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:
Aug. 27, 2013
Filed:
Nov. 19, 2009
Thomas Frach, Aachen, DE;
Gordian Prescher, Cologne, DE;
Thomas Frach, Aachen, DE;
Gordian Prescher, Cologne, DE;
Koninklijke Philips N.V., Eindhoven, NL;
Abstract
When detecting photons in a computed tomography (CT) detector, a sensor () includes a photodiode that is switchable between liner and Geiger operation modes to increase sensing range. When signal to noise ratio (SNR) is high, a large bias voltage is applied to the photodiode () to charge it beyond its breakdown voltage, which makes it sensitive to single photons and causes it to operate in Geiger mode. When a photon is received at the photodiode (), a readout transistor () senses the voltage drop across the photodiode () to detect the photon. Alternatively, when SNR is low, a low bias voltage is applied to the photodiode () to cause it to operate in linear mode.