Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.V.

Wayne State University

Case Western Reserve University

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.v.

Marc Anthony Chappo

Randall Peter Luhta

Rodney Arnold Mattson

Brian E Harwood

Chris Vrettos

Stephanie Lee Brock

Dane Pittock

Christopher J Vrettos

Roland Proksa

Dominic J Heuscher

Rainer Pietig

Jerome John Griesmer

Leonard F Plut

Douglas B McKnight

Pieter Gerhard Roos

Chris J Vrettos

Nathan Serafino

Daniel David Judkins

David Dennis Salk

Anthony F Krecic

William J Brunnett

Ina Taylor Martin

Randall P Lutha

Leonard Plut

Chris John Vrettos

William C Brunnett

A detection layer () for a radiation detector () includes a porous silicon membrane (). The porous silicon membrane includes silicon () with a first side () and a second opposing side (), a plurality of pores () extending entirely through the silicon from the first side to the second opposing side, each including shared walls (), at least one protrusion of silicon () protruding out and extending from the first side a distance (). The porous silicon membrane further includes a plurality of radiation sensitive quantum dots () in the pores and a quantum dot layer disposed on the first side and having a surface () and a thickness (), wherein the thickness is greater than the distance.

Quantum dot porous silicon membrane-based radiation detector

A radiation detector () includes a photovoltaic layer () with first and second opposing sides. The photovoltaic layer is configured to absorb first radiation at the first side and produce electrical charge. The detector further includes a porous silicon quantum dot layer () disposed at the second side of the photovoltaic layer and configured to receive second radiation and convert the received second radiation into an electrical signal indicative of an energy level of the received second radiation. The detector further includes an acquisition and communication layer () disposed adjacent to the porous silicon quantum dot layer and configured to receive the electrical signal and transmit the electrical signal to a device remote from the radiation detector. The detector further includes an energy storage layer () disposed adjacent to the acquisition and communication layer and configured to store the electrical charge and supply the stored electrical charge as operating power to the acquisition and communication layer.

Quantum dot radiation detector module with self-sustaining power

An imaging module () of an imaging system comprises a porous silicon membrane () with a first side (), a contact side () opposite the first side, columns of silicon () configured to extend from the first side to the contact side, and columnar holes () interlaced with the columns of silicon and configured to extend from the first side to the contact side. The imaging module further includes quantum dots () in the columnar holes. The imaging module further includes a metal pad () electrically coupled to the columns of silicon of the porous silicon membrane. The quantum dots in the columnar holes are electrically insulated from the metal pad. The imaging module further includes a substrate () with an electrically conductive pad () in electrical communication with the metal pad that defines a pixel.

Pixel definition in a porous silicon quantum dot radiation detector

A subject support includes a fixed portion and a moveable portion coupled to the fixed portion and configured to move along at least one axis relative to the fixed portion, and the coupling includes one or more points of friction that move during movement of the moveable portion and which wear due to at least movement by the moveable portion. The moveable portion receives and supports at least one of an object or a subject during an imaging procedure with an imaging device. One or more inertial measurement units (IMUs) are affixed to or embedded in the moveable portion that directly measure acceleration of translation of the moveable portion along one or more axes.

Direct acceleration measurement of a subject support

A static charge filter () removes static charge in a cardiac electrical signal. The static charge filter includes a first amplifier () configured to amplify an input signal, which includes the cardiac electrical signal and static charge from an electrode, which is in a path of an X-ray beam. The static charge filter further includes a limiter () configured to limit a maximum voltage of the signal based on a predetermined clamping threshold, producing a voltage clamped signal. The static charge filter further includes a filter () configured to filter high frequency components of the voltage clamped signal, producing a filtered signal. The static charge filter further includes a second amplifier () configured to scale an amplitude of the filtered signal so that cardiac electrical signal in an output signal has a same voltage level as a voltage level of the cardiac electrical signal in the input signal.

Static charge filter for cardiac electrical signals corrupted with static charge and routed to an electrocardiograph (EKG) monitor

A scintillator layer () includes a plurality of scintillator pixels (), walls of non-scintillation material () surrounding each of the plurality of scintillator pixels, and at least one electrically conductive interconnect () for a pixel, wherein the at least one electrically conductive interconnect extends within a wall of the pixel along an entire depth of the wall. A multi-energy detector array () includes a detector tile () with an upper scintillator layer (), an upper photosensor () optically coupled to the upper scintillator layer, a lower scintillator layer () electrically coupled to the upper photosensor, and a lower photodetector () optically and electrically coupled to the lower scintillator layer. The lower scintillator layer includes at least one scintillator pixel () surrounded by at least one wall of non-scintillation material (), and the wall includes at least one electrically conductive interconnect () that extends from a top edge of the wall to a bottom edge of the wall.

Radiation detector scintillator with an integral through-hole interconnect

A radiation detector array () of an imaging system () comprises a plurality of detector modules (). Each of the plurality of detector modules includes a plurality of detector pixel (). Each of the plurality of detector pixels includes an integral pixel border () and a direct conversion active area within the integral pixel border. A method comprises receiving radiation with a nano-material detector pixel that includes an integral pixel border, generating, with the detector pixel, a signal indicative of an energy of the received radiation, while reducing pixel signal crosstalk, and reconstructing the signal to construct an image. An imaging system () comprises a source of X-ray radiation configured to emit X-ray radiation that traverses an examination region, a nano-material imaging detector with an integral pixel border, wherein the nano-material imaging detector is configured to detect X-ray radiation, and a reconstructor configured to reconstruct an output of the nano-material imaging detector to produce a CT image.

Nano-material imaging detector with an integral pixel border

A module assembly device () is configured for assembling a module assembly () for a detector array () of an imaging system (). The module assembly device includes a base () having a long axis (). The module assembly device further includes a first surface () of the base and side walls () protruding perpendicular up from the first surface and extending in a direction of the long axis along at least two sides of the base. The first surface and side walls form a recess () configured to receive the module substrate on the surface and within the side walls. The module assembly device further includes protrusions () protruding from the side walls in a direction of the side walls. The protrusions and side walls interface forming a ledge which serves as a photo-detector array tile support () configured to receive the photo-detector array tile () over the ASIC and the module substrate.

Imaging detector module assembly

A one-dimensional multi-element photo detector includes a photodiode array with a first upper row of photodiode pixels and a second lower row of photodiode pixels. The photodiode array is part of the photo detector. A scintillator array includes a first upper row and a second lower row of scintillator pixels. The first upper and second lower rows of scintillator pixels are respectively optically coupled to the first upper and second lower rows of photodiode pixels. The photo detector also includes readout electronics, which are also part of the photo detector. Electrical traces interconnect the photodiode pixels and the readout electronics.

Spectral imaging detector

A radiation detection system of an imaging system () includes a radiation sensitive detector array (). The array includes a detector pixel with an optically transparent encapsulate material () with one or more particles () supporting one or more different scintillation materials (), wherein each scintillation material is in the form of a nanometer to micrometer quantum dot. A method includes receiving radiation with a detector pixel, wherein the detector pixel includes an encapsulate with one or more quantum dots, wherein each of the quantum dots includes a scintillation material, generating, with the detector pixel, a signal indicative of the received radiation, and reconstructing the signal to construct an image.

Quantum dot based imaging detector

A detector array () of an imaging system () includes a radiation sensitive detector () configured to detect radiation and generates a signal indicative thereof and electronics () in electrical communication with the radiation sensitive detector. The electronics include a current-to-frequency converter () configured to convert the signal into a pulse train having a frequency indicative of a charge collected during an integration period. The electronics further include a residual charge collection circuit () electrically coupled to current-to-frequency converter. The residual charge collection circuit is configured to store charge collected by the integrator for an end portion of the integration period that does not results in a pulse of the pulse train, utilizing much of the electronics already in the current-to-frequency converter electronics.

Imaging detector with improved spatial accuracy

An imaging system () includes a detector array () with a ring () with a first layer () that detects gamma radiation and X-ray radiation and a second layer (N) that detects only gamma radiation, wherein the first and second layers are concentric closed rings. A method includes detecting gamma radiation with a first layer of a dual layer detector in response to imaging in PET mode, detecting gamma radiation with a second layer of the dual layer detector in response to imaging in PET mode, and generating PET image data with the radiation detected with the first and second layers. The method further includes detecting X-ray radiation with the first layer in response to imaging in CT mode and generating CT image data the radiation detected with the first layer. The method further includes displaying the image data. The imaging system allows a single gantry for both PET/CT imaging.

Hybrid PET / CT imaging detector

A detector array () includes at least one detector pixel () with a cavity () that defines a three dimensional volume. A surface of the cavity includes at least two photosensitive regions and a non-photosensitive region there between, defining at least two sub-pixels () which detect light photons traversing within the three dimensional cavity and produce respective signals indicative thereof. The detector array further includes a scintillator (), including a first sub-portion that is located in the cavity and which emits the light photons in response to absorbing x-ray photons. Light photons emitted by the first sub-portion are detected by both of the at least two sub-pixels

Imaging detector

Asilicon imaging detector tile () includes a silicon photosensor layer () including a plurality of detector pixels (), each with a photo-transistor (), and a silicon electronics layer (), coupled to the silicon photosensor layer, including a current-to-frequency converter and bias control () for each of the plurality of photo-transistor. A method includes sensing, with a photo-transistor of a detector pixel of a silicon photosensor layer of an imaging detector and in an absence of x-ray radiation, a dark current, regulating, with bias control, an amount of the dark current transmitted to a current-to-frequency converter of a silicon electronics layer coupled to the silicon photosensor layer, and converting, with the current-to-frequency converter, the amount of the dark current transmitted to the current-to-frequency converter.

Growing community of inventors

Elyria, OH, United States of America

Marc Anthony Chappo