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:
Jul. 17, 2007
Filed:
Jun. 15, 2004
Mark S. Andreaco, Knoxville, TN (US);
Charles W. Williams, Powell, TN (US);
J. Clifton Moyers, Oak Ridge, TN (US);
Keith Vaigneur, Knoxville, TN (US);
Mark S. Andreaco, Knoxville, TN (US);
Charles W. Williams, Powell, TN (US);
J. Clifton Moyers, Oak Ridge, TN (US);
Keith Vaigneur, Knoxville, TN (US);
Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Malvern, PA (US);
Abstract
A method for producing a high resolution detector array so as to provide very high packing fraction, i.e., the distance between scintillator elements is minimized so the detector efficiency will be higher than is currently achievable. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fabrication methodology is enhanced by handling LSO bars rather than single crystals when gluing on the Lumirror® as well as etching the LSO. Namely, an LSO boule is cut into wide bars of a selected dimension, for example 30 mm, which are then acid etched or mechanically polished. A selected number, N, of these LSO bars can then be glued together with Lumirror® sheets between each bar (coating the LSO disks and Lumirror® sheets with Epotek 301-2). The glued bar block is then cut again into bars in a perpendicular direction, and these new LSO-Lumirror® bars are etched. Finally, a selected number, M, of these LSO-Lumirror® bars are glued together with Lumirror® sheets between each bar; thus creating an etched N×M LSO-Lumirror® array, (where M may or may not be equal to N), without having to handle individual LSO crystals or small Lumirror® pieces.