Clamp and scintillation crystal array
By using a fixture and reflective film adhesive layer design, the problems of high difficulty in manufacturing scintillation crystal arrays and optical glue overflow were solved, enabling efficient and precise crystal array manufacturing and improving yield and performance.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-11
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-03
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, scintillation crystal arrays are difficult to fabricate, have poor uniformity in reflective layer thickness, and are prone to optical glue overflow, which complicates the processing and affects array performance.
A fixture is used to fabricate scintillation crystal arrays. The fixture includes a base plate, a frame, and a clamping device. The base plate and frame are provided with guide grooves. The vent holes and guide grooves are used to contain the overflowing optical adhesive. The clamping device is used to fix the crystals, and the reflective film adhesive layer is used to bond the gaps between the crystals, simplifying the processing procedure.
It improves the precision and yield of scintillation crystal arrays, reduces processing difficulty, simplifies operation procedures, and increases manufacturing efficiency and yield.
Smart Images
Figure CN223961177U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of scintillation crystal fabrication technology, and in particular to a fixture and a scintillation crystal array. Background Technology
[0002] Among related technologies, positron emission tomography (PET), as an advanced nuclear medicine imaging technique, has unique advantages in obtaining functional information about certain organs or lesions in humans or animals, and is considered the best known diagnostic technique. The scintillation crystal is the core component of the PET system detector, and its performance largely determines the overall performance of the PET scanner.
[0003] A scintillation crystal array consists of several crystal units and a reflective layer. The reflective layer is typically formed by curing barium sulfate powder with adhesive or titanium dioxide powder with adhesive and optical adhesive. Although the powder-adhesive mixture has high viscosity, its flowability is poor, making self-flowing potting encapsulation difficult. Furthermore, overflow of the optical adhesive during manufacturing complicates the process or results in uneven array arrangement. In addition, the poor uniformity of the reflective layer's thickness and the presence of fine air pockets within the reflective layer significantly impact the performance of the scintillation crystal array. Utility Model Content
[0004] This application aims to address at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this application proposes a fixture and a scintillation crystal array, which can effectively reduce the difficulty of fabricating scintillation crystal arrays.
[0005] One embodiment of this application provides a fixture for fabricating a scintillation crystal array, comprising:
[0006] The base plate includes a first part and a second part. The first part is used to place the scintillation crystal units arranged in an array. The second part is arranged around the outer periphery of the first part and is provided with a first flow channel.
[0007] A frame is installed on the second part. The inner wall of the frame is provided with a second flow channel. The second flow channel is connected to the outside through a vent hole. An installation space is defined between the inner side wall of the frame and the edge of the first part.
[0008] A ring-shaped clamping device is installed within the mounting space, and the clamping device is used to clamp each of the scintillation crystal units arranged in the array.
[0009] Furthermore, the base plate is made of glass or metal, and the surface of the base plate is provided with a reflective coating; or, the base plate is a Teflon plate.
[0010] Furthermore, the width of the first guide channel is 0.2mm~1mm, and the depth of the first guide channel is 0.5mm~2mm.
[0011] Furthermore, the frame is made of Teflon sheet; or, the frame is made of metal sheet, and the surface of the frame is provided with a reflective coating.
[0012] Furthermore, the diameter of the vent hole is 1~3mm.
[0013] Furthermore, the width of the second guide groove is 0.2mm~1mm, and the depth of the second guide groove is 0.5mm~2mm.
[0014] Furthermore, the clamping device is made of a metal plate, and the surface of the clamping device is provided with a reflective coating; or, the clamping device is made of a Teflon plate.
[0015] Furthermore, the thickness of the clamping device is 1mm to 3mm.
[0016] Furthermore, the first guide channel is disposed around the outer periphery of the first portion; and / or, the second guide channel is disposed around the inner periphery of the frame.
[0017] Another embodiment of this application discloses a scintillation crystal array, which is manufactured using the fixture described above. The scintillation crystal array includes a plurality of scintillation crystals arranged in an array, and a reflective film adhesive layer is provided between any two adjacent scintillation crystals. The reflective film adhesive layer includes a reflective film with optical adhesive.
[0018] Furthermore, the scintillation crystal is an LYSO crystal unit, an LSO crystal unit, or a BGO crystal unit.
[0019] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the embodiments of this application have at least the following beneficial effects:
[0020] The fixture provided in this application embodiment features simple and convenient crystal insertion, high array manufacturing efficiency, easy operator learning curve, low learning cost, and reusable base plate and frame. Simultaneously, the reflective film adhesive layer is tightly bonded between the crystals, and the optical adhesive can be evenly spread in the gap between any two adjacent crystals, preventing light leakage and improving the accuracy of the scintillating crystal. Furthermore, the base plate and frame are respectively provided with a first and a second flow channel, which can accommodate optical adhesive overflowing from the scintillating crystal array. This avoids a large amount of optical adhesive adhering to the outer surface of the scintillating crystal array, simplifies subsequent processing of the scintillating crystal array, reduces the array processing difficulty, and improves the yield of the scintillating crystal array. Attached Figure Description
[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a jig for a scintillation crystal array provided in one embodiment of this application;
[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping device in the embodiments of this application.
[0024] Figure label:
[0025] 110. Part One;
[0026] 200. Frame; 210. Ventilation hole; 220. Installation space;
[0027] 300. Clamping device; 310. Inner contour. Detailed Implementation
[0028] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0029] See Figure 1 As shown and Figure 2 One embodiment of this application discloses a fixture, including a base plate, a frame 200 and a clamping device 300.
[0030] Specifically, the base plate includes a first part 110 and a second part. The first part 110 is used to place the scintillation crystal units arranged in the array. The second part is arranged around the outer periphery of the first part 110 and is provided with a first flow guide groove. The frame 200 is installed on the second part. The inner wall of the frame 200 is provided with a second flow guide groove. The second flow guide groove is connected to the outside through a vent 210. An installation space 220 is defined between the inner side wall of the frame 200 and the edge of the first part 110. The clamping device 300 is annular and installed in the installation space 220. The clamping device 300 is used to clamp each scintillation crystal unit arranged in the array.
[0031] The first part 110 is provided with a number of crisscrossing dividing slots, which divide the first part 110 into a number of array units, the size of which corresponds to the size of the bottom surface of a scintillation crystal.
[0032] In practical applications, several scintillation crystals are inserted into the first part 110 of the base plate, with each scintillation crystal corresponding to an array unit. A reflective film adhesive layer is then inserted between any two adjacent scintillation crystals to form a scintillation crystal array. The outline edge of the scintillation crystal array is flush with the edge of the first part 110. After inserting the array of scintillation crystals into the first part 110, a reflective film adhesive layer is inserted between any two scintillation crystals. Then, the clamping device 300 is installed into the first mounting space 220, thus clamping the array of scintillation crystals. It is worth noting that when clamping the array of scintillation crystals with the clamping device 300, the outer surface of the scintillation crystal array abuts against the inner wall of the clamping device 300.
[0033] It should be noted that the dimensions of the inner contour 310 of the frame 200 are consistent with the dimensions of the required crystal array.
[0034] In the fixture of this application embodiment, crystal insertion is simple and convenient, array manufacturing efficiency is high, the operator's learning curve is simple, the cost of learning to manufacture the array is low, and the base plate and frame 200 are reusable. Simultaneously, the reflective film adhesive layer is tightly bonded between the crystals, and the optical adhesive can be evenly spread in the gap between any two adjacent crystals, preventing light leakage and improving the accuracy of the scintillating crystal. Furthermore, the base plate and frame 200 are respectively provided with a first guide groove and a second guide groove, which can accommodate optical adhesive overflowing from the scintillating crystal array, avoiding the situation where a large amount of optical adhesive adheres to the outer surface of the scintillating crystal array. This simplifies the subsequent processing of the scintillating crystal array, reduces processing difficulty, and also improves the yield of the scintillating crystal array.
[0035] In the embodiments of this application, the first guide channel is offset from the frame 200, and there is a gap between the inner wall of the frame 200 and the outer surface of the scintillation crystal array. In this way, the first guide channel and the second guide channel can communicate with the outside through the vent 210, which is beneficial to balance the air pressure of the first guide channel, the second guide channel and the outside, and also beneficial to allow the optical glue overflowing from the scintillation crystal array to flow into the first guide channel or the second guide channel.
[0036] Furthermore, in some embodiments, air can be blown onto the outer surface of the scintillation crystal array through the vent 210 to blow the overflowing optical adhesive into the first guide groove and / or the second guide groove.
[0037] In some embodiments of this application, the base plate is made of glass or metal, and the surface of the base plate is provided with a reflective coating. The side with the reflective coating faces the side closest to the frame 200; that is, one layer of the base plate with the reflective coating is used to contact the scintillation crystal unit.
[0038] In some other embodiments of this application, the base plate is a Teflon sheet. When the base plate is made of Teflon sheet, there is no need to spray a reflective coating on the surface of the base plate.
[0039] In some embodiments of this application, the width of the first guide channel is 0.2mm to 1mm, and the depth of the first guide channel is 0.5mm to 2mm.
[0040] It is understandable that the width and depth of the first guide groove can be selected according to the volume of the bonding material overflowing from the scintillation crystal array.
[0041] In some embodiments of this application, the first guide channel is arranged around the outer periphery of the first portion 110, and the first guide channel is offset from the frame 200.
[0042] In this embodiment, the first guide groove can be opened in the second part by a CNC laser cutting machine.
[0043] In some embodiments of this application, the base plate can be bonded to the bottom of the frame 200 with optical adhesive, thus ensuring the sealing of the connection between the base plate and the frame 200, and facilitating the blowing off of the adhesive material overflowing from the scintillation crystal array through the vent 210.
[0044] It is understandable that the height of the frame 200 is the same as the height of the scintillation crystal unit. When the scintillation crystal unit is placed in the first part 110 of the base plate, the top surface of the scintillation crystal unit is flush with the top of the frame 200.
[0045] In some embodiments of this application, the frame 200 is made of Teflon sheet, and the surface of the frame 200 is coated with a reflective coating.
[0046] In some other embodiments of this application, the frame 200 is made of a metal plate and the surface of the frame 200 is provided with a reflective coating.
[0047] In some embodiments of this application, see Figure 1 The frame 200 has ventilation holes 210 penetrating both the inner and outer sides of the frame 200, with a diameter of 1-3 mm. Through the ventilation holes 210, the first guide groove, and the second guide groove, air can be blown to the outer periphery of the scintillation crystal array to blow off any optical adhesive that overflows outside the scintillation crystal array. This reduces processing difficulties caused by optical adhesive overflow and helps improve the yield of the scintillation crystal array.
[0048] In practical applications, the diameter of the vent 210 can be set to 1mm, 2mm, 3mm or other sizes as needed, and is not limited here.
[0049] In some embodiments of this application, the width of the second guide channel is 0.2mm to 1mm, and the depth of the second guide channel is 0.5mm to 2mm.
[0050] In some embodiments of this application, a second guide channel is circumferentially arranged around the inner wall of the frame 200 to accommodate optical adhesive overflowing from the scintillation crystal array.
[0051] In one possible implementation, the second guide channel is processed on the inner wall of the frame 200 by a CNC laser cutting machine.
[0052] In the embodiments of this application, the clamping device 300 is a quadrilateral frame with an inner contour 310 that matches the outer perimeter of the scintillation crystal array, used to bind the individual scintillation crystals in the scintillation crystal array together. During this process, the scintillation crystals inside the scintillation crystal array can slightly adjust their positions under the interaction force, which helps to improve the uniformity of the spacing between the individual scintillation crystals.
[0053] In some embodiments of this application, the clamping device 300 is made of a metal plate and the surface of the clamping device 300 is provided with a reflective coating.
[0054] In some other embodiments of this application, the clamping device 300 is made of Teflon sheet, in which case the outer surface of the clamping device 300 does not need to be coated with a reflective coating.
[0055] In some embodiments of this application, the thickness of the clamping device 300 is 1mm to 3mm.
[0056] Another embodiment of this application discloses a scintillation crystal array, which is manufactured using the fixture described above. The scintillation crystal array includes a plurality of scintillation crystals arranged in an array, and a reflective film adhesive layer is provided between any two adjacent scintillation crystals. The reflective film adhesive layer includes a reflective film with optical adhesive.
[0057] The scintillation crystal can be an LYSO crystal unit, an LSO crystal unit, or a BGO crystal unit. When selecting the scintillation crystal unit, choose one with a intact and defect-free surface to ensure the quality of the scintillation crystal array.
[0058] In the above embodiments, after the scintillation crystal array is cured and removed, a reflective film is pasted on the side and bottom surface of the scintillation crystal array and wrapped with aluminum foil, and then the light-emitting surface is optically processed.
[0059] In one embodiment, the reflective film adhesive layer is composed of a reflective film cut by a dicing machine to a size consistent with the size of the scintillation crystal unit and then impregnated with optical adhesive.
[0060] In one possible implementation, fabricating a scintillation crystal array includes the following steps:
[0061] Select several scintillation crystal units and inspect their surfaces to ensure there are no defects such as chipped edges or scratches.
[0062] The reflective film is cut with a dicing machine to make its size match that of the scintillating crystal unit. The reflective film is then soaked in optical adhesive to form a reflective film adhesive layer.
[0063] The scintillation crystal unit is loaded into the aforementioned manufacturing fixture;
[0064] A reflective film adhesive layer is inserted into the scintillation crystal unit and clamped and fixed by clamping device 300;
[0065] The optical adhesive that overflowed from the array was blown off by ventilation through the vent 210 on the frame 200;
[0066] After curing, the scintillation crystal array is removed from the fixture. A reflective film is then pasted around the edges and bottom of the removed crystal array, and aluminum foil is wrapped around it. Optical processing is then performed on the light-emitting surface.
[0067] In this embodiment of the scintillation crystal array, several scintillation crystal units are perpendicular to each other, with uniform and consistent spacing between them, and the insertion is simple, thus improving the array's performance. The reflective films are neatly arranged and tightly bonded between the crystal strips, and the optical adhesive is evenly spread across the crystals to prevent light leakage, thereby improving the accuracy of the scintillation crystal. The use of air blowing through the vent 210 provides a feasible solution to the problem of difficult processing and low yield of the scintillation crystal array caused by optical adhesive overflow, which is beneficial to improving the array's yield.
[0068] The fixture and scintillation crystal array of this application are described in detail below with specific embodiments. It should be noted that the following embodiments are merely illustrative and should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of this application.
[0069] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the fabrication of a scintillation crystal array includes the following steps:
[0070] A flat Teflon plate is selected as the base plate. According to the design requirements, a first area and a second area are processed on the base plate. A first guide groove is processed in the first area. The width of the first guide groove is 0.2-1mm and the depth is 0.5-2mm.
[0071] A smooth Teflon sheet is selected as the frame 200. According to design requirements, ventilation holes 210 with a diameter of 1-3mm are machined on the four walls of the frame 200. Second guide grooves with a width of 0.2-1mm and a depth of 0.5-2mm are machined on the four inner walls of the frame 200. The base plate is bonded to the frame 200 with optical adhesive, with the reflective coating on the base plate facing the frame 200.
[0072] According to the design requirements, a quadrilateral frame with an inner diameter that matches the required crystal array size is selected from a Teflon plate with a flat inner diameter and is used as the clamping device 300.
[0073] A reflective film of the same size as the scintillation crystal unit is cut using a slicing machine, and the reflective film is then soaked in optical adhesive to form a reflective film adhesive layer.
[0074] Select several intact, defect-free LYSO scintillation crystal units, insert them into the fixture, insert a reflective film adhesive layer into the scintillation crystal units, and clamp and fix the crystal array using clamping device 300. Ventilate through vent 210 to blow off any excess optical adhesive from the array surface.
[0075] After curing, the scintillation crystal array is removed from the fixture, a reflective film of the same size as the array is bonded with optical adhesive, and then wrapped with aluminum foil. Finally, the light-emitting surface is optically processed.
[0076] In another specific embodiment, the fabrication of a scintillation crystal array includes the following steps:
[0077] A flat aluminum plate coated with a reflective coating is selected as the base plate. According to the design requirements, a first part 110 and a second part are processed on the base plate. A first guide groove is processed on the second part. The width of the first guide groove is 0.2-1mm and the depth is 0.5-2mm.
[0078] A smooth aluminum plate with a reflective coating is selected as the frame 200. According to design requirements, ventilation holes 210 with a diameter of 1-3mm are machined on the four walls of the frame 200. Second guide grooves with a width of 0.2-1mm and a depth of 0.5-2mm are machined on the four inner walls of the frame 200. The base plate is then bonded to the frame 200 with optical adhesive, with the reflective coating on the base plate facing the frame 200.
[0079] According to the design requirements, a quadrilateral frame with an inner diameter consistent with the required scintillation crystal array size is selected from a flat aluminum plate and processed as the clamping device 300.
[0080] A reflective film of the same size as the scintillation crystal unit is cut using a slicing machine, and the reflective film is then soaked in optical adhesive to form a reflective film adhesive layer.
[0081] Several intact, defect-free BGO scintillation crystal units are selected and inserted into a fixture. A reflective film adhesive layer is inserted into the scintillation crystal units, and the crystal array is clamped and fixed using a clamping device 300. Air is vented through the vent 210 to blow off any excess optical adhesive from the array surface.
[0082] After curing, the scintillation crystal array is removed from the fixture, a reflective film of the same size as the scintillation crystal array is bonded with optical adhesive, and then wrapped with aluminum foil. Finally, the light-emitting surface is optically processed.
[0083] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.
[0084] 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. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.
[0085] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.
[0086] In the description of this specification, specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.
[0087] It should be understood that although the steps in the flowcharts of the accompanying figures are shown sequentially as indicated by the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless explicitly stated herein, there is no strict order restriction on the execution of these steps, and they can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least some steps in the flowcharts of the accompanying figures may include multiple sub-steps or multiple stages. These sub-steps or stages are not necessarily completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times, and their execution order is not necessarily sequential, but can be performed alternately or in turn with other steps or at least some of the sub-steps or stages of other steps.
Claims
1. A clamp, characterized in that, Used to fabricate scintillation crystal arrays, including: The base plate includes a first part and a second part. The first part is used to place the scintillation crystal units arranged in an array. The second part is arranged around the outer periphery of the first part and is provided with a first flow channel. A frame is installed on the second part. The inner wall of the frame is provided with a second guide groove, which is connected to the outside through a vent hole. An installation space is defined between the inner sidewall of the frame and the edge of the first part. A ring-shaped clamping device is installed within the mounting space, and the clamping device is used to clamp each of the scintillation crystal units arranged in the array.
2. The clamp according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base plate is made of glass or metal and has a reflective coating on its surface; or, the base plate is made of Teflon.
3. The clamp according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The width of the first guide channel is 0.2mm to 1mm, and the depth of the first guide channel is 0.5mm to 2mm.
4. The clamp according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frame is made of Teflon sheet; or the frame is made of metal sheet, and the surface of the frame is provided with a reflective coating.
5. The clamp according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that, The diameter of the vent is 1~3mm.
6. The clamp according to claim 1, characterized in that, The width of the second guide channel is 0.2mm~1mm, and the depth of the second guide channel is 0.5mm~2mm.
7. The clamp according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping device is made of a metal plate and has a reflective coating on its surface; or, the clamping device is made of a Teflon plate.
8. The clamp according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first flow channel is disposed around the outer periphery of the first portion; and / or, the second flow channel is disposed around the inner periphery of the frame.
9. A scintillation crystal array, characterized in that, Made using a fixture as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, the scintillation crystal array comprises a plurality of scintillation crystals arranged in an array, and a reflective film adhesive layer is provided between any two adjacent scintillation crystals, the reflective film adhesive layer comprising a reflective film provided with optical adhesive.
10. The scintillation crystal array according to claim 9, characterized in that, The scintillation crystal is an LYSO crystal unit, an LSO crystal unit, or a BGO crystal unit.