General Electric Company

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Ge Precision Healthcare LLC

Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC

Sergei Ivanovich Dolinsky

Jianjun Guo

David Leo McDaniel

Geng Fu

Ravindra Mohan Manjeshwar

Adrian Ivan

Alok Mani Srivastava

Brian David Yanoff

Jonathan David Short

James Lindgren Malaney

Yaron Hefetz

John Eric Tkaczyk

James Wilson Rose

Scott Charles Evans

Yanfeng Du

Renato Guida

Peter Micah Sandvik

Floribertus P M Heukensfeldt Jansen

Gideon Berlad

Chang Lyong Kim

Prasanth Kumar Nammalwar

Thomas Stephen Markham

Alexey V Vert

Gopi Chandran Ramachandran

James Jay McMahon

Evren Asma

Helene Claire Climent

Changlyong Kim

Stanislav Ivanovich Soloviev

Floribertus Heukensfeldt Jansen

William Todd Peterson

Wusheng Xu

Ishan Prabhath Weerakoon

Sabarni Palit

Ping Liu

Srinidhi Ramachandra

Ashwin Ashok Wagadarikar

Girish Bal

Mikiko Ito

Osnat Zak

Qian Hua

Chad Jacob Bircher

A scintillator for positron emission tomography is provided. The scintillator includes a garnet compound of a formula of ABCOand an activator ion consisting of cerium. Ais AX. X consists of at least one lanthanide element. Ais selected from the group consisting of (i), (ii), (iii), and any combination thereof, wherein (i) consists of at least one lanthanide element, (ii) consists of at least one group I element selected from the group consisting of Na and K, and (iii) consists of at least one group II element selected from the group consisting of Ca, Sr, and Ba. Bconsists of Sn, Ti, Hf, Zr, and any combination thereof. Cconsists of Al, Ga, Li, and any combination thereof. The garnet compound is doped with the activator ion.

Ceramic scintillator based on cubic garnet compositions for positron emission tomography (PET)

A method and an apparatus for detecting photons are disclosed. The apparatus includes a scintillator single crystal and an avalanche photodiode coupled to the scintillator single crystal. The scintillator single crystal is at a temperature greater than about 175&#xb0; C. and at a shock level in a range from about 20 Grms to about 30 Grms. The scintillator single crystal includes a praseodymium doped composition selected from (LaY)2SiO:Pr, ABClX:Pr, A(Li,Na)LaClX:Pr, or any combinations thereof. As used herein A is cesium, rubidium, potassium, sodium, or a combination thereof, B is calcium, barium, strontium, magnesium, cadmium, zinc, or a combination thereof, and X is bromine, iodine, or a combination thereof. Further, (0&#x3c;x&#x3c;1), and (0&#x3c;y&#x3c;3).

Radiation detection apparatus and related method

A silicon photomultiplier array including a plurality of microcells arranged in rows and columns. A plurality of circuit traces connecting microcell output ports to the array pixel output port, with one or more impedance matching networks connected to at least one of the circuit traces. The impedance matching networks can be connected between each row circuit trace and the pixel output port. Impedance matching networks can be located between junctions of adjacent microcell output ports and row circuit traces.

Microcell interconnection in silicon photomultipliers

A method for determining depth-of-interaction correction in a PET system. The method includes modifying crystal and readout configuration to improve depth-dependent arrival profile of scintillation photons, creating a photon dispersion model within a scintillator crystal, measuring photon arrival profile of individual gamma ray event, deriving an estimated depth-of-interaction, and deriving a gamma ray event time based on a time stamp corrected with the estimated depth-of-interaction. The method further includes modeling dispersion at different depths of interaction within the scintillator crystal, providing a reflector layer to delay back-reflected photons, providing two respective readouts for the same gamma ray event from two respective pixels optically coupled by a backside reflector or modified crystal configuration, calculating a time difference of the photon arrival at the two pixels, and estimating the depth-of-interaction by applying a statistical weighting.

Method for improving timing resolution using depth of interaction correction in PET detector

A solid state photomultiplier includes at least one microcell configured to generate an initial analog signal when exposed to optical photons. The solid state photomultiplier further includes a quench circuit electrically coupled with the at least one microcell. The quench circuit includes at least one quench resistor configured to exhibit a substantially constant temperature coefficient of resistance over a selected temperature range.

Solid state photomultiplier with wide temperature range of operation

Photomultipliers are disclosed which comprise circuitry for detecting photo electric events and generating short digital pulses in response. In one embodiment, the photomultipliers comprise solid state photomultipliers having an array of microcells. The microcells, in one embodiment, in response to incident photons, generate a digital pulse signal having a duration of about 2 ns or less.

Active pulse shaping of solid state photomultiplier signals

A silicon photomultiplier includes a plurality of microcells providing a pulse output in response to an incident radiation, each microcell including circuitry configured to enable and disable the pulse output. Each microcell includes a cell disable switch. The control logic circuit controls the cell disable switch and a self-test circuit. A microcell's pulse output is disabled when the cell disable switch is in a first state. A method for self-test calibration of microcells includes providing a test enable signal to the microcells, integrating dark current for a predetermined time period, comparing the integrated dark current to a predetermined threshold level, and providing a signal if above the predetermined threshold level.

Silicon photomultipliers with internal calibration circuitry

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 system and method for compensating signal delay across a solid state photomultiplier. The method including determining respective arrival times of signals from a plurality of microcells of the photomultiplier, calculating a signal transit time delay difference between the respective arrival times for individual signals, correlating the individual transit time delay differences to an amount of respective signal propagation compensation for respective microcells of the photomultiplier, and introducing the respective signal propagation compensation into circuitry of the respective microcells. The method also includes at least one of adjusting a response shape of a photodiode within each of the plurality of microcells, adjusting operating parameters of a one-shot pulse circuit within the microcells, and modifying circuit design values of each microcells during fabrication of the photomultiplier. A non-transitory computer readable medium and a system for implementing the method on a row, column, and/or individual microcell level are disclosed.

Adjustment and compensation of delays in photo sensor microcells

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 an epitaxial layer, a high voltage region formed in the epitaxial layer, a low voltage region formed in the epitaxial layer, and an intermediate region disposed between the high voltage region and low voltage region, wherein the high voltage region is electrically coupled to the low voltage region via the intermediate region, and wherein at least a portion of the epitaxial layer is disposed between the high voltage region and intermediate region and between the low voltage region and the intermediate region.

Solid state photomultiplier having an intermediate region coupled between high and low voltage regions and associated detector

A silicon photomultiplier array including a plurality of microcells arranged in subgroupings, each microcell of a respective subgrouping providing a pulse output in response to an incident radiation. Each microcell output interconnected by respective traces of equal length to either a summing node or an integrated buffer amplifier. Each respective summing node configured to sum the pulse outputs of a first subgroup of the microcell subgroupings, and each respective integrated buffer amplifier configured to sum the pulse outputs of each microcell of a second subgrouping, the respective integrated buffer amplifier located on the silicon photomultiplier array within the second subgroup of microcells. The plurality of microcells arranged in one of columns and rows, and a first group of the arranged plurality of microcells being a mirror image of a second group of the arranged plurality of microcells about a midpoint between one of the columns and rows.

Systems and methods for minimizing silicon photomultiplier signal propagation delay dispersion and improve timing

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.

A silicon photomultiplier array of microcells including a photon avalanche diode and an electronic circuit configured to provide a first one-shot pulse and a second one-shot pulse based on a detected current flowing through the photon avalanche diode. The microcells arranged in rows and columns with each microcell of a respective row connected to a respective row data bus connected to a row counter configured to count one or more first one-shot pulses for a predetermined time period, a pixel adder configured to sum the count, and a digital-to-analog converter connected to the pixel adder to convert sum to an analog signal representative of an energy readout. A timing logic circuit configured to provide a validation signal to a counter control logic circuit, and the counter control logic circuit configured to provide one of a start signal, a stop signal, and a reset signal to the row counter.

Silicon photomultipliers with digitized micro-cells having a first one-shot pulse and a second one-shot pulse provided by an electronic circuit

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Clifton Park, NY, United States of America

Sergei Ivanovich Dolinsky