Stacked Scintillator X-Ray Detector for Reduced Light Scattering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing X-ray detectors face issues with high light refraction and scattering within the scintillator, leading to image blurring and reduced resolution due to non-step-like luminance changes at the edges of objects.
Innovation Solution
The X-ray detector employs a structure with alternately stacked scintillators and low refractive layers, each equipped with light collecting portions to focus emitted light precisely onto photoelectric conversion elements, reducing refraction and scattering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a scintillator with a condenser lens shape is used to collect light, then light collection efficiency is improved, but image blurring occurs due to high refraction and scattering inside the scintillator
Solution Approach 1:
The scintillator is divided into multiple thin scintillator layers stacked in sequence, with light collecting portions provided at intervals between them. This segmentation reduces the thickness of each individual scintillator layer, thereby reducing light refraction and scattering within each layer while maintaining effective light collection through the distributed light collecting portions.
Solution Approach 2:
Light collecting portions are introduced as intermediary structures between the scintillator layers and the photoelectric conversion element array. These light collecting portions act as mediators to guide and focus light from the thin scintillator layers onto the photoelectric conversion elements, improving light collection efficiency without requiring the light to travel through thick scintillator material that would cause excessive refraction and scattering.
2Reliability
If the scintillator thickness is increased to improve X-ray detection, then X-ray absorption is improved, but light refraction and scattering increase causing image blurring
Solution Approach 1:
The thick scintillator needed for X-ray absorption is segmented into multiple thin scintillator layers stacked together. This segmentation maintains the total thickness for adequate X-ray absorption while reducing the thickness of each individual layer to minimize light refraction and scattering, thereby preventing image blurring.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of increasing scintillator thickness in a single dimension, the solution stacks multiple thin layers in the vertical dimension. This dimensional approach maintains the total path length for X-ray absorption while keeping each layer thin enough to allow efficient light transmission with minimal refraction and scattering.
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 configuration enables the capture of images with reduced blurring and improved resolution by effectively collecting and directing light to the correct photoelectric conversion elements.
Implementation Method 1
a scintillator that converts X-rays into visible light
Implementation Method 2
a photoelectric conversion element array including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements that convert visible light emitted from the scintillator into an electrical signal
Implementation Method 3
At least one of the scintillator and the low refractive layer includes a light collecting portion that focuses the emitted light toward a corresponding one of the photoelectric conversion elements
Data Source
AI summary
An X-ray detector includes a plurality of scintillators each configured to convert incident X-rays into light and emit the light, a plurality of low refractive layers that are alternately stacked with the plurality of scintillators and that have a refractive index lower than the scintillators, and a photoelectric conversion element array including a plurality of arrayed photoelectric conversion elements each configured to convert the light emitted from the alternately stacked scintillators and low refractive layers into an electrical signal. At least one of the scintillator and the low refractive layer includes a light collecting portion that focuses the emitted light toward a corresponding one of the photoelectric conversion elements.