Autonomous gamma, X-ray, and particle detector

摘要

A system and method for imaging gamma- and x-ray, and charged particles sources employing a three dimensional array of scintillation elements arranged surrounding an emission source. According to a preferred embodiment, each element of the array comprises a scintillator element, a solid-state photon detector, and processing electronics to output an electronic signal. The elements may be efficiently packed in both the X-Y plane and stacked in the Z-axis, to provide depth of interaction information. The elements of the array are preferably hierarchically arranged with control electronics provided together for subarray modules (e.g., an n×m×1 module), and synchronization electronics provided at a larger scale. The modules preferably communicate with a control system through a shared addressable packet switched digital communication network with a control and imaging system, and receive control information from that system through the network.

主权项

1. An autonomous scintillation detector comprising:
a plurality of scintillator elements arranged in an array; a plurality of detectors, each respective detector being coupled to a respective scintillator element and being configured to selectively detect scintillation of the respective coupled scintillator element; wherein each respective scintillator element at least one of:
is optically and electrically isolated from each other scintillator element of the array; andcomprises a scintillation crystal, and each detector comprises a thin film photonic detector directly patterned on a surface of each respective scintillation crystal; a clock, configured to generate a clock signal having a resolution of less than or equal to 10 nS; circuitry coupled to each of the plurality of detectors and receiving the clock signal, configured to produce a detection event in response to excitation of a respective scintillator element, the detection event comprising a quantitative scintillation parameter and a time of detection; a memory; an interface to a shared addressable digital packet communication network; an automated processor configured to:
store a plurality of records representing a plurality of detection events in the memory, each record comprising a respective detection event and an identification of a respective scintillation element associated with the respective detection event;process the stored plurality of records according to at least one filter criteria;transmit the stored records through the shared addressable digital packet communication network; andreceive control information through the shared addressable digital packet communication network; and a housing configured to surround at least the plurality of scintillator elements, the plurality of detectors, the clock, the circuitry, the memory, and the automated processor.