Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

U.S. Philips Corporation

Walter Rütten

Michael Overdick

Norbert Conrads

Falko Busse

Christoph Herrmann

Herfried Karl Wieczorek

Ulrich Schiebel

Jens Wiegert

Matthias Simon

Rainer Kiewitt

Martin John Powell

Dirk Schäfer

Bernd Menser

Augusto Nascetti

Georg Rose

A detector unit () for detecting electromagnetic radiation (), the detector unit () comprising a conversion material () adapted for converting impinging electromagnetic radiation () into electric charge carriers, a charge collection electrode () adapted for collecting the converted electric charge carriers, a shielding electrode () adapted to form a capacitance with the charge collection electrode (), and an evaluation circuit (to) electrically coupled with the charge collection electrode () and adapted for evaluating the electromagnetic radiation () based on the collected electric charge carriers.

Detector for and a method of detecting electromagnetic radiation

The invention relates to a detector for an X-ray apparatus, which detector comprises a substrate () of amorphous or preferably crystalline silicon with an array () of sensor element () disposed thereon. Integrated electronic modules () having analog-digital converters disposed thereon are mounted on one edge () of the substrate () by flip-chip contacting or the like and are connected by way of signal leads () to the sensor elements. The modules () and/or the substrate can additionally comprise amplifiers and multiplexers for processing the sensor signals.

X-ray detector

The invention relates to an X-ray detector () with an array () of sensor elements (), wherein each row (i) of sensor elements is connected via an addressing line to an addressing unit (), and wherein each column j) of sensor elements is connected via a read-out line to a read-out unit (). In the read-out unit (), sensor signals are preprocessed, for example amplified by amplifiers (). The detector further comprises a control unit () which is adapted to set the gains of said amplifiers () for each column (j) and each row (i) individually. The values of the gains may particularly be derived from a priori knowledge, from previous images of the object, or from the image signals of rows that have already been read out.

X-ray examination apparatus and radiation detector

The invention relates to a radiation detector apparatus () with an array () of detector pixels. Each pixel () of the detector comprises a photogate electrode () under which electrical charges produced by incident radiation (v, X) are collected. The change of these charges gives rise to displacement currents in photogate lines () connected to the photogate electrodes () which may be monitored by current sensors (). Thus the charges collected by all photogate electrodes () connected to a photogate line () can be measured during an ongoing exposure, allowing for advanced dose control methods of the illumination.

X-ray detector with photo-gates and dose control

The invention relates to a detector for the temporally resolved recording of detection events, comprising a converter device (), which in the operating state supplies an electrical signal when a detection event occurs, and evaluation electronics () having at least one trigger () which is coupled to the converter device () and is designed to supply a trigger signal () that is temporally assigned to the electrical signal, at least one time signal source () that supplies a first analog time signal (Z), and at least a first sampler () which is coupled to the trigger () and is designed to provide a first momentary value (E) of the first analog time signal (Z), said first momentary value being temporally assigned to the trigger signal ().

Detector for the temporally resolved recording of detection events

The invention relates to a method of reading out the sensor elements of a sensor () with a matrix of light-sensitive or X-ray-sensitive sensor elements (S; S. . . ) which are arranged in rows and columns and generate charges in dependence on the incident quantity of radiation, the switches () of the relevant sensor elements being activated via address lines (, . . . ) and the charges of the respective activated sensor elements being drained via read-out lines (, . . . ) so as to be processed further by way of amplifiers (, . . . ) and transfer means (). The invention also relates to a corresponding sensor as well as to an X-ray examination apparatus which includes an X-ray source for emitting an X-ray beam for irradiating an object in order to form an X-ray image, as well as a detector for generating an electrical image signal from said X-ray image. Despite the small incident X-ray doses, adequate amounts of charge, and hence electrical signals, are provided so as to form the image in that ingoing address lines (, . . . ) are selectably connected, by way of individually controllable switch elements (, . . . ) and by means of a switching operation, to each time the respective next address line and the sensor elements of at least two neighboring lines are activated by means of one ingoing signal, and corresponding outgoing read-out lines (, . . . ) are selectably connected, by way of individually controllable switch elements (, . . . ) and by means of a switching operation, to the respective next read-out line in such a manner that the charge signals read out from the activated sensor elements of at least two neighboring columns are combined so as to form one output signal.

Imaging method and apparatus for imaging with low incident radiation

The invention relates to an arrangement with light-sensitive or X-ray-sensitive sensors which are arranged in rows and columns of a matrix and generate charges in dependence on the amount of incident radiation, each sensor including a photosensor element with an intrinsic storage capacitor and/or a storage capacitor connected parallel to its terminals, and also a respective transistor; it also includes at least one switching line for each row of sensors via which the transistors can be activated so that the charges of the relevant activated sensors S can be read out simultaneously via read-out linesin order to ensure that, in conformity with the relevant mode of operation of the arrangement, the switching noise caused by the reading out of the sensors is reduced and/or a higher image repeat rate or more stable operating conditions for the photosensor element, also in the case of large signals, as well as an increase of the dynamic range of the photosensor element become possible in that each sensor S includes a further transistorwhich is connected directly to the photosensor elementand can be activated via at least one control line, both transistorsof each sensor S being connected in series and an electrode of a further capacitorbeing connected to the junction of the two transistors

Sensor matrix

An x-ray examination apparatus includes an x-ray source for emitting x-rays and an x-ray detector for deriving an image signal from an x-ray image. The x-ray detector has a semiconductor element including one or several sensor elements. Further the x-ray examination apparatus is provided with a bias radiation source for irradiating the x-ray detector with electromagnetic radiation. In particular, the x-ray detector is an x-ray sensor matrix having a multitude of semiconductor sensor elements. Preferably the bias radiation source is arranged to emit infrared radiation.

Growing community of inventors

Linnich, Germany

Walter Rütten