Scintillator array and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a scintillator array and a preparation method thereof, and the preparation method comprises the steps: preparing a reflection module and a plurality of scintillation crystal strips, the reflection module comprising a plurality of installation grooves arranged in an array along a first direction and a second direction; a scintillation crystal strip is embedded in each mounting groove to form an array module; reflecting layers are arranged on the side surfaces and the bottom surface of the array module; by adopting the preparation method of the scintillator array, the reflection module and the plurality of scintillation crystal strips are firstly prepared, and then the scintillation crystal strips are embedded in the mounting grooves. The preparation of the reflection module and the preparation of the scintillation crystal strip can be independently carried out, that is, the reflection module and the scintillation crystal strip can be prepared in advance, and the preparation of the scintillator array can be completed only by inserting the scintillation crystal strip into the mounting groove and then arranging the reflection layers on the side surface and the bottom surface of the array module. Compared with the mode that the reflecting films are sequentially pasted on the splicing faces of the wafers, the preparation efficiency of the preparation method of the scintillator array is higher.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application belongs to the technical field of radiation measurement component preparation, and particularly relates to a scintillator array and a preparation method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] Scintillators play a very important role in radiation detection and are widely used in the fields of image nuclear medicine, nuclear physics, high-energy physics, etc. In the field of nuclear medicine, scintillators are usually processed into small-sized pixelated arrays, which can effectively limit the scattering of scintillation light and reduce the light cross talk between pixels, thereby improving the spatial resolution of imaging.

[0003] The existing scintillator array preparation method is usually as shown in CN114879240A, that is, a scintillator block is first cut into a plurality of wafers, a reflective film is pasted on the splicing surface of the wafers, and the plurality of wafers are re-pasted to form a scintillator module. Next, the scintillator module is cut into a plurality of scintillator pieces along the extension direction of the wafers, a reflective film is pasted on the splicing surface of the scintillator pieces, and the plurality of scintillator pieces are re-pasted to form a scintillator array. However, the existing preparation method needs to paste a reflective film on the surface of each piece after slicing, resulting in low preparation efficiency of the scintillator array. SUMMARY

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present application is that the existing scintillator array preparation efficiency is low. To solve this technical problem, a scintillator array with high preparation efficiency and a preparation method thereof are provided.

[0005] The technical solution provided by the present application is as follows: A scintillator array preparation method, comprising the steps of: S110, preparing a reflective module and a plurality of scintillator strips, the reflective module comprising a plurality of mounting slots arranged in a first direction and a second direction; S120, embedding a scintillator strip in each mounting slot to form an array module; S130, providing a reflective layer on the side surface and the bottom surface of the array module; Wherein, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

[0006] The scintillator array preparation method described above first prepares a reflective module and a plurality of scintillator strips, and then embeds the scintillator strips in the mounting slots. Since the preparation of the reflective module and the preparation of the scintillator strips can be carried out independently, that is, the reflective module and the scintillator strips can be prepared in advance, and then only the scintillator strips need to be inserted into the mounting slots, and then a reflective layer is provided on the side surface and the bottom surface of the array module, the preparation of the scintillator array can be completed. Compared with pasting a reflective film on the wafer splicing surface in sequence, the preparation efficiency of the scintillator array preparation method is higher.

[0007] Further, in step S110, the preparation of the reflective module includes the following steps: S111, prepare multiple first reflective films and multiple second reflective films; S112, each of the first reflective films and all the second reflective films are connected, and all the first reflective films are evenly spaced apart, each of the first reflective films is perpendicular to the first direction, and all the second reflective films are evenly spaced apart, each of the second reflective films is perpendicular to the second direction, so as to form the reflective module.

[0008] Furthermore, in step S111, in the width direction, each of the first reflective films has a plurality of first slots evenly spaced along its own length direction at one end, and each of the second reflective films has a plurality of second slots evenly spaced along its own length direction at one end. In step S112, a plurality of first reflective films correspond one-to-one with a plurality of second slots on each second reflective film and are inserted into the second slots, and a plurality of second reflective films correspond one-to-one with a plurality of first slots on each first reflective film and are inserted into the first slots.

[0009] Furthermore, the first reflective film and the second reflective film have the same width, and the sum of the lengths of the first slot and the second slot is equal to the width of the first reflective film.

[0010] Furthermore, the length of the first slot is the same as the length of the second slot, and the spacing between two adjacent first slots is the same as the spacing between two adjacent second slots.

[0011] Furthermore, the width of the first slot is less than or equal to the thickness of the second reflective film, and the width of the second slot is less than or equal to the thickness of the first reflective film.

[0012] Further, in step S130: The reflective layer is formed on the sides and bottom of the array module by attaching a third reflective film.

[0013] Further, in step S130, the third reflective film is attached to the array module using optical double-sided adhesive.

[0014] Furthermore, the optical double-sided adhesive has a light transmittance >95% and a thickness <0.1mm.

[0015] A scintillator array, prepared using the aforementioned scintillator array preparation method.

[0016] In summary, the scintillator array and its fabrication method provided in this application have at least the following advantages: 1. The fabrication of the reflective module and the scintillator strip can be carried out separately, and the scintillator strip can be directly inserted into the mounting slot after fabrication, which improves the fabrication efficiency of the scintillator array; 2. The first and second reflective films are connected by an interlocking method, which further improves the preparation efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings are provided to further understand this application and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of this application to explain this application and do not constitute a limitation thereof.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of a scintillator array fabrication method provided in an embodiment of this application; Figures 2 to 4 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the structural schematics of different steps in the fabrication method of the scintillator array. Figure 5 for Figure 2 The diagram shows the structure of the first and second reflective films in the reflective module.

[0019] Label Explanation: 100, Reflection module; 110, Mounting slot; 120, First reflective film; 121, First slot; 130, Second reflective film; 131, Second slot; 200, Scintillation crystal bar; 300, Array module; 410, Third reflective film; 420, Optical double-sided adhesive. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0021] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0022] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0023] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0024] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0025] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0026] On one hand, one embodiment of this application provides a method for fabricating a scintillator array. Please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figures 1 to 4 The method for fabricating this scintillator array includes the following steps: S110, a reflective module 100 and multiple scintillator strips 200 are fabricated. The reflective module 100 includes multiple mounting slots 110 arranged in an array along a first direction and a second direction. S120, a scintillator strip 200 is embedded in each mounting slot 110 to form an array module 300. S130, a reflective layer is provided on the side and bottom surfaces of the array module 300 to complete the fabrication of the scintillator array. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

[0027] It should be explained that the scintillation strip 200 can be formed by cutting scintillation blocks; in addition, the bottom surface of the array module 300 is the end face of one end along the length direction of the scintillation strip 200, while the end face opposite to the other end is the top surface, which is also the light-emitting surface.

[0028] In addition, in step S120, the fit between the scintillation crystal strip 200 and the mounting groove 110 can be either a transition fit or an interference fit. That is, the outer diameter of the scintillation crystal strip 200 is the same as the inner diameter of the mounting groove 110, or the outer diameter of the scintillation crystal strip 200 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the mounting groove 110. This ensures that the scintillation crystal strip 200 remains fixed after being inserted into the mounting groove 110, and also avoids excessive deformation of the reflective films (first reflective film 120 and second reflective film 130).

[0029] It should be further explained that after the fabrication of the scintillator array is completed, the reflective module 100 in the above embodiment is a reflective layer in the scintillator array. For the reflective layer in the scintillator array, the most critical performance is the reflective performance, in order to avoid mutual interference between adjacent scintillator crystals 200. Therefore, in the above embodiment, there may be a small gap between the scintillator crystal 200 and the inner wall of the mounting groove 110 due to allowable processing errors. However, these gaps will not affect the performance of the scintillator array.

[0030] Using the above-described scintillator array fabrication method, a reflective module 100 and multiple scintillator strips 200 are first fabricated, and then the scintillator strips 200 are embedded in the mounting groove 110. Since the fabrication of the reflective module 100 and the scintillator strips 200 can be performed independently—that is, the reflective module 100 and the scintillator strips 200 can be pre-fabricated—the subsequent fabrication only requires inserting the scintillator strips 200 into the mounting groove 110, and then setting reflective layers on the sides and bottom of the array module 300 to complete the fabrication of the scintillator array. Compared to sequentially pasting reflective films onto the wafer splicing surfaces, this scintillator array fabrication method has higher fabrication efficiency.

[0031] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 5 In step S110, the preparation of the reflection module 100 includes the following steps: S111, prepare a plurality of first reflective films 120 and a plurality of second reflective films 130; S112, connect each first reflective film 120 and all the second reflective films 130, with all the first reflective films 120 evenly spaced apart, each first reflective film 120 perpendicular to a first direction, and all the second reflective films 130 evenly spaced apart, each second reflective film 130 perpendicular to a second direction, to enclose and form a reflective module 100.

[0032] Regarding the above steps, it should be explained that in step S111, the first reflective film 120 and the second reflective film 130 can also be prepared by cutting, for example, by cutting reflective film blocks into sheets, which is not limited here. In step S112, all the first reflective films 120 are evenly spaced, and each first reflective film 120 is perpendicular to the first direction, indicating that all the first reflective films 120 are evenly spaced along the first direction; similarly, all the second reflective films 130 are evenly spaced along the second direction. In addition, the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular, indicating that the first reflective films 120 and the second reflective films 130 are perpendicular to each other. Therefore, after the first reflective films 120 and the second reflective films 130 are connected, a reflective module 100 can be formed, and the reflective module 100 includes an array of mounting slots 110, and as... Figure 2 As shown, the outer mounting groove 110 is semi-enclosed, while the inner mounting groove 110 is fully enclosed.

[0033] Regarding the connection method of the first reflective diaphragm 120 and the second reflective diaphragm 130, such as Figure 2 As shown, both the first reflective film 120 and the second reflective film 130 are rectangular sheets, and both include the length direction, the width direction and the thickness direction.

[0034] As an example, in step S111, in the width direction, each first reflective film 120 has a plurality of first slots 121 evenly spaced along its length direction at one end, such as... Figure 5 At the bottom end of each second reflective film 130, one end is provided with a plurality of second slots 131 evenly spaced along its own length, such as... Figure 5 At the top of the middle.

[0035] Next, in step S112, when connecting the first reflective film 120 and the second reflective film 130, the multiple first reflective films 120 correspond one-to-one with the multiple second slots 131 on each second reflective film 130 and are inserted into the second slots 131. The multiple second reflective films 130 correspond one-to-one with the multiple first slots 121 on each first reflective film 120 and are inserted into the first slots 121, thereby realizing that each first reflective film 120 is connected to all second reflective films 130 (or each second reflective film 130 is connected to all first reflective films 120), and after the first reflective films 120 and the second reflective films 130 are connected, multiple mounting slots 110 arranged in an array are formed.

[0036] Furthermore, the first reflective diaphragm 120 and the second reflective diaphragm 130 have the same width, and the sum of the lengths of the first slot 121 and the second slot 131 is equal to the width of the first reflective diaphragm 120, which is also equal to the width of the second reflective diaphragm. Thus, after the first reflective diaphragm 120 and the second reflective diaphragm 130 are inserted, the first reflective diaphragm 120 and the second reflective diaphragm 130 are aligned in the width direction; simultaneously, it can be determined that the length of the scintillating crystal strip 200 does not exceed the width of the reflective diaphragm, thereby ensuring that the scintillating crystal strip 200 is isolated.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, the lengths of the first slot 121 and the second slot 131 are the same, that is, both are half the width of the reflective film, and the spacing between two adjacent first slots 121 is the same as the spacing between two adjacent second slots 131. Thus, the first reflective film 120 and the second reflective film 130 can be fabricated simultaneously, further improving fabrication efficiency; additionally, if the lengths of the first reflective film 120 and the second reflective film 130 are different, they can be cut according to their lengths.

[0038] In one embodiment, the width of the first slot 121 is less than or equal to the thickness of the second reflective film 130, and the width of the second slot 131 is less than or equal to the thickness of the first reflective film 120. This means there is a transition fit or interference fit between the two, ensuring that the mounting groove 110 formed after the first and second reflective films 120 are inserted will not leak light. Preferably, the width of the first slot 121 is the same as the thickness of the second reflective film 130, and the width of the second slot 131 is the same as the thickness of the first reflective film 120. Furthermore, to further improve sealing and prevent light leakage, flexible reflective pads or reflective adhesives can be laid on the inner walls of the first slot 121 and the second slot 131; this is not limited to this embodiment.

[0039] Furthermore, the spacing between two adjacent first slots 121 is the same as the dimension of the scintillating crystal strip 200 in the second direction, and the spacing between two adjacent second slots 131 is the same as the dimension of the scintillating crystal strip 200 in the first direction. This ensures that after the first reflective diaphragm 120 and the second reflective diaphragm 130 are inserted, the size of the mounting groove 110 matches the size of the scintillating crystal strip 200. For example, assuming the cross-sectional dimension of the scintillating crystal strip 200 is 4*4mm, then the spacing between the two adjacent first slots 121 (second slots 131) is 4mm.

[0040] Therefore, in the above embodiments, the first reflective diaphragm 120 and the second reflective diaphragm 130 are connected by an insertion method to form the reflective module 100, which can accelerate the fabrication speed of the reflective module 100 and further improve the fabrication efficiency of the scintillator array. In other embodiments, the reflective module 100 can also be fabricated by casting or injection molding, and there is no limitation here.

[0041] Regarding the configuration of the reflective layers on the sides and bottom of the array module 300, the following should be noted: Please see Figure 4 In step S130, a reflective layer is formed on the side and bottom surfaces of the array module 300 by attaching the third reflective film 410, thereby completing the fabrication of the scintillator array. In other embodiments, a reflective adhesive can also be applied to form the reflective layer, and this is not a limitation. The following description uses the method of attaching the third reflective film 410.

[0042] In practical applications, optical double-sided adhesive tape 420 can be used to attach the third reflective film 410 to the array module 300, specifically to the side and bottom surfaces of the array module 300. For example, optical double-sided adhesive tape 420 and the third reflective film 410 can be cut to the appropriate size according to the dimensions of the array module 300, and the third reflective film 410 can be attached to the corresponding surface using optical double-sided adhesive tape 420. Specifically, in this embodiment, the optical double-sided adhesive tape 420 has a light transmittance >95% and a thickness <0.1mm, ensuring that the light within the scintillating crystal strip 200 can be reflected by the third reflective film 410.

[0043] It should also be noted that in this embodiment, the reflective surfaces of the first reflective film 120, the second reflective film 130, and the third reflective film 410 are all set as ESR (Enhanced Specular Reflector) films to improve reflective performance.

[0044] On the other hand, this application also provides a scintillator array, which is prepared using the scintillator array preparation method described in the above embodiments.

[0045] In summary, the scintillator array and its fabrication method provided in this application have at least the following advantages: 1. The fabrication of the reflection module 100 and the scintillator strip 200 can be carried out separately, and after the fabrication is completed, the scintillator strip 200 can be directly inserted into the mounting slot 110, which improves the fabrication efficiency of the scintillator array. 2. The first reflective film 120 and the second reflective film 130 are connected by an insertion method, which further improves the preparation efficiency.

[0046] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of this application, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a scintillator array, characterized in that, Including the following steps: S110, Prepare a reflective module and multiple scintillation crystal strips, wherein the reflective module includes multiple mounting slots arranged in an array along a first direction and a second direction; S120, a scintillation crystal strip is embedded in each mounting slot to form an array module; S130, a reflective layer is provided on the side and bottom surface of the array module; Wherein, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

2. The method for fabricating a scintillator array according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S110, the preparation of the reflection module includes the following steps: S111, prepare multiple first reflective films and multiple second reflective films; S112, each of the first reflective films and all the second reflective films are connected, and all the first reflective films are evenly spaced apart, each of the first reflective films is perpendicular to the first direction, and all the second reflective films are evenly spaced apart, each of the second reflective films is perpendicular to the second direction, so as to form the reflective module.

3. The method for preparing a scintillator array according to claim 2, characterized in that, In step S111, in the width direction, each of the first reflective films has a plurality of first slots evenly spaced along its own length direction at one end, and each of the second reflective films has a plurality of second slots evenly spaced along its own length direction at one end. In step S112, a plurality of first reflective films correspond one-to-one with a plurality of second slots on each second reflective film and are inserted into the second slots, and a plurality of second reflective films correspond one-to-one with a plurality of first slots on each first reflective film and are inserted into the first slots.

4. The method for preparing a scintillator array according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first reflective film and the second reflective film have the same width, and the sum of the lengths of the first slot and the second slot is equal to the width of the first reflective film.

5. The method for preparing a scintillator array according to claim 4, characterized in that, The length of the first slot is the same as the length of the second slot, and the spacing between two adjacent first slots is the same as the spacing between two adjacent second slots.

6. The method for preparing a scintillator array according to claim 3, characterized in that, The width of the first slot is less than or equal to the thickness of the second reflective film, and the width of the second slot is less than or equal to the thickness of the first reflective film.

7. The method for fabricating a scintillator array according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S130: The reflective layer is formed on the sides and bottom of the array module by attaching a third reflective film.

8. The method for fabricating a scintillator array according to claim 7, characterized in that, In step S130, the third reflective film is attached to the array module using optical double-sided adhesive.

9. The method for preparing a scintillator array according to claim 8, characterized in that, The optical double-sided adhesive has a light transmittance of >95% and a thickness of <0.1mm.

10. A scintillator array, characterized in that, It is prepared using the scintillator array preparation method according to any one of claims 1-9.

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