Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Nxp B.v.

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forschung E.V.

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.v.

Philips Intellectual Property & Standards Gmbh

Roger Steadman

Gereon Vogtmeier

Christoph Herrmann

Christian Baeumer

Ralf Dorscheid

Herfried Karl Wieczorek

Guenter Zeitler

Matthias Wendt

Roland Proksa

Cornelis Reinder Ronda

Ewald Roessl

Walter Ruetten

Jeroen Jonkers

Matthias Simon

Christian Drabe

Alexander Wolter

Francisco Morales Serrano

Oliver Muelhens

Klaus Jurgen Engel

Wolfgang Eckenbach

Andreas Bergmann

Ralf Dorsheid

Javier F Esguevillas

Avner Elgaly

Roy K Groom

An image signal processing system (ISP) comprising an input interface (IN) for receiving photon counting projection data acquired by an X-ray imaging apparatus (IA) having a photon counting detector (D). A calibration data memory (CMEM) of the system holds calibration data. The calibration data encodes photon counting data versus path lengths curves for different energy thresholds of i) said detector (D) or ii) of a different detector. At least one of said curves is not one-to-one. A path length convertor (PLC) of the system converts an entry in said photon counting projection data into an associated path length based on said calibration data.

Photon-counting computed tomography

In the present invention a direct X-ray conversion layer comprises a material having a perovskite crystal structure. This is preferable since this enables constructing an X-ray detector with edge-on illuminated detector elements.

Direct photon conversion detector

An apparatus includes an integrator () that produces a pulse having a peak amplitude indicative of the energy of a detected photon. First discharging circuitry () discharges the integrator () at a first discharging speed, and second discharging circuitry () discharges the integrator () at a second discharging speed. The first discharging speed is less than the second discharging speed.

Spectral photon counting detector

A radiation detector assembly () includes a detector array module () configured to convert radiation particles to electrical detection pulses, and an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) () operatively connected with the detector array. The ASIC includes signal processing circuitry () configured to digitize an electrical detection pulse received from the detector array, and test circuitry () configured to inject a test electrical pulse into the signal processing circuitry. The test circuitry includes a current meter () configured to measure the test electrical pulse injected into the signal processing circuitry, and a charge pulse generator () configured to generate a test electrical pulse that is injected into the signal processing circuitry. The radiation detector assembly () is assembled by operatively connecting the ASIC () with the detector array module (), and the signal processing circuitry () of the ASIC of the assembled radiation detector assembly is tested without the use of radiation.

Radiation detector assembly with test circuitry

It is described a low ohmic Through Wafer Interconnection (TWI) for electronic chips formed on a semiconductor substrate (). The TWI comprises a first connection extending between a front surface and a back surface of the substrate (). The first connection () comprises a through hole filled with a low ohmic material having a specific resistivity lower than poly silicon. The TWI further comprises a second connection () also extending between the front surface and the back surface. The second connection () is spatially separated from the first connection () by at least a portion of the semiconductor substrate (). The front surface is provided with a integrated circuit arrangement () wherein the first connection () is electrically coupled to at least one node of the integrated circuit arrangement () without penetrating the integrated circuit arrangement (). During processing the TWI the through hole may be filled first with a non-metallic material, e.g. poly silicon. After forming integrated components () on top of the front surface the substrate () may be thinned and the non-metallic material may be substituted with the low ohmic material, which is in particular a metallic material.

Low ohmic through substrate interconnection for semiconductor carriers

The invention is directed at an apparatus (), an imaging device and a method for detecting X-ray photons, in particular photons () in a computer tomograph. Photons () are converted into an electrical pulse and compared against a threshold using a discriminator (). The electrical network () performing these functions comprises a switching element (), that can modify the electrical path () along which the process signals travel. The trigger signal (V) for actuating the switching element () is derived from an electrical state of the electrical path (). If a pulse associated to a photon () is detected, the switching element () is actuated in order to avoid that the processing of the charge pulse stemming from a first photon () is affected by a subsequent second photon ().

Apparatus, imaging device and method for detecting X-ray radiation

An imaging system includes a scintillator array () and a digital photomultiplier array (). A photon counting channel (), an integrating channel (), and a moment generating channel () process the output signal of the digital photomultiplier array (). A reconstructor () spectrally resolves the first, the second and the third output signals. In one embodiment, a controller () activates the photon counting channel () to process the digital signal only if a radiation flux is below a predetermined threshold. An imaging system includes at least one direct conversion layer () and at least two scintillator layers () and corresponding photosensors (). A photon counting channel () processes an output of the at least one direct conversion layer (), and an integrating channel () and a moment generating channel () process respective outputs of the photosensors (). A reconstructor () spectrally resolves the first, the second and the third output signals.

Spectral imaging

The invention relates to semiconductor substrates and methods for producing such semiconductor substrates. In this connection, it is the object of the invention to provide semiconductor substrates which can be produced more cost-effectively and with which a high arrangement density as well as good electrical conductivity and closed surfaces can be achieved. In accordance with the invention, an electrically conductive connection is guided from its front side through the substrate up to the rear side. The electrically conductive connection is completely surrounded from the outside. The insulator is formed by an opening which is filled with material. The inner wall is provided with a dielectric coating and/or filled with an electrically insulating or conductive material. The electrically conductive connection is formed with a further opening which is filled with an electrically conductive material and is arranged in the interior of the insulator. The openings are formed with step-free inner walls aligned orthogonally to the front side or tapering continuously in the direction of the rear side.

Semiconductor substrate and methods for the production thereof

Through-Wafer Interconnections allow for the usage of cost-effective substrates for detector chips. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, detecting element for application in an examination apparatus may be provided, comprising a wafer with a sensitive region and a coaxial through-wafer interconnect structure. This may reduce the susceptibility of the interconnection by providing an effective shielding.

Electrically shielded through-wafer interconnect

Recently, the use of class D audio amplifiers has become more and more widespread. In contrast to the generally employed class A-B linear amplification technology, class D allows for improved efficiency. However, the class D principle is known for its poor distortion characteristics. According to the present invention, a digital amplifier is provided for converting an input signal to a power output. The digital amplifier according to the present invention comprises a supply ripple pre-compensation circuit for compensating voltage ripples on a supply voltage supplied to bridge circuits of the digital amplifier on the basis of the input signal. By this, supply ripples in the supply voltage supplied to the bridge which have been found to cause a major part of the distortions in the output signal of the digital amplifier may be compensated.

Digital amplifier

The invention relates to a device for the detection and/or transmission of radiation, particularly an X-ray detector, that consists of a carrieron which an array of detector modulesis arranged. The carriercomprises holesthrough which a ball at the backside of the detector modulescan be inserted in order to fix the modules such that they can still rotate to a certain degree. Due to this freedom, the sensor modulescan align themselves during assembly.

Modular device for the detection and/or transmission of radiation with self-aligning modules

The invention relates to an X-ray detector for detecting X-radiation, as used, in particular, in computer tomographic (CT) systems. The X-ray detector in accordance with the invention is composed of a photo sensor device, which comprises individual detector elements (), above which scintillator elements () are disposed. These convert the incident X-ray light () into visible or UV light (), which is detected by a photodiode () located on the detector element (). In accordance with the invention, a micro-lens (), which focuses the light () departing from the scintillator element () onto the photodiode (), is disposed between the scintillator element () and the detector element (). It is possible, in this manner, to use large areas of the detector element () for further electronic components () outside the photodiode (), and, at the same time, to ensure a high DQE (Detection Quantum Efficiency) in that the light () departing from the scintillator element () is virtually fully exploited. The crosstalk from scatter radiation from adjacent detector elements is effectively prevented simultaneously.

X-ray detector

The invention relates to an X-ray detector with detector elements () arranged in a layer. The detector elements () contain a scintillator element () for the conversion of X-rays (X) into photons (v), a photodiode () for detection of the photons (v), and a processing circuit () for the processing of electric signals generated by the photodiode (). In order to protect the electronics () from X-rays a shielding () of variable effective thickness (d, d) is disposed in front of the electronics (). This shielding () can in particular be L-shaped. By reduction of the effective thickness of the shielding () to a necessary minimum the volume of the scintillator unit () can be maximized.

Growing community of inventors

Aachen, Germany

Roger Steadman