Scintillator array and processing method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a scintillator array processing method, which comprises the following steps of: S110, removing an original reflecting layer at the end of a light emitting surface of a scintillator array to form a groove; s120, a waterproof adhesive is prepared, and the interior of the groove is coated with the waterproof adhesive; s130, curing the waterproof adhesive to form a waterproof reflecting layer; s140, grinding and polishing the light emitting surface of the scintillator array; the grinding and polishing thickness in the step S140 is smaller than the depth of the groove in the step S110. According to the processing method of the scintillator array, before the scintillator array is ground and polished, the original reflecting layer at the end where the light emitting surface is located is removed to form the groove, then the waterproof reflecting layer is formed in the groove, and finally grinding and polishing are carried out. The waterproof reflecting layer is formed at the end of the light-emitting surface, and the grinding and polishing thickness is smaller than that of the waterproof reflecting layer, so that liquid can be prevented from entering the original reflecting layer in the grinding and polishing process as much as possible, and the original reflecting layer is prevented from falling off to influence the product performance.

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] The scintillator plays a very important role in radiation detection and is widely used in the fields of image nuclear medicine, nuclear physics, high-energy physics and the like. In the field of nuclear medicine, the scintillator is usually processed into a small-sized pixelated array, which can effectively limit the scattering of scintillation light, reduce the light crosstalk between pixels, and thus improve the spatial resolution of imaging.

[0003] The existing scintillator array manufacturing is usually to cut a scintillator crystal bar into multiple crystal bars, polish the six surfaces of the crystal bars, and then use a reflective adhesive to bond the crystal bars, so as to form a scintillator array after solidification. The reflective adhesive layer between adjacent crystal bars in the scintillator array is a reflective layer. After the preparation of the scintillator array, the water-based grinding liquid and polishing liquid are used to grind and polish the light-emitting surface. However, the reflective layer between the scintillation crystal bars of the existing scintillator array is easy to fall off after grinding and polishing, which affects the product performance. SUMMARY

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present application is that the reflective layer between the scintillation crystal bars of the existing scintillator array is easy to fall off after grinding and polishing, which affects the product performance. In order to solve this technical problem, a scintillator array capable of reducing the probability of reflective layer falling off after grinding and polishing is provided to ensure normal product performance.

[0005] The technical solution provided by the present application is as follows: A scintillator array processing method, comprising the steps of: S110, removing the original reflective layer at the light-emitting surface end of the scintillator array to form a groove; S120, preparing a waterproof adhesive and applying the waterproof adhesive in the groove; S130, solidifying the waterproof adhesive to form a waterproof reflective layer; S140, grinding and polishing the light-emitting surface of the scintillator array; The thickness of the grinding and polishing in step S140 is less than the depth of the groove in step S110.

[0006] The scintillator array processing method described above is used. Before grinding and polishing the scintillator array, the original reflective layer at the light-emitting surface end is removed to form a groove, then a waterproof reflective layer is formed in the groove, and finally grinding and polishing is performed. Since the waterproof reflective layer is formed at the light-emitting surface end, and the grinding and polishing thickness is less than the thickness of the waterproof reflective layer, liquid can be avoided from entering the original reflective layer as much as possible during grinding and polishing, thereby avoiding the original reflective layer from falling off and affecting the product performance.

[0007] Further, the waterproof adhesive comprises optical silica gel and reflective particles.

[0008] Further, the depth of the groove is 0.2-1mm.

[0009] Further, the step S110 comprises: S111, immersing the end of the scintillator array where the light exit surface is located below the liquid level of the cleaning liquid in the ultrasonic cleaner; S112, starting the ultrasonic cleaner.

[0010] Further, in the step S112, the frequency of the ultrasonic cleaner is 40-80 kHz, and the cleaning time is 10-20s.

[0011] Further, the ultrasonic cleaner comprises a box body, an ultrasonic generator, an upper support, a connecting piece and a clamping piece, the ultrasonic generator is arranged in the box body, the upper support is arranged at the top of the box body, the connecting piece is connected to the upper support and can be adjusted in the vertical direction, and the clamping piece is connected to the connecting piece and can clamp and fix the scintillator array.

[0012] Further, the upper support is provided with a scale area. The ultrasonic cleaner further comprises a scale rod, the scale rod is connected to the clamping piece, and one end of the scale rod extends to the scale area.

[0013] Further, the clamping piece comprises a connecting part, a frame part and a plurality of locking pieces, the connecting part is connected to the connecting piece, the frame part is connected to the connecting part, and a plurality of the locking pieces are movably connected to the frame part, and the plurality of locking pieces can lock and fix the scintillator array to the frame part during movement.

[0014] Further, in the step S130, the waterproof adhesive is cured by an oven.

[0015] Further, the curing temperature is 70-90℃, and the curing time is 40-60min.

[0016] In summary, the scintillator array processing method provided by the present application has at least the following advantages: 1. The original reflective layer at the end where the light exit surface is located is removed to form a groove, then the waterproof adhesive is applied in the groove to form a waterproof reflective layer, and finally the light exit surface is polished, which can avoid the liquid from causing the reflective layer to fall off as much as possible and improve the product performance; 2. The original reflective layer is PVA glue mixed with reflective particles, and the waterproof adhesive uses optical silica gel and reflective particles, which does not need to use all waterproof adhesive, thereby reducing the cost; 3. The original reflective layer at the end where the light-emitting surface is located is removed by the ultrasonic cleaning machine, which is more comprehensive, and the waterproof effect can be improved after forming the waterproof reflective layer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present application and are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present application and are used to explain the present application, but do not constitute a limitation on the present application.

[0018] Figure 1 A flowchart of a scintillator array processing method provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in the figure; Figure 2 A structural diagram of a scintillator array after the original reflective layer at the end where the light-emitting surface is located is removed is shown in the figure; Figure 3 A structural diagram of a scintillator array from another angle is shown in the figure; Figure 2 Figure 4 A structural diagram of an ultrasonic cleaning machine for removing the original reflective layer at the end where the light-emitting surface of the scintillator array is located is shown in the figure.

[0019] Label explanation: 100, scintillator array; 110, original reflective layer; 120, groove; 130, scintillator bar; 200, ultrasonic cleaning machine; 210, box body; 220, upper support; 230, connecting piece; 240, clamping piece; 241, connecting part; 242, frame part; 243, locking piece; 250, scale rod. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without departing from the connotation of the present application, so the present application is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0021] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.​

[0022] In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used herein only to describe different instances, and do not imply or suggest relative importance or a number of the technical features indicated. Thus, the features defined with "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality of" is at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited.

[0023] In the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connecting", "connecting", "fixing" and the like should be understood broadly, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or it can be integrated; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; it can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise explicitly limited. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0024] In the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the first feature is "on" or "under" the second feature, which can be direct contact between the first and second features, or indirect contact between the first and second features through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature "above", "above" and "above" the second feature can be directly above or obliquely above the first feature, or only indicate that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The first feature "below", "below" and "below" the second feature can be directly below or obliquely below the first feature, or only indicate that the horizontal height of the first feature is less than that of the second feature.

[0025] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on another element or there can be a middle element. When an element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to another element or there can be a middle element. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "up", "down", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are only for illustrative purposes, and do not represent the only implementation.

[0026] For the convenience of understanding the technical solutions of the present application, the defects of the existing scintillator array are described as follows: After the scintillator array is manufactured, polishing is needed to make the light emitting surface smooth and flat, reduce scattering and reflection at the light emitting surface, and improve imaging quality. The existing reflective adhesive in the scintillator array is usually made of PVA glue mixed with reflective particles such as barium sulfate and titanium oxide. Due to the poor water resistance of PVA glue, the reflective layer between the scintillator crystals at the light emitting surface is prone to falling off during polishing, thereby forming grooves between the scintillator crystals at the light emitting surface, affecting the reflection efficiency, and further affecting the product performance.

[0027] Based on this, please refer to Figures 1 to 3 An embodiment of the present application provides a scintillator array 100 processing method, comprising the steps of: S110, removing the original reflective layer 110 at the light emitting surface end of the scintillator array 100 to form a groove 120; S120, preparing a waterproof adhesive and applying the waterproof adhesive in the groove 120; S130, curing the waterproof adhesive to form a waterproof reflective layer; S140, polishing the light emitting surface of the scintillator array 100. In step S140, the polishing thickness is less than the depth of the groove 120 in step S110.

[0028] It should be explained that in step S110, the original reflective layer 110 is the reflective layer between adjacent scintillator crystals 130 after the scintillator array 100 is manufactured. After removing the original reflective layer 110 at the light emitting surface end, grooves 120 are formed between adjacent scintillator crystals 130. In step S120, the preparation of the waterproof adhesive can be performed before or simultaneously with step S110, which is not limited here. In addition, the polishing thickness is less than the depth of the groove 120, i.e. the polishing thickness is less than the thickness of the waterproof reflective layer, which can avoid removing the cured waterproof reflective layer, thereby avoiding as much as possible the entry of liquid into the original reflective layer 110 during polishing, and further avoiding the falling off of the original reflective layer 110 affecting the product performance.

[0029] Using the above scintillator array 100 processing method, before polishing the scintillator array 100, the original reflective layer 110 at the light emitting surface end is removed to form a groove 120, then a waterproof reflective layer is formed in the groove 120, and finally polishing is performed. Since the waterproof reflective layer is formed at the light emitting surface end, and the polishing thickness is less than the thickness of the waterproof reflective layer, it is possible to avoid as much as possible the entry of liquid into the original reflective layer 110 during polishing, and further avoid the falling off of the original reflective layer 110 affecting the product performance.

[0030] It should be noted that, as described above, the original reflective layer 110 is made of PVA glue mixed with reflective particles such as barium sulfate and titanium oxide. In this embodiment, the waterproof adhesive includes optical silicone and reflective particles.

[0031] It needs to be further explained that the existing scintillator array 100 preparation method can be bonding or glue filling. The bonding method usually prepares a plurality of scintillator bars 130 first, and then uses a reflective adhesive to press and bond the scintillator bars 130, and after curing, the scintillator array 100 is formed. The glue filling method usually arranges a plurality of scintillator bars 130 in an array first, then seals the outer side of the plurality of scintillator bars 130 arranged in an array to form a cavity, and then fills the reflective adhesive into the cavity.

[0032] Therefore, if the bonding method is used and the waterproof adhesive in the present embodiment is directly used, the waterproof adhesive can be easily squeezed out during the pressing process because the optical silicone is soft, so the waterproof adhesive cannot be directly used. In addition, it is not convenient to use the glue filling method to prepare the scintillator array 100 because the gap between adjacent scintillator bars 130 in the scintillator array 100 is small. In addition, the cost of PVA glue mixed with barium sulfate, titanium oxide and other reflective particles is low, and the above-mentioned scintillator array 100 processing method can not only achieve the above-mentioned reduction of the probability of the original reflective layer 110 falling off and the probability of affecting the product performance, but also reduce the cost.

[0033] In one embodiment, the depth of the groove 120 in step S110 is 0.2-1mm, for example, it can be 0.2mm, 0.3mm, 0.4mm, 0.5mm, 0.6mm, 0.7mm, 0.8mm, 0.9mm, 1mm. At the same time, it can be determined that if the depth of the groove 120 is 0.2mm, the polishing thickness in step S140 is less than 0.2mm.

[0034] In one embodiment, step S110 includes: S111, immerse the end where the light emitting surface of the scintillator array 100 is located into the liquid surface of the cleaning liquid in the ultrasonic cleaner 200; S112, start the ultrasonic cleaner 200 to clean the part of the scintillator array 100 immersed in the cleaning liquid to remove the original reflective layer 110 of the immersed part. It can be determined in combination with the above-mentioned embodiments that the depth of the scintillator array 100 immersed in the cleaning liquid is 0.2-1mm to ensure that after removing the original reflective layer 110, the groove 120 with a depth of 0.2-1mm is formed between the scintillator bars 130 on the light emitting surface.

[0035] In one embodiment, the ultrasonic cleaning machine 200 comprises a box 210, an ultrasonic generator, an upper support 220, a connecting piece 230 and a clamping piece 240. The box 210 is filled with cleaning liquid; the ultrasonic generator is arranged in the box 210 and used to generate ultrasonic waves; the upper support 220 is arranged on the top of the box 210; the connecting piece 230 is connected to the upper support 220 and can be adjusted in the vertical direction; and the clamping piece 240 is connected to the connecting piece 230 and can clamp and fix the scintillator array 100. In this way, the scintillator array 100 can be clamped on the clamping piece 240, and the light-emitting surface of the scintillator array 100 faces the box 210 below. When the position of the connecting piece 230 is adjusted in the vertical direction, the scintillator array 100 on the clamping piece 240 is driven to move downward and immerse in the cleaning liquid.

[0036] It should be noted that the connecting piece 230 can be adjusted in the vertical direction, which can be that the connecting piece 230 is reciprocally connected to the upper support 220 in the vertical direction, and damping structure is arranged between the connecting piece 230 and the upper support 220 to ensure that the connecting piece 230 moves when subjected to external force and is fixed relative to the upper support 220 when not subjected to external force; or the connecting piece 230 can be reciprocally connected to the upper support 220 in the vertical direction, and a screw rod is arranged to be rotatably connected to the upper support 220, the screw rod is threadedly connected to the connecting piece 230, and the screw rod can drive the connecting piece 230 to reciprocally move in the vertical direction during rotation.

[0037] Further, the upper support 220 is provided with a scale area, that is, the scale area is marked with scales, and the scales are marked in the vertical direction. The ultrasonic cleaning machine 200 further comprises a scale rod 250, the scale rod 250 is connected to the clamping piece 240, and one end of the scale rod 250 extends to the scale area to determine the depth of the scintillator array 100 immersed in the cleaning liquid by cooperation of the scale rod 250 and the scales.

[0038] In one embodiment, the clamping piece 240 comprises a connecting part 241, a frame part 242 and a plurality of locking pieces 243. The connecting part 241 is connected to the bottom end of the connecting piece 230, and the frame part 242 is connected to the connecting part 241. The plurality of locking pieces 243 are movably connected to the frame part 242, and the plurality of locking pieces 243 can fix the scintillator array 100 to the frame part 242 during movement. Specifically, the frame part 242 is a rectangular frame, and one locking piece 243 is threadedly connected to each of the four edges of the frame part 242. One end of each locking piece 243 extends into the interior of the frame part 242, and the locking piece 243 can abut against the scintillator array 100 in the frame part 242 during rotation, so as to clamp and fix the scintillator array 100.

[0039] It needs to be explained that, in other embodiments, the reflective layer at the end where the light emitting surface is located can also be removed by a tool such as a spatula to form the groove 120 at the end. Of course, the reflective layer is preferably removed by the ultrasonic cleaning machine 200 so that the removal of the reflective layer is more comprehensive.

[0040] In one embodiment, the waterproof adhesive is cured by an oven in step S130. Specifically, the curing temperature is 70-90℃, and the curing time is 40-60min.

[0041] In order to facilitate the understanding of the technical solutions of the present application, the above processing method is described in a specific embodiment: The scintillator array 100 is fixed on the clamping piece 240, the light emitting surface of the scintillator array 100 faces downward, the connecting piece 230 is moved downward, and the scale rod 250 and the scale are matched to make the bottom end of the scintillator array 100 immersed in the cleaning liquid by 0.5mm. Next, the ultrasonic generator is turned on, the frequency is 80kHz, and the cleaning time is 15s. Next, the clamping piece 240 is lifted, and the scintillator array 100 is taken off. The moisture and residues remaining on the light emitting surface of the scintillator array 100 are removed. The waterproof adhesive is applied in the groove 120 of the light emitting surface, and the excess waterproof adhesive is scraped off with a scraper. Next, the scintillator array 100 is placed in an oven for curing, the curing temperature is 80℃, and the time is 45min. After curing, the light emitting surface of the scintillator array 100 is polished with a polishing liquid, and the polishing thickness is 0.1-0.2mm. After polishing, the light emitting surface is detected, and no reflective layer peeling occurs.

[0042] In summary, the scintillator array 100 processing method provided by the present application has at least the following advantages: 1. The original reflective layer 110 at the end where the light emitting surface is located is removed first to form a groove 120, then waterproof adhesive is applied in the groove 120 to form a waterproof reflective layer, and finally the light emitting surface is polished, which can avoid liquid-induced reflective layer peeling as much as possible and improve product performance; 2. The original reflective layer 110 is PVA glue mixed with reflective particles, and the waterproof adhesive uses optical silica gel and reflective particles, so it is not necessary to use waterproof adhesive entirely, which reduces the cost; 3. The original reflective layer 110 at the end where the light emitting surface is located is removed by the ultrasonic cleaning machine 200, which is more comprehensive, and the waterproof effect can be improved after forming the waterproof reflective layer.

[0043] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes, modifications, replacements and variations can be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirits of the present application, and the scope of the present application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method of processing a scintillator array, characterized by, The method comprises the steps of: S110, removing the original reflection layer at the end of the light-emitting surface of the scintillator array to form a groove; S120, preparing a waterproof adhesive and applying the waterproof adhesive in the groove; S130, curing the waterproof adhesive to form a waterproof reflection layer; S140, polishing the light-emitting surface of the scintillator array; The polishing thickness in step S140 is less than the depth of the groove in step S110.

2. The scintillator array processing method according to claim 1, wherein, The waterproof adhesive comprises optical silica gel and reflective particles.

3. The scintillator array processing method of claim 1, wherein, The depth of the groove is 0.2-1 mm.

4. The scintillator array processing method of claim 1, wherein Step S110 comprises: S111, immersing the end of the light-emitting surface of the scintillator array below the liquid level of the cleaning liquid in the ultrasonic cleaner; S112, starting the ultrasonic cleaner.

5. The scintillator array processing method according to claim 4, wherein In step S112, the frequency of the ultrasonic cleaner is 40-80 kHz, and the cleaning time is 10-20 s.

6. The scintillator array processing method of claim 4, wherein The ultrasonic cleaner comprises a box body, an ultrasonic generator, an upper support, a connecting piece and a clamping piece, the ultrasonic generator is arranged in the box body, the upper support is arranged at the top of the box body, the connecting piece is connected to the upper support and can be adjusted in the vertical direction, and the clamping piece is connected to the connecting piece and can clamp and fix the scintillator array.

7. The scintillator array processing method according to claim 6, wherein The upper support is provided with a scale area. The ultrasonic cleaner further comprises a scale rod, the scale rod is connected to the clamping piece, and one end of the scale rod extends to the scale area.

8. The scintillator array processing method according to claim 6, wherein The clamping piece comprises a connecting part, a frame part and a plurality of locking pieces, the connecting part is connected to the connecting piece, the frame part is connected to the connecting part, and a plurality of locking pieces are movably connected to the frame part, and the plurality of locking pieces can lock and fix the scintillator array to the frame part during movement.

9. The scintillator array processing method of claim 1, wherein, In step S130, the waterproof adhesive is cured by an oven.

10. The scintillator array processing method of claim 9, wherein, The curing temperature is 70-90℃, and the curing time is 40-60 min.

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