Low Power TDC-ADC with OR Logic for Radiation Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
High power consumption and heat generation in radiation detector arrays, particularly in high-density ToF-PET systems, due to complex electronics and inadequate cooling, which affects detector performance and increases system cost and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A signal processing circuit that uses OR logic to combine hit signals from multiple input channels, reducing the number of time-to-digital converters and analog-to-digital converters, thereby decreasing power consumption and heat generation, while maintaining accurate time stamping and energy measurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If high density detector arrays are used to improve spatial and temporal resolution, then measurement precision is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple detector channels are merged to share common electronics resources. Specifically, multiple channels share a single time-to-digital converter (TDC) and analog-to-digital converter (ADC), reducing the total number of power-consuming components while maintaining the ability to process signals from all channels independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The shared TDC and ADC components serve multiple functions by processing signals from multiple detector channels. The OR logic circuit enables these universal components to be triggered by any channel, making the electronics system multi-functional rather than dedicated to single channels.
2Measurement precision
If complex electronics with multiple TDCs and ADCs are used for each channel to improve measurement precision, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple detector channels into groups that share common TDC and ADC resources. This merging approach reduces the total number of converters needed, directly lowering device complexity while preserving measurement precision through the OR logic triggering mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The detector array is segmented into groups or zones, where each group shares a set of electronics resources. This segmentation allows the system to manage complexity by organizing channels into manageable units rather than treating each channel independently.
3Temperature
If adequate cooling systems are added to reduce heat generation, then temperature control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts or removes the source of the problem by reducing power consumption at its origin (the electronics components). By lowering the power consumption of TDCs and ADCs through sharing, the heat generation is reduced, making extensive cooling systems less necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of heat generation into a benefit by designing low-power electronics that inherently generate less heat. The shared architecture, which could be seen as a compromise, actually becomes advantageous by reducing thermal management requirements.
4Productivity
If more TDCs and ADCs are used to process signals from multiple channels, then productivity is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple signal processing paths into shared TDC and ADC components. The OR logic circuit allows these shared components to handle signals from multiple channels sequentially or in parallel, maintaining productivity while reducing the total number of power-consuming components.
Solution Approach 2:
The shared TDC and ADC components process signals from multiple channels in a periodic or time-multiplexed manner. The OR logic trigger initiates conversion cycles that can service multiple channels, achieving high throughput through efficient time management rather than through having dedicated components for each channel.
Data Source
AI summary
A diagnostic imaging device includes a signal processing circuit (22) processes signals from a detector array (16) which detects radiation from an imaging region (20). The hit signals are indicative of a corresponding detector (18) being hit by a radiation photon. The signal processing circuit (22) includes a plurality of input channels (321, 322, 323, 324), each input channel receiving hit signals from a corresponding detector element (18) such that each input channel (321, 322, 323, 324) corresponds to a location at which each hit signal is received. A plurality of integrators (42) integrate signals from the input channels (32) to determine an energy value associated with each radiation hit. A plurality of analog-to-digital converters (441, 442, 443, 444) convert the integrated energy value into a digital energy value. A plurality of time to digital converters (40) receive the hit signals and generate a digital time stamp. OR logic (36, 38) relays signal hits from a subset of the plurality of input channels (32) to one of the ADC (44) and one of the time to digital converters (40), the subset including more than one input channel such that more than one input channel is connected with each ADC (44) and/or each time-to-digital converter (40). A register and read out (25) reads out the locations, the digital energy values, and the digital time stamps for hit signals.