The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 13, 2004
Filed:
Jul. 17, 2000
Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., Hamamatsu, JP;
Abstract
In order to provide an imaging apparatus that uses an electron-bombarded multiplying tube with an internal solid imaging device with a long life, improved S/N ratio, high resolution, and moreover high sensitivity, an electron-bombarded multiplying tube with a photocathode and a back-illuminated FT-CCD sealed in a vacuum vessel is used as an imaging element. The vacuum vessel is made from a faceplate , a ceramic tube , and a ceramic stem . The photocathode emits photo-electrons from a surface opposite from the incidence plane, in accordance with incident light. The FT-CCD has an incidence plane disposed in the pathway of photo-electrons from the opposite surface. An imaging portion of the FT-CCD has pixels in the vertical direction in the same number as or in greater numbers than the number of output scan lines. A transfer electrode of the imaging portion is constantly applied with a negative voltage during an image accumulation period. By this, dark current can be controlled, the S/N ratio can be improved, resolution can be maintained, and sensitivity can be improved.