High-sensitivity, high-speed continuous imaging system

摘要

A continuous imaging system for recording low levels of light typically extending over small distances with high-frame rates and with a large number of frames is described. Photodiode pixels disposed in an array having a chosen geometry, each pixel having a dedicated amplifier, analog-to-digital convertor, and memory, provide parallel operation of the system. When combined with a plurality of scintillators responsive to a selected source of radiation, in a scintillator array, the light from each scintillator being directed to a single corresponding photodiode in close proximity or lens-coupled thereto, embodiments of the present imaging system may provide images of x-ray, gamma ray, proton, and neutron sources with high efficiency.

主权项

1. A continuous imaging system, comprising in combination:
a plurality of pairs of photodiodes and scintillator pixels arranged such that visible light from each scintillator of said plurality of scintillator pixels is incident on a corresponding photodiode in said plurality of photodiodes; a plurality of amplifiers, each amplifier of said plurality of amplifiers being dedicated to one photodiode of said plurality of photodiodes for amplifying the electrical signal generated thereby; a plurality of multiplexed analog-to-digital converters, each analog-to-digital converter of said plurality of analog-to-digital converters receiving the amplified electrical signal from at least one amplifier of said plurality of amplifiers, and generating a voltage output therefrom; for each of the plurality of multiplexed analog-to-digital converters, at least one first-in-first-out memory buffer for receiving and storing the voltage output from each analog-to-digital converter in a parallel manner; an output bus in electrical connection with said memory buffer for receiving stored voltages from said at least one memory buffer; and a memory readout for sampling said output bus and for generating an image from the voltages thereof.