General Electric Company

Peter S Shelley

David Michael Hoffman

Dennis J Cotic

Robert E Hueschen

William D Love

Barry N Stone

Neil W Loomis

Ralph C Ehlert

Laurel J Zech

Saroja R Srinivasa

A modular solid-state detector cell which intimately associates a scintillator body with a pair of photoresponsive semiconductors so as to present on a single collimator plate all of the elements necessary for transforming incident X-radiation into a measurable electrical signal. The detector is provided with a precision slotted mounting arrangement for receiving the unit cells, and the cells when positioned within the detector assembly have the photoresponsive semiconductors enclosed within the light tight cell. The unit is adaptable to off-line testing of the separate cells for screening before assembly.

Modular solid-state detector cell

A graphite target disk for a rotating anode x-ray tube is adapted for mounting it on a rotor stem in a manner which reduces the probability of the target cracking when it is subjected to high magnitude thermal and rotational shocks. The graphite disk has a counterbore in its front and rear faces which are connected with a smaller central bore so the counterbores define annular shoulders. A washer having a slot which serves as a keyway is brazed concentrically onto the shoulder of the front counterbore. The rotor stem has a threaded end which registers complementarily in the slot to effect a driving connection and the stem has a radially extending shoulder which interfaces with the shoulder in the rear counterbore. A nut on the threaded stem end secures the target to the stem.

Attachment means for a graphite x-ray tube target

An array of electrode plates are arranged in parallel and spaced apart relationship to define ionization cells in a channel within a housing that is occupied by high pressured gas. A broad beam of x-ray photons penetrates a window in the housing and produces ionization events that result in analog signals corresponding with photon energies and intensities. Conduction of the signals from the interior to the exterior of the detector housing is accomplished with a printed circuit board assembly that is sealed between the housing and its cover.

Multi-cell detector using printed circuit board

A detector for X-radiation or other ionizing radiation comprises a pair of curved metal bars lying in spaced apart parallel planes. Ceramic members are bonded to the respective bars in facing relationship. Each ceramic member has a plurality of radially extending circumferentially spaced grooves facing similar grooves in the other member. A plurality of electrode plates are held in juxtaposed and circumferentially spaced apart relationship by disposing their respective upper and lower edges in the grooves of opposed ceramic members. The faces of adjacent electrode plates define gas-filled gaps in which photoelectron-ion pairs are produced when radiation enters from the front edges of the plates. The above described assembly is disposed within a pressurized gas-filled chamber having an X-ray transmissive window adjacent the front edges of the plates. A cover encloses the chamber. It has insulator feed-throughs for connecting the electrode plates with external electric circuits. Photoelectrons and/or ions, created by the ionizing radiation, are collected on the electrode plates and thereby generate an electrical signal which corresponds to the incident ionizing radiation.

Growing community of inventors

Brookfield, WI, United States of America

Peter S Shelley