Scintillation Pulse Extraction via Threshold Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional scintillation pulse data acquisition systems face challenges in maintaining performance due to temperature and time drift in analog circuits, lack of adaptability to different detectors, and the difficulty in achieving all-digital data acquisition systems with high sampling rates required for high-speed scintillation pulses, which limits the accuracy and precision of time, energy, and position information extraction.
Innovation Solution
A method using voltage thresholds and a high-precision timer to sample and reconstruct scintillation pulse waveforms, allowing for independent digital acquisition and processing of scintillation pulse information, including time, energy, position, and decay time constant, without relying on analog circuits, by setting multiple threshold voltages and performing linear and exponential fitting to obtain accurate pulse parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If high sampling rate ADC (>1GHz) is used to capture scintillation pulse, then time resolution is improved, but device complexity and processing requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the pulse measurement process into multiple segments by using multiple threshold voltages. Instead of sampling the entire pulse waveform at high speed, the system segments the measurement into multiple threshold crossing events, each captured at lower sampling rates, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining time resolution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional ADC-based electronic sampling system with a timing-based measurement system. Instead of converting the analog pulse to digital at high speed, the system uses timing circuits to measure the time intervals between threshold crossings, substituting high-speed conversion with time interval measurement.
2Ease of manufacture
If analog circuits are used for filtering and shaping, then signal processing is simplified, but temperature and time drift occur reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces analog filtering and shaping circuits with digital signal processing methods. By using digital threshold detection and time interval measurement, the system eliminates the temperature and time drift issues inherent in analog circuits while maintaining signal processing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of processing the analog signal through filtering and shaping before measurement, the patent inverts the approach by directly measuring timing information from the raw pulse signal using threshold detectors, thereby avoiding the need for stable analog processing circuits.
3Reliability
If analog-digital hybrid circuit is used, then some analog processing is maintained, but adaptability to different detectors is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal measurement system that can adapt to different detector types through software configuration rather than hardware modification. The digital threshold detection and time interval measurement approach works universally across different scintillation detectors without requiring analog circuit reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables adaptability to different detectors by changing measurement parameters such as threshold voltages and time intervals through software, rather than requiring hardware modifications. This allows the same system to optimize performance for different detector characteristics.
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
This approach enhances the stability and adaptability of scintillation pulse data acquisition systems, enabling precise digital processing of scintillation pulses with improved time resolution, energy resolution, and position information, overcoming limitations of existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
the scintillation pulse signal collected and processed by the data acquisition system is an observable electric signal obtained by converting visual light by a photoelectric conversion device, and the visual light is obtained by converting high energy particles (such as γ ray and X ray) by a scintillation crystal
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for extracting scintillation pulse information includes followed steps: 1. obtaining a peak value of the scintillation pulse in a certain energy spectrum, and setting at least three threshold voltages according to the peak value; 2. determining the time when the scintillation pulse passes through the each threshold voltage, wherein each time value and its corresponding threshold voltage form a sampling point; 3. selecting multiple sampling points as sampling points for reconstructing and reconstructing pulse waveform; 4. obtaining the data of original scintillation pulse by using reconstructed pulse waveform. A device for extracting scintillation pulse information includes a threshold voltage setting module (100), a time sampling module (200), a pulse reconstruction module (300) and an information acquiring module (400).