Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.V.

Walter R&uuml;tten

Michael Overdick

Josef Lauter

Matthias Simon

Falko Busse

Gerard Francis Harkin

The invention relates to an X-ray detector for converting X-rays ( ) into electric charges, including a scintillator arrangement ( ) and a photosensor arrangement ( ) which is situated therebelow; the light that is incident in openings Z between the pixels P is reflected to the photosensor D by means of a reflector arrangement ( ) so that it contributes to an increased signal without degrading the spatial resolution of the X-ray detector.

X-ray detector offering an improved light yield

The invention relates to a sensor and a method of operating a sensor with includes a plurality of sensor elements ( ), each of which includes a radiation-sensitive conversion element ( ) which generates an electric signal in dependence on the incident radiation, and also with means ( to ) for amplifying the electric signal in each sensor element ( ) and a read-out switching element ( ) in each sensor element ( ) which is connected to a read-out line ( ) in order to read-out the electric signal. In order to provide a sensor in which a high stability of the transfer function and a favorable signal-to-noise ratio are ensured while maintaining a comparatively simple and economical construction, the means for amplifying include a respective source follower transistor ( ) whose gate is connected to the conversion element ( ), whose source is connected on the one side to an active load ( ) and on the other side to one side of a sampling capacitor ( ), the other side of the sampling capacitor ( ) being connected to the read-out line ( ) via the read-out switching element ( ), a respective reset element ( ) being connected to the conversion element ( ) so as to reset the conversion element ( ) to an initial state.

Sensor and method of operating the sensor

An X-ray detector includes an array of X-ray sensitive sensors, each sensor including a conversion element which converts incident X-rays into electric charge pulses. The X-ray detector also includes an evaluation unit which is electrically connected to the conversion element in order to receive and evaluate the electric charge pulses. In order to form an X-ray detector which exhibits a high degree of linearity over a large dynamic range in conjunction with a higher maximum count rate and in order to avoid falsification of the calculated image by multiple counting of X-ray quanta, the evaluation unit includes a current/frequency converter as well as an electronic counter which is electrically connected thereto. The electric charge pulses from the conversion element are applied to the input of the current/frequency converter whose output pulses are applied to the electronic counter.

Growing community of inventors

Kinnich, Germany

Walter Rütten

Growing community of inventors

Kinnich, Germany

Walter R&uuml;tten

Walter Rütten