Dual-Energy Pixel Detector for Cross-Energy Intensity Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dual-energy imaging systems face challenges in accurately estimating radiation intensity across different energy ranges, leading to reduced imaging resolution and quality.
Innovation Solution
A dual-energy imaging device with a detector comprising subsets of pixels configured to detect radiation in specific energy ranges, utilizing a processing unit to calculate radiation intensity estimates through attenuation factors and spatial filters, enhancing imaging resolution by interpolating missing information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a detector with subsets of pixels detects radiation in different energy ranges, then dual-energy imaging capability is achieved, but radiation intensity estimation accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary estimation process that uses pixels from one energy range to estimate radiation intensity for pixels in another energy range. The processing unit calculates attenuation factors as intermediate values to bridge the gap between energy ranges, allowing accurate radiation intensity estimation across both energy ranges while maintaining dual-energy imaging capability.
2Manufacturing precision
If radiation intensity is estimated using attenuation factors from other pixels, then imaging resolution is improved, but calculation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the detector's own pixel data self-servicefully to estimate missing radiation intensity values. By calculating attenuation factors from available pixel pairs within the same detector, the system improves imaging resolution without requiring external calibration sources or additional hardware, thereby managing calculation complexity through self-contained processing.
3Measurement precision
If spatial filters are applied to calculate filtered attenuation factors, then radiation intensity estimation accuracy is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies spatial filtering selectively to calculate filtered attenuation factors only where needed for improving radiation intensity estimation accuracy. The processing unit performs partial filtering on subsets of pixel pairs rather than applying full filtering to all pixels, thereby achieving improved estimation accuracy while minimizing the increase in processing time through selective application of the filtering operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device improves imaging resolution by efficiently estimating radiation intensity across energy ranges, enabling more detailed object imaging through dual-energy detection.
Implementation Method 1
a detector comprising a plurality of pixels, wherein the plurality of pixels comprises a first subset of pixels configured to detect incident x-ray or gamma ray radiation
Implementation Method 2
calculate an attenuation factor for each pixel pair in a plurality of pixel pairs in the plurality of pixels
Data Source
AI summary
It is an object to provide a device and a method for x-ray and/or gamma ray detection. According to an embodiment, a device comprises: a detector comprising a plurality of pixels, wherein the plurality of pixels comprises a first subset of pixels configured to detect incident x-ray or gamma ray radiation in a first energy range and a second subset of pixels configured to detect incident x-ray or gamma ray radiation in a second energy range; a processing unit configured to: obtain a signal from each pixel in the plurality of pixels; obtain a radiation intensity value for each pixel in the plurality of pixels based on the signal of each pixel; calculate a radiation intensity estimate in the first energy range for at least one pixel in the second subset of pixels. A device and a method are provided.