectangular parallelepiped with the same size (the specific size can be set according to actual needs) and shape, and the top surface 11 and the side surface 13 are smooth, and the bottom surface 12 is rough.

[0107] It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific manufacturing process of a single scintillation crystal unit 10, and any known method in the prior art may be used.

[0108] Single row crystal production: Figure 5 As shown, eight scintillation crystal units 10 are arranged in a row along the Y direction, with the smooth top surface 11 of each scintillation crystal unit 10 facing the same side, the rough bottom surface 12 facing the same side, and the interval between adjacent scintillation crystal units 10 is 0.3 mm (the gap size can also be adjusted according to actual needs), to obtain a first single-row crystal; repeat the above steps until eight first single-row crystals are obtained.

[0109] Preparation of internal ESR reflective layer: Take an ESR film with a thickness approximately the same as the gap 20 between the scintillation crystal units 10 (e.g., between 0.25 mm and 0.3 mm), a length the same as the size of the first single-row crystals along the Y direction, and a width the same as the size of the first single-row crystals along the Z direction, and bond the ESR film to the side of the first single-row crystals using chemical glue or other materials, with the edge of the ESR film flush with the edge of the first single-row crystals to obtain a second single-row crystal; repeat the above steps until 8 second single-row crystals are obtained.

[0110] Array splicing production: Continue as Figure 5 As shown, the other side opposite to the side where the ESR film of a second single-row crystal is located is bonded to the side where the ESR film of another second single-row crystal is located by chemical glue or other materials, and the edges of the two single-row crystals are flush, and the axes of every two adjacent scintillation crystal units 10 between the two single-row crystals are kept consistent along the X direction; repeat the above steps until 8 single-row crystals are combined to obtain the first crystal array.

[0111] Preparation of the internal barium sulfate reflective layer: From the light incident surface of the first crystal array, pour the liquid resin doped with barium sulfate powder in a preset proportion into each gap in the X direction in sequence, so that the liquid resin fills the gap at the intersection with the ESR film, and presses the liquid resin flat; to ensure that the liquid resin fills all the gaps, the liquid resin can be slightly overflowed from the array surface, and then the excess resin material on the surface is scraped off; after waiting for the resin to solidify, the second crystal array is obtained.

[0112] Production of external ESR reflective layer: ESR film is bonded to the outer side surface and light incident surface of the second crystal array by using chemical glue or other materials. The edge of the ESR film is flush with the edge of each surface to obtain the final crystal array.

[0113] Among them, tooling and fixtures can be used to fix crystal units, crystal arrays, etc. that need to be fixed during the production process.

[0114] like Figure 6 The structure of the scintillation crystal array 100 shown can be described with reference to the above-mentioned scintillation crystal array embodiment, which will not be described in detail here. The exemplary manufacturing process thereof may include the following steps:

[0115] Single crystal production: 64 LYSO scintillation crystal units 10 are produced. Each scintillation crystal unit 10 is a rectangular parallelepiped with the same size (the specific size can be set according to actual needs) and shape, and the top surface 11 and the side surface 13 are smooth, and the bottom surface 12 is rough.

[0116] It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific manufacturing process of a single scintillation crystal unit 10, and any known method in the prior art may be used.

[0117] The upper left part A is made by:

[0118] Single-row crystal production: Arrange four scintillation crystal units 10 in a row along the Y direction, with the smooth top surface 11 of each scintillation crystal unit 10 facing the same side, and the rough bottom surface 12 facing the same side, and the interval between adjacent scintillation crystal units 10 is 0.3 mm (the gap size can also be adjusted according to actual needs), to obtain a first single-row crystal; repeat the above steps until four first single-row crystals are obtained.

[0119] Preparation of the internal ESR reflective layer: Take an ESR film with a thickness approximately the same as the gap 20 between the scintillation crystal units 10 (e.g., between 0.25 mm and 0.3 mm), a length the same as the size of the first single-row crystals along the Y direction, and a width the same as the size of the first single-row crystals along the Z direction, and bond the ESR film to the side of the first single-row crystals using materials such as chemical glue, so that the edge of the ESR film is flush with the edge of the first single-row crystals to obtain a second single-row crystal; repeat the above steps until three second single-row crystals are obtained.

[0120] Array splicing and production: the other side opposite to the side where the ESR film of a second single-row crystal is located is bonded to the side where the ESR film of another second single-row crystal is located by chemical glue or other materials, the edges of the two single-row crystals are flush, and the axes of every two adjacent scintillation crystal units 10 between the two single-row crystals are consistent along the X direction; repeat the above steps until the combination of 3 single-row crystals is completed; then bond one side of the first single-row crystal without the ESR film to the side where the ESR film of the previous second single-row crystal is located by chemical glue to obtain the first group of crystal arrays.

[0121] Fabrication of lower right part D: Fabricate lower right part D in the same manner as upper left part A to obtain a second small group of crystal arrays.

[0122] Production of upper right part B:

[0123] Single-row crystal production: Arrange four scintillation crystal units 10 in a row along the X direction, with the smooth top surface 11 of each scintillation crystal unit 10 facing the same side, and the rough bottom surface 12 facing the same side, and the interval between adjacent scintillation crystal units 10 is 0.3 mm (the gap size can also be adjusted according to actual needs), to obtain a first single-row crystal; repeat the above steps until four first single-row crystals are obtained.

[0124] Preparation of the internal ESR reflective layer: Take an ESR film with a thickness approximately the same as the gap 20 between the scintillation crystal units 10 (e.g., between 0.25 mm and 0.3 mm), a length the same as the size of the first single-row crystals along the X direction, and a width the same as the size of the first single-row crystals along the Z direction, and bond the ESR film to the side of the first single-row crystals using chemical glue or other materials, with the edge of the ESR film flush with the edge of the first single-row crystals to obtain a second single-row crystal; repeat the above steps until three second single-row crystals are obtained.

[0125] Array splicing and production: the other side opposite to the side where the ESR film of a second single-row crystal is located is bonded to the side where the ESR film of another second single-row crystal is located by chemical glue or other materials, the edges of the two single-row crystals are flush, and the axis of every two adjacent scintillation crystal units 10 between the two single-row crystals is consistent along the Y direction; repeat the above steps until the combination of 3 single-row crystals is completed; then bond one side of the first single-row crystal without the ESR film to the side where the ESR film of the previous second single-row crystal is located by chemical glue to obtain the third group of crystal arrays.

[0126] Production of the lower left part C: The lower left part C is produced in the same manner as the upper right part B to obtain the fourth group of crystal arrays.

[0127] Array combination: Place the first group of crystal arrays in the upper left part, the second group of crystal arrays in the upper right part, the third group of crystal arrays in the lower left part, and the fourth group of crystal arrays in the lower right part. The interval between adjacent groups of crystal arrays is 0.3mm (the gap size can also be adjusted according to actual needs) to obtain the first crystal array.

[0128] Preparation of the internal barium sulfate reflective layer: From the light incident surface of the first crystal array, pour liquid resin doped with barium sulfate powder in a preset proportion into the gaps where no ESR film is set, so that the liquid resin fills the gaps at the intersection with the ESR film, and press the liquid resin flat; to ensure that the liquid resin fills all the gaps, the liquid resin can be slightly overflowed from the array surface, and then the excess resin material on the surface is scraped off; after waiting for the resin to solidify, the second crystal array is obtained.

[0129] Production of external ESR reflective layer: ESR film is bonded to the outer side surface and light incident surface of the second crystal array by using chemical glue or other materials. The edge of the ESR film is flush with the edge of each surface to obtain the final crystal array.

[0130] Among them, tooling and fixtures can be used to fix crystal units, crystal arrays, etc. that need to be fixed during the production process.

[0131] For Figure 7 The scintillation crystal array shown is analogous to Figure 6 The scintillation crystal array shown can be split into multiple array units for production. The principle of splitting is that two or more ESR reflective layers arranged adjacent to each other in the same row or column are not interrupted. After each unit is produced, it is spliced ​​into the entire array unit, and the barium sulfate reflective layer is produced, and finally a scintillation crystal array with a mixed reflective layer is obtained.

[0132] The scintillation crystal array manufactured by the manufacturing method provided in the embodiment of the present application can realize each process realized by the scintillation crystal array embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, the above manufacturing method embodiment will not be described in detail.

[0133] Similarly, the scintillation crystal array provided in the embodiment of the present application can realize each process realized by the scintillation crystal array manufactured in the manufacturing method embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, the above scintillation crystal array embodiment will not be described in detail.

[0134] An embodiment of the present application further provides a detector, comprising: a scintillation crystal array as described in the above embodiment.

[0135] The detector provided in the embodiment of the present application can realize each process realized by the scintillation crystal array embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be described in detail in the above detector embodiment.

[0136] An embodiment of the present application also provides a medical imaging device, including: a detector as described in the above embodiment.

[0137] The medical imaging device provided in the embodiment of the present application can implement each process implemented in the scintillation crystal array embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, the above medical imaging device embodiment will not be described in detail.

[0138] It should be noted that, in this article, the terms "comprise", "include" or any other variant thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that the process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprise one..." do not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element. In addition, it should be pointed out that the scope of the methods and devices in the embodiments of the present application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, and may also include performing functions in a substantially simultaneous manner or in reverse order according to the functions involved, for example, the described method may be performed in an order different from that described, and various steps may also be added, omitted, or combined. In addition, the features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0139] The embodiments of the present application are described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned specific implementation methods. The above-mentioned specific implementation methods are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Under the guidance of the present application, ordinary technicians in this field can also make many forms without departing from the purpose of the present application and the scope of protection of the claims, all of which are within the protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A scintillation crystal array (100), comprising a plurality of scintillation crystal units (10), wherein a gap (20) is provided between two adjacent scintillation crystal units (10), characterized in that: A first reflection layer (31) is provided in part of the gaps (20) of the scintillation crystal array, and a second reflection layer (32) is provided in part of the gaps (20); wherein the first reflection layer (31) is a reflection layer made of a thin film material, and the second reflection layer (32) is a reflection layer made of a material without a definite shape; The scintillation crystal array (100) comprises a first gap (21) arranged along a first direction and a second gap (22) arranged along a second direction; The first reflective layer (31) and the second reflective layer (32) are respectively provided in the partially intersecting first gap (21) and the second gap (22) in the scintillation crystal array (100); or The first reflection layer (31) and the second reflection layer (32) are respectively provided in all intersecting first gaps (21) and second gaps (22) in the scintillation crystal array (100); The first reflective layer and the second reflective layer are regularly distributed in the scintillation crystal array; when the second reflective layer is pressed, the first reflective layer always remains stable without any dislocation or deformation.

2. The scintillation crystal array according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the first reflective layer (31) and the second reflective layer (32) are respectively provided in the partially intersecting first gap (21) and the second gap (22) in the scintillation crystal array (100), the second reflective layer (32) is respectively provided in the gaps (20) other than the partially intersecting first gap (21) and the second gap (22) in the scintillation crystal array (100).

3. The scintillation crystal array according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the first gaps (21) and the second gaps (22) respectively provided with the first reflective layer (31) and the second reflective layer (32), the first reflective layer (31) is respectively provided in all the first gaps (21), and the second reflective layer (32) is respectively provided in all the second gaps (22), or the second reflective layer (32) is respectively provided in all the first gaps (21), and the first reflective layer (31) is respectively provided in all the second gaps (22).

4. The scintillation crystal array according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first reflective layer (31) comprises one or more of the following: an ESR reflective layer, a polyethylene terephthalate reflective layer, a polytetrafluoroethylene film reflective layer, an aluminum foil reflective layer, and an aluminum-plated plastic reflective layer.

5. The scintillation crystal array according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The second reflective layer (32) comprises one or more of the following: a reflective layer formed of a powder material, a reflective layer formed of a liquid material, a reflective layer formed by a mixture of a powder material and a liquid material, and a reflective layer formed of a paste material.

6. The scintillation crystal array according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second reflective layer (32) comprises one or more of the following: a barium sulfate reflective layer, a titanium dioxide reflective layer, a magnesium oxide reflective layer, and a polytetrafluoroethylene powder reflective layer.

7. The scintillation crystal array according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The thickness of the gap (20) is greater than or equal to 0.01 mm and less than or equal to 0.5 mm.

8. A detector, characterized in that: include: A scintillation crystal array as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A medical imaging device, characterized in that: include: A detector as claimed in claim 8.

10. A method for manufacturing a scintillation crystal array according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: include: During the manufacturing process of the scintillation crystal array (100), the first reflection layer (31) is arranged in a part of the gap (20) of the scintillation crystal array (100), and the second reflection layer (32) is arranged in a part of the gap (20); wherein the first reflection layer (31) is a reflection layer made of a thin film material, and the second reflection layer (32) is a reflection layer made of a material without a definite shape.

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