General Electric Company

Other

Orbotech Medical Solutions Ltd.

Orbotech Limited

Imarad Imaging Systems Ltd.

Ge Precision Healthcare LLC

Bell Communications Research, Inc.

Ge Medical Systems Israel, Ltd

Opal Technologies Ltd.

Tokyo Seimitsu (israel) Ltd

General Electric Medical Systems Israel, Ltd. (il)

Imrad Imaging Systems Ltd.

Arie Shahar

Uri El-Hanany

Nira Schwartz

Eliezer Traub

Alex Tsigelman

Yaron Glazer

Avishai Ofan

Peter Rusian

Shimon Klier

Jean-Paul Bouhnik

Richard W Woods

Jeffrey Michael Levy

Zeev Gutman

Moshe Cohen-Erner

Eldan Halberthal

Elhanan Blaut

Roi Harpaz

Mark David Fries

Juan Carlos Rojo

Israel Altman

Alex Gorin

Eldan Halbertal

Rotem Har-Lavan

Daniel Shalom

David Braginsky

Floribertus P M Heukensfeldt Jansen

Ira Micah Blevis

Walter J Tomlinson, Iii

Elyahou Kapon

Gilad Golan

Robert N Thurston

Jacob Karin

Alexander Gorin

Diego Sclar

Danny Magal

Zeev Gerber

Alexander Cherlin

Uri El-Hananay

Allon Shani

A radiation detector assembly is provided that includes a semiconductor detector, plural pixelated anodes disposed on a surface of the semiconductor detector, and at least one processor. Each pixelated anode generates a primary signal responsive to reception of a photon by the pixelated anode. The at least one processor is operably coupled to the pixelated anodes, and determines when a primary signal is generated by a given pixelated anode. Responsive to determining the presence of the primary signal in the given pixelated anode, the at least one processor disconnects the given pixelated anode from an electrical source, wherein a re-directed primary signal is directed to a surrounding pixelated anode of the given pixelated anode. The at least one processor identifies the surrounding pixelated anode, and assigns an event for the primary signal to a pre-determined sub-pixel portion of the given pixelated anode based on the identified surrounding pixelated anode.

Systems and methods for improved medical imaging

A radiation detector assembly is provided that includes a semiconductor detector, plural pixelated anodes disposed on a surface of the semiconductor detector, and at least one processor. Each pixelated anode is configured to generate a mixed primary signal responsive to reception of a photon by at least one surrounding anode of the pixelated anode and to generate a mixed secondary signal responsive to reception of a photon by the pixelated anode. The at least one processor is operably coupled to the pixelated anodes, and is configured to: acquire the mixed primary signal from a first pixelated anode; acquire the mixed secondary signal from a second pixelated anode; and count an event in the second pixelated anode responsive to acquiring the mixed primary signal from the first pixelated anode and the mixed secondary signal from the second pixelated anode.

A radiation detector assembly is provided that includes a semiconductor detector, plural pixelated anodes, and at least one processor. The semiconductor detector has a surface. The plural pixelated anodes are configured to generate a primary signal responsive to reception of a photon by the pixelated anode and to generate at least one secondary signal responsive to an induced charge caused by reception of a photon by at least one surrounding anode. The at least one processor is configured to: acquire a primary signal from one of the anodes responsive to reception of a photon; acquire at least one secondary signal from at least one neighboring pixel of the one of the anodes, the at least one secondary signal defining a negative value; and determine an energy correction factor for the reception of the photon using the negative value of the at least one secondary signal.

A radiation detection system is provided. The radiation detection system includes a radiation detector. The radiation detector includes a semiconductor layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, a monolithic cathode disposed on the first surface, and multiple pixelated anode strip-electrodes disposed on the second surface in a coplanar arrangement. The multiple pixelated anode strip-electrodes include a first set of pixelated anode strip-electrodes disposed along a first direction and a second set of pixelated anode strip-electrodes disposed along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. Each pixelated anode strip-electrode of the first set of pixelated anode strip-electrodes includes a first respective multiple segments disposed along the first direction. Each pixelated anode strip-electrode of the second set of pixelated anode strip-electrodes includes a second respective multiple segments disposed along the second direction.

Radiation detector having pixelated anode strip-electrodes

A radiation detector assembly is provided that includes a semiconductor detector, a collimator, plural pixelated anodes, and at least one processor. The collimator has openings defining pixels. Each pixelated anode is configured to generate a primary signal responsive to reception of a photon and to generate at least one secondary signal responsive to reception of a photon by at least one surrounding anode. Each pixelated anode includes a first portion and a second portion located in different openings of the collimator. The first portion is configured as a collecting portion having a collecting area, and the second portion is configured as a non-collecting portion having a non-collecting area that has a different size from the collecting area. The at least one processor is configured to determine a location for the reception of a photon using a primary signal and at least one secondary signal.

Anodes for improved detection of non-collected adjacent signals

A detector assembly is provided that includes a semiconductor detector, plural pixelated anodes, and at least one processor. The plural pixelated anodes are disposed on a surface of the semiconductor detector. Each pixelated anode is configured to generate a primary signal responsive to reception of a photon and to generate at least one secondary signal responsive to an induced charge caused by reception of a photon by at least one surrounding anode. The at least one processor is operably coupled to the pixelated anodes and is configured to acquire a primary signal from one of the anodes responsive to reception of a photon; acquire at least one secondary signal from at least one neighboring pixel; and determine a depth of interaction in the semiconductor detector for the reception of the photon by the one of the anodes using the at least one secondary signal.

Systems and methods for determination of depth of interaction

The systems and methods receive signals from pixelated anodes for at least one event, and pass the signals from the pixelated anodes through corresponding channel pairs, attenuate the signal from a plurality of select anodes at the first and second shaper circuits coupled to the plurality of the select anodes to form a candidate energy signals and an authentication energy signals, respectively, compare a ratio to identify whether the select anode is a collected energy signal or a non-collected energy signal, repeat the attenuating and comparing operations for a plurality of select anodes have one or more collecting anode and a plurality of peripheral anodes, subdivide the collecting anode having the collected energy signal into a plurality of sub-pixels, and identify a location of the at least one event relative to the plurality of sub-pixels based on non-collected energy signals from the plurality of peripheral anodes.

Systems and methods for collecting radiation detection

A detector assembly is provided that includes a semiconductor detector, a pinhole collimator, and a processing unit. The semiconductor detector has a first surface and a second surface opposed to each other. The first surface includes pixelated anodes. The pinhole collimator includes an array of pinhole openings corresponding to the pixelated anodes. Each pinhole opening corresponds to a corresponding group of pixelated anodes. The processing unit is operably coupled to the semiconductor detector and configured to identify detected events from the pixelated anodes. The processing unit is configured to generate a trigger signal responsive to a given detected event in a given pixelated anode, provide the trigger signal to a readout, and, using the readout, read and sum signals arriving from the given pixelated anode and anodes surrounding the given pixelated anode.

Systems and methods for improved collimation sensitivity

A radiation detector assembly is provided that includes a semiconductor detector, a collimator, plural pixelated anodes, and at least one processor. The collimator has openings defining pixels. Each pixelated anode is configured to generate a primary signal responsive to reception of a photon and to generate at least one secondary signal responsive to reception of a photon by at least one surrounding anode. Each pixelated anode includes a first portion and a second portion located in different openings of the collimator. The at least one processor is operably coupled to the pixelated anodes, and configured to acquire a primary signal from one of the pixelated anodes; acquire at least one secondary signal from at least one neighboring pixelated anode; and determine a location for the reception of the photon using the primary signal and the at least one secondary signal.

Anodes for improved detection of non-collected adjacent signal

The systems and methods described herein measure a collected energy signal from a first pixel of a radiation pixelated detector during at least one event, and measure adjacent energy signals from at least two pixels adjacent to the first pixel of the radiation pixelated detector during the at least one event. The systems and methods generate a first spectrum based on the collected energy signal of the at least one event within an energy window. The energy window is a predetermined energy range for medical imaging. The systems and methods determine a delta charge based on the collected energy signal and the adjacent energy signals generated during the at least one event, generate a second spectrum based on the delta charge of the at least one event outside the energy window, and stretch the second spectrum to combine with the first spectrum to form a corrected energy spectrum.

Systems and methods for a radiation detector

A radiation detector system is provided that includes a semiconductor detector, plural pixelated anodes, and a side anode. The semiconductor detector has a surface. The pixelated anodes are disposed on the surface, and are arranged in a grid defining a footprint. The side anode is disposed outside of the footprint defined by the plural pixelated anodes, and has a length extending along at least two of the pixelated anodes.

Systems and methods for sub-pixel location determination at sidewalls and corners of detectors

A detector assembly is provided that includes a semiconductor detector, a pinhole collimator, and a processing unit. The semiconductor detector has a first surface and a second surface opposed to each other. The first surface includes pixels, and the second surface includes a cathode electrode. The pinhole collimator includes an array of pinhole openings corresponding to the pixels. Each pinhole opening is associated with a single pixel of the semiconductor detector, and the area of each pinhole opening is smaller than a corresponding area of the corresponding pixel. The processing unit is operably coupled to the semiconductor detector and configured to identify detected events within virtual sub-pixels distributed along a length and width of the semiconductor detector. Each pixel includes a plurality of corresponding virtual sub-pixels (as interpreted by the processing unit), wherein absorbed photons are counted as events in a corresponding virtual sub-pixel.

A method is provided including acquiring detection events with a radiation detector including a semiconductor plate and configured to produce electrical signals in response to absorption of ionizing radiation in the semiconductor plate, wherein electrons and holes are generated responsive to absorption of the ionizing radiation. The semiconductor plate includes a first surface opposed to a second surface, with sidewalls interposed between the first surface and the second surface. A cathode electrode is disposed on the first surface and pixelated anode electrodes are disposed on the second surface. The method also includes optically coupling infrared (IR) radiation into a first portion of at least one of the sidewalls of the semiconductor plate of the radiation detector, and not coupling IR radiation into a second portion of the at least one of the sidewalls.

Systems and methods for reducing polarization in imaging detectors

A detector assembly is provided that includes a semiconductor detector, a collimator and a processing unit. The semiconductor detector has a first surface and a second surface opposed to each other. The first surface includes pixels (which in turn comprise corresponding pixelated anodes), and the second surface includes a cathode electrode. The collimator includes openings, with each opening associated with a single corresponding pixel of the semiconductor detector. The processing unit is configured to identify detected events within virtual sub-pixels distributed along a length and width of the semiconductor detector. Each pixel includes (e.g., has associated therewith) a plurality of corresponding virtual sub-pixels, with absorbed photons are counted as events in a corresponding virtual sub-pixel. Absorbed photons are counted as events within a thickness of the semiconductor detector at a distance corresponding to an energy window width used to identify the events as photon impacts.

Growing community of inventors

Moshav Magshimim, Israel

Arie Shahar