X-Ray Detector Cell Array for Energy-Resolved Spectral Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Indirect-conversion X-ray detectors suffer from slow time response and low spatial resolution, lacking energy resolving power, while direct-conversion detectors require compact size, high charge mobility, and small parasite capacitance for fast time response and energy sensitivity.
Innovation Solution
A direct-conversion X-ray detection method and structure using an array of semiconductor detector cells arranged in a row to generate energy-resolved spectral profiles by measuring X-ray intensity with a Laplacian transform technique, enabling efficient and spatially resolved imaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If indirect-conversion detectors are used, then cost-effectiveness and large-area imaging are improved, but time response speed, spatial resolution, and energy resolving power deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a light guide layer as an intermediary component between the scintillator and the photodetector array. This light guide layer redirects scattered light from the scintillator to adjacent photodetectors, enabling temporal coincidence detection. This mediator resolves the contradiction by allowing indirect-conversion detectors to achieve fast time response (through coincidence detection) while maintaining their cost-effectiveness and large-area imaging capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic timing windows for coincidence detection between photodetectors. By adjusting the timing window dynamically, the system optimizes the balance between detecting true coincident events (improving time response) and rejecting random coincidences (maintaining image quality). This dynamic approach allows the detector to achieve fast time response while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
2Ease of manufacture
If indirect-conversion detectors are used, then cost-effectiveness is improved, but spatial resolution deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide layer acts as an intermediary that spatially redistributes light from the scintillator to multiple photodetectors. By analyzing the spatial distribution of light across the photodetector array and applying coincidence detection, the system achieves improved spatial resolution while maintaining the cost-effectiveness of indirect-conversion architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a temporal dimension to spatial detection by implementing time-coincidence detection between multiple photodetectors. This temporal dimension allows the system to resolve spatial information more precisely by identifying which photodetectors detected photons within the same time window, thereby improving spatial resolution without increasing manufacturing complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If indirect-conversion detectors are used, then cost-effectiveness is improved, but energy resolving power deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the detection process into multiple independent photodetectors that can individually measure photon energies. By implementing coincidence detection between segmented photodetectors, the system can resolve both spatial and energy information simultaneously, achieving energy resolving power while maintaining the cost-effectiveness of the indirect-conversion architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds energy discrimination as another dimension to the detection process. By measuring the energy of photons detected by each photodetector and applying energy windowing in coincidence detection, the system achieves energy resolving power while maintaining cost-effectiveness through the shared scintillator and photodetector array architecture.
4Speed
If direct-conversion detectors are used, then time response speed, spatial resolution, and energy sensitivity are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide layer serves as an intermediary that simplifies the detector structure by enabling a single scintillator to serve multiple photodetectors simultaneously. This mediator allows the system to achieve direct-conversion-like performance (fast time response) while maintaining the simpler indirect-conversion architecture, thereby reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the scintillator serve multiple functions: it converts X-ray photons to visible light for detection by multiple photodetectors simultaneously, and its light output is distributed through the light guide layer to enable both spatial and temporal coincidence detection. This multi-functionality reduces device complexity by eliminating the need for separate direct-conversion materials while achieving comparable performance.
5Measurement precision
If direct-conversion detectors are used, then energy sensitivity is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide layer acts as an intermediary that enables energy-sensitive detection using standard photodetectors rather than requiring specialized direct-conversion materials. This mediator allows the system to achieve energy sensitivity through the scintillator's wavelength-shifting properties while maintaining ease of manufacture using conventional photodetector fabrication processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent exploits parameter changes in the scintillator material (wavelength shifting properties) to achieve energy sensitivity. By selecting scintillator materials with appropriate emission wavelengths and using light guide layers with matching transmission characteristics, the system achieves energy sensitivity without requiring complex direct-conversion semiconductor materials, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture.
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 method achieves fast and economical energy-resolved X-ray imaging with high efficiency and spatial resolution, utilizing semiconductor materials like silicon and germanium for strong energy-dependent absorption.
Implementation Method 1
An indirect-conversion detector utilizes scintillators to convert high-energy X-ray photons to ensembles of low-energy visible photons
Implementation Method 2
couple the visible photons with light detectors such as photomultipliers or CCD/CMOS/photodiodes to electric signals
Implementation Method 3
In photoelectric absorption, incident X-ray photons kick out an inner shell electron with a total energy transfer
Implementation Method 4
In Compton scattering, an incident photon scattered by outer electrons with fractional energy transfer, produces a hot electron or electron-hole pairs and a lower energy photon
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to energy-resolved X-ray imaging apparatus and method. The present disclosure provides an apparatus for electromagnetic irradiation imaging. The apparatus includes one or more pixels, each pixel including a plurality of detector cells arranged in a row extending in a row direction. The row is configured to receive photons at an incident surface at one end of the row, and the received photons penetrate the plurality of detector cells in the row direction. The plurality of detector cells of the same row are configured to generate respective signals that collectively indicate an energy-resolved spectral profile of the photons based on the penetration of the photons into the row of detector cells.