Sony Corporation

Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation

Nec Corporation

Toshiyuki Nishihara

Hirofumi Sumi

Tsutomu Imoto

Masao Matsumura

Yukihisa Tsuneda

Tomohiro Takahashi

Yoshio Sakai

Takeshi Matsushita

Makoto Hashimoto

Hiroshi Satoh

Yasunori Ohokubo

Kenichi Okumura

Katsuya Nakashima

Daisuke Yoshioka

Masahiro Fujii

Masahiro Tanaka

Kazuhiro Suzuki

Koji Watanabe

Kazumi Sato

Kouichi Harada

Frederick T Brady

Yorito Sakano

Yasunori Tanaka

Satoshi Yamakawa

Hideo Nomura

Hideki Hara

Yoshiaki Tashiro

Michinobu Tanioka

Takeshi Ishimoto

Susumu Uriya

Kazuyuki Date

Takashi Akai

Hidetoshi Yamanaka

Toshifumi Nomura

Muriel Cohen

Hiroyasu Baba

Keniichi Okumura

The present technology relates to an imaging element that can reduce noise. The imaging element includes: a photoelectric conversion element; a first amplification element that amplifies a signal from the photoelectric conversion element; a second amplification element that amplifies an output from the first amplification element; an offset element provided between the first amplification element and the second amplification element; a first reset element that resets the first amplification element; and a second reset element that resets the second amplification element. The offset element is a capacitor. A charge is accumulated in the offset element via a feedback loop of an output from the second amplification element, and an offset bias is generated. The present technology can be applied to an imaging element.

Imaging element

A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a photoelectric conversion element, a transfer transistor, a reset transistor, an amplifier transistor, a converter circuit that converts an analog voltage appearing at a vertical signal line into a digital voltage value, a first signal line that is connected to the gate of the reset transistor, a second signal line that is connected to the gate of the transfer transistor, and a drive circuit that outputs to the first signal line a reset pulse for causing the reset transistor to discharge charge in a charge accumulation portion, and outputs to the second signal line a transfer pulse for causing the transfer transistor to transfer charge generated in the photoelectric conversion element to the charge accumulation portion. The drive circuit outputs the reset pulse to the first signal line, and then outputs the transfer pulse to the second signal line successively in two or more times.

Solid-state imaging apparatus, radiation detector, and radiation measurement system

A radiation counting device is provided that includes a scintillator, a pixel circuit, and an analog-to-digital conversion circuit. In the radiation counting device, the scintillator generates a photon when radiation is incident. In the radiation counting device, the pixel circuit converts the photon into charge, stores the charge over a predetermined period, and generates an analog voltage in accordance with the amount of stored charge. In the radiation counting device, the analog-to-digital conversion circuit converts the analog voltage into a digital signal in a predetermined quantization unit less than the analog voltage generated from the one photon.

Radiation counting device and method of controlling radiation counting device

The present technology relates to a radiation detection apparatus that makes it possible to obtain a projection image of a radiation in a short period of time. The radiation detection apparatus includes a scintillator that emits scintillation light in response to incidence of a radiation, a pixel substrate on which a plurality of pixels each of which photoelectrically converts the scintillation light and outputs a pixel signal according to a light amount of the scintillation light is disposed in an array, a detection circuit substrate that includes an A/D (Analog to Digital) conversion unit for A/D converting the pixel signal and is stacked on the pixel substrate, and a compression unit that compresses digital data outputted from the A/D conversion unit. The present technology can be applied, for example, to an X-ray imaging apparatus that detects an X-ray to perform imaging and so forth.

Radiation detection apparatus

The present technology relates to an imaging element and a driving method, and an electronic device that enable stable driving with low voltage and low power consumption and furthermore make it possible to ensure a time resolution of detection. A light detector includes a pixel array section including a plurality of first pixels and a second pixel. The first pixel includes a photoelectric conversion section that photoelectrically converts incident light, a floating diffusion section that generates a voltage in accordance with the amount of charge carriers obtained by photoelectric conversion, and a transfer section that transfers charge carriers from the photoelectric conversion section to the floating diffusion section; the readout of a signal is performed intermittently from the first pixel. Further, the output of the second pixel is monitored continuously to detect the incidence of light. The present technology can be applied to a radiation counter.

Imaging element, driving method, and electronic device

Provided are an optical measuring instrument, a flow cytometer, and a radiation counter which reduces a size and a weight of a photodetector, and enables detection of weak pulsed light with a high degree of accuracy and at a high speed. A laser beam source irradiates a specimen to be measured with a laser beam and generates a light pulse of intensity corresponding to the irradiation. An imaging element provided with a pixel including a photoelectric conversion element and an amplification element which sequentially accumulates charges subjected to photoelectric conversion by the photoelectric conversion element for a predetermined period and outputs a voltage as a pixel signal according to an accumulated charge amount after the accumulation is completed through the amplification element, and detects a light amount of the light pulse on the basis of a pixel signals of a pixel group.

Optical measuring instrument, flow cytometer, and radiation counter

The present technology relates to an optical pulse detection device, an optical pulse detection method, a radiation counter device, and a biological testing device which are capable of performing radiation counting in a more accurate manner. The optical pulse detection device includes a pixel array unit in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a two-dimensional lattice shape, an AD converter that converts output signals of each of the pixels in the pixel array unit into digital values with gradation greater than 1 bit, and an output control circuit that performs error determination processing of comparing the digital value with a predetermined threshold value, and discarding a digital value, which is greater than the threshold value, among the digital values as an error. For example, the present technology is applicable to a radiation counter device, and the like.

Optical pulse detection device, optical pulse detection method, radiation counter device, and biological testing device

An imaging device includes: a pixel array section having an array of pixels, each of which has a photoelectric converting device and outputs an electric signal according to an input photon; a sense circuit section having a plurality of sensor circuits each of which makes binary decision on whether there is a photon input to a pixel in a predetermined period upon reception of the electric signal therefrom; and a decision result IC section which integrates decision results from the sense circuits, pixel by pixel or for each group of pixels, multiple times to generate imaged data with a gradation, the decision result IC section including a count circuit which performs a count process to integrate the decision results from the sense circuits, and a memory for storing a counting result for each pixel from the count circuit, the sense circuits sharing the count circuit for integrating the decision results.

Imaging device and camera system including sense circuits to make binary decision

The present disclosure relates to a detection device and electronic equipment, in which a detection accuracy of minute light can be improved. A detection device includes: a pixel array portion in which a plurality of first pixels including a photoelectric conversion unit, and a plurality of second pixels not including a photoelectric conversion unit, are arranged; and a driving unit configured to drive the first pixel and the second pixel. The present technology, for example, can be applied to a light detector, a radiation counter device performing radiation counting by using the light detector, and a biological examination device using the light detector, such as a flow cytometer.

Detection device and electronic equipment

The X-ray detection device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a scintillator that generates scintillation light in response to incident X-rays; a detection unit including a plurality of pixels each generating a pixel signal in response to the scintillation light incident thereon; and an output unit that generates X-ray two-dimensional projection data by using the pixel signals of the pixels. A pixel of the detection unit includes a plurality of subpixels that performs photoelectric conversion in response to the scintillation light; an AD conversion unit that applies AD conversion to outputs of the subpixels; and an adder that generates the pixel signal corresponding to the pixel by adding up outputs of the plurality of subpixels after the AD conversion. The present disclosure is applicable to an X-ray CT device and an X-ray FPD device.

X-ray detection device and detection method

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Toshiyuki Nishihara