General Electric Company

Other

Ge Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC

David Leo McDaniel

Chang Lyong Kim

Sergei Ivanovich Dolinsky

John Jay Williams

Charles William Stearns

Jianjun Guo

Gary McBroom

James Lindgren Malaney

Paul Richard Granfors

Alexander Ganin

Anton Max Linz

Michael Joseph Cook

William Todd Peterson

Mark Kenneth Limkeman

James A McFaul

James E Scarlett

David Michael Hoffman

Ravindra Mohan Manjeshwar

Scott David Wollenweber

Geng Fu

Edward Emaci

Mark David Fries

Changlyong Kim

Gary S Keyes

Dershan Luo

Mark P Feilen

Vi-Hoa Tran

Edwin L Oswalt

Mikiko Ito

Norbert Joseph Pelc

James Wilson Rose

Scott William Petrick

Robert F Senzig

Robert Steven Stormont

Floribertus P M Heukensfeldt Jansen

Jonathan David Short

Adrian Ivan

Barry F Belanger

Floribertus Philippus Martinus Heukensfeldt Jansen

Ricardo Becerra

David M Barrett

Floribertus Heukensfeldt Jansen

James G Colsher

Timothy Patrick Rose

Brian D Johnston

Carl C Scheid

Edward D Nonnweiler

Yiping Shao

Ashwin Ashok Wagadarikar

Jim L Malaney

Leonid Romanov

Embodiments of a solid state photomultiplier are provided herein. In some embodiments, a solid state photomultiplier may include a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels comprises a plurality of subpixels; and a first set of buffer amplifiers, wherein each buffer amplifier of the first set of buffer amplifiers is respectively coupled to a subpixel of the plurality of subpixels.

Solid state photomultiplier with improved pulse shape readout

A photon detector having an optical transparent plate and photodiode array interconnected by an optical light guide array. The optical light guide array including elements providing a transmission line between the optical transparent plate and the photodiode array, where the position of one or more optical light guide elements is formed to adjust for a miss-registered photodiode individual element. A method for assembling the photon detector includes depositing a non-wetting film on opposing surfaces of the optical transparent plate and/or photodiode array, altering the deposited non-wetting film in regions of individual photodiode elements, dispensing an optical coupler adhesive on the optical transparent plate and photodiode array to form adhesive beads, aligning the opposing surfaces, assembling the opposing surfaces so that the corresponding optical coupler adhesive beads contact each other, and curing the optical coupler adhesive to form a structurally merged photon detector having optical light guide elements.

Light guide array for pet detector fabrication methods and apparatus

Embodiments of a solid state photomultiplier are provided herein. In some embodiments, a solid state photomultiplier may include a microcell configured to generate an analog signal when exposed to optical photons, a quench resistor electrically coupled to the microcell in series; and a first switch disposed between the quench resistor and an output of the solid state photomultiplier, the first switch electrically coupled to the microcell via the quench resistor and configured to selectively couple the microcell to the output.

Solid state photomultiplier

Embodiments of a solid state photomultiplier are provided herein. In some embodiments, a photosensor may include a sensing element; and readout electronics, wherein the sensing element is AC coupled to the readout electronics. In some embodiments, a solid state photomultipler may include a microcell having; a sensing element; and readout electronics, wherein the sensing element is AC coupled to the readout electronics.

In accordance with the present approach, a dark current is measured for one or more detector elements and used to determine a gain or gain compensation for the respective detector elements. In certain embodiments, the dark current is used to determine a temperature for the respective detector element and the temperature is used to determine the gain or gain compensation. In other embodiments, the dark current is used to calculate the gain or gain compensation for the respective detector element without calculating an intermediate temperature value, such as via the use of a transfer function.

System and method for compensating temperature gain variation in radiation detectors

A compensating current is applied at one or more points in a signal processing path to compensate for one or both of a dark or offset current present in an input signal. In certain implementations, the dark or offset current is present in a signal generated by a photomultiplier device. The dark or offset current may be monitored in an output of the signal processing path and, the monitoring being used to determine how much compensation is needed in the signal processing path and to allocate where in the signal processing path the compensation current will be applied.

Detector system and module for compensating dark current

A multichannel application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for interfacing with an array of photodetectors in a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging system includes a front end circuit configured to be coupled to the photodetectors and to receive discrete analog signals therefrom. The ASIC further includes a time discriminating circuit operably coupled to the front end circuit and configured to generate a hit signal based on a combination of the discrete analog signals, and an energy discriminating circuit operably coupled to the front end circuit and configured to generate a summed energy output signal based on each of the discrete analog signals and summed row and column output signals based on each of the discrete analog signals. The summed energy output signal represents an energy level of the detected radiation in the array of photodetectors, and the summed row and column output signals represent a location of the detected radiation.

Method and apparatus for interfacing with an array of photodetectors

A scintillator crystal array that is configured to receive rays emitted by an object to be imaged and to emit light energy responsive to the received rays includes plural crystals. At least one of the crystals includes an upper surface, a lower surface, and plural sides. The upper surface may be configured to receive the rays from the object to be imaged. The lower surface is disposed opposite the upper surface. The plural sides extend between the upper surface and the lower surface. At least one side includes a roughened side surface and at least one other side includes a polished side surface.

Systems and methods for scintillators having polished and roughened surfaces

An imaging system includes a first silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) comprising an array of microcells. Each microcell is an avalanche photodiode (APD) operated in a Geiger mode, a first area of the first SiPM, comprising at least one of the microcells, is electrically isolated from all other microcells, and a signal from the first area, resulting from at least one photon pulse, is used to determine a gain of the first SiPM.

System and method of simplifying a direct control scheme for a detector

Methods and systems for a light sensor for a gamma ray detector of a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging system is provided. The methods and systems include a plurality of micro-cells forming a micro-cell array. The methods and systems include a set of signal traces electrically coupling the plurality of micro-cells to the pin-out. The set of signal traces are configured to define a non-orthogonal signal path from each of the micro-cells to the pin-out.

Methods and systems for a light sensor in gamma ray detectors

A radio frequency (RF) body coil assembly includes a coil support structure including an inner tubular member, an outer tubular member disposed radially outwardly from the inner tubular member, and a structural material disposed between the inner and outer tubular members, an RF coil mounted to an inner surface of the coil support structure, and a positron emission tomography (PET) detector assembly mounted to an outer surface of the coil support structure. A dual-modality imaging system is also described.

Radio frequency (RF) body coil assembly for dual-modality imaging

Methods and systems for signal communication in gamma ray detectors are provided. One gamma ray detector includes a scintillator block having a plurality of scintillator crystals and a plurality of light sensors coupled to the scintillator crystals and having a plurality of microcells. Each of the plurality of light sensors have a local summing point in each of a plurality of signal summing regions, wherein the local summing points are connected to the plurality of microcells. The plurality of light sensors also each include a main summing point connected to the plurality of local summing points, wherein the main summing point is located a same distance from each of the local summing points.

Methods and systems for signal communication in gamma ray detectors

A multiplexing circuit for a positron emission tomography (PET) detector includes a delay circuit and a multiplexer communicating with the delay circuit. The delay circuit configured to receive a plurality of timing pickoff (TPO) signals from a plurality of positron emission tomography (PET) detector units, add a delay time to at least one of the plurality of TPO signals, and transmit the TPO signals based on the delay time to the multiplexer, the multiplexer configured to a multiplex the TPO signals and output a single TPO signal from the plurality of TPO signals to a Time-to-Digital Convertor (TDC). A method of operating a multiplexer and a imaging system including a multiplexer are also provided.

Mulitplexing device for a medical imaging system

A detector unit for a detector array includes a photo sensor array, a light guide, and a plurality of scintillator elements formed unitarily with the light guide, the scintillator elements configured to emit absorbed energy in the form of light, the light guide being configured to transmit the light received from at least one of the scintillator elements to a photo sensor, the light guide and the plurality of scintillators being formed from the same material, an area covered by the photo sensors being smaller than an area covered by the scintillator elements and a number of photo sensors being less than a number of scintillator elements. A detector array and a method of manufacturing a detector array are also described herein.

Detector array and method of manufacturing the same

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Dousman, WI, United States of America

David Leo McDaniel