High efficiency, high resolution, real-time radiographic imaging system.

摘要

A new scintillating optical fiber is used in an array as a scintillator plate for imaging with high energy radiation, particles and the like. The scintillating optical fiber is an inner plastic core fiber which is transparent to visible radiation and has an index of refraction of about 1.45 or greater, and the inner plastic core fiber has a plastic cladding material which has an index of refraction less than that of the inner plastic core fiber. The inner plastic core fiber contains a polymeric matrix material; a metal moiety; and an organic fluorescent material. The scintillator plates are useful in producing high efficiency and high resolution radiographic systems for x-ray medical diagnosis or non-destructive inspection as well as non-destructive inspection with thermal neutrons. In medical x-ray applications, such as mammography, the need for lower doses of x-rays for a given image quality is met and exceeded by the higher detection efficiency of these scintillator plates and their associated electronic read-out system.