189 results about "X ray photons" patented technology

A autonomous navigation system of a navigational satellite based on X radial pulse satellite includes: an X radial detector, an atomic clock group on the satellite, a planet of our solar system parameter database, an X radial pulsar module and a characteristic parameter database, a computer on the satellite, a strap-down inertial navigation system SINS and an autonomous navigation algorithm module library; in the autonomous navigation method, the X radial photons radiated from the pulsar are used as the input of the external information; the pulse arrival time TOA and the angular position information are obtained; data is processed through a autonomous navigation filter; and the navigational parameters such as the position, the speed, the time and the pose of the navigational satellite; the navigational telegraph text and the control command are generated independently, and the independent running of the navigational satellite is realized. The present invention has the advantages of providing a long time and a high degree of accuracy autonomous navigation, and providing the fault-tolerance capacity of the autonomous navigation information processing. The autonomous navigation system is also be adequate for the high degree of accuracy autonomous navigation of the near earth orbit, the deep space, the interplanetary flight space vehicle, the a celestial body lander without thickset atmosphere and the surface peripatetic machine.

An x-ray detector module including a silicon photomultiplier and a computed tomography imaging system including the same is provided. The x-ray detector module includes optically coupled scintillation materials and silicon photomultiplier pixels. The x-ray detector pixels may have a constant axial profile with a polygonal cross section, which may be rectangular. A plurality of the x-ray detector pixels are generally arranged into 2D arrays. Each x-ray detector pixel may be connected to a dedicated electronic readout channel. In operation, the scintillation materials interact with incident x-ray photons to generate visible-light photons. The silicon photomultiplier pixels generate electrical signals in accordance with the number of visible-light photons generated by an incident x-ray photon. The electronic readout channels process the electrical signals to determine characteristics of the incident x-ray photons. Information of a plurality of x-ray photons are compiled to generate computed tomography images.

An apparatus for X-ray scanning of vehicles includes a pulsed X-ray source (2) generating X-rays. A collimator forms (3) a fan -shaped beam from the X-rays. A detector (5) detects the fan- shaped beam after it passes through a vehicle (6). A speed sensor (9) measures a speed of the vehicle passing through the apparatus and providing an electrical output corresponding to the speed. An image formation module converts an output of the detector into an image of the vehicle, based on the measured speed of the vehicle. The width of the fan- shaped beam is substantially similar to the width of the detector. The X-rays comprise primarily photons with energy between 2.5 and 9 MeV. A filter (19) is adjacent to the collimator for filtering out low energy X-ray photons. A vehicle presence sensor (10) can be used, whose output is used to turn the X-ray source on and off. An alignment platform (13, 17) can be used for aligning the fan -shaped beam with the detector. A frequency of the pulses is adjusted based on the speed of the vehicle. The X-ray source is turned off if the speed of the vehicle is below a predetermined threshold.

The invention provides methods and apparatus for detecting radiation including x-ray photon (including gamma ray photon) and particle radiation for radiographic imaging (including conventional CT and radiation therapy portal and CT), nuclear medicine, material composition analysis, container inspection, mine detection, remediation, high energy physics, and astronomy. This invention provides novel face-on, edge-on, edge-on sub-aperture resolution (SAR), and face-on SAR scintillator detectors, designs and systems for enhanced slit and slot scan radiographic imaging suitable for medical, industrial, Homeland Security, and scientific applications. Some of these detector designs are readily extended for use as area detectors, including cross-coupled arrays, gas detectors, and Compton gamma cameras. Energy integration, photon counting, and limited energy resolution readout capabilities are described. Continuous slit and slot designs as well as sub-slit and sub-slot geometries are described, permitting the use of modular detectors.

The present invention is a shielded anode having an anode with a surface facing an electron beam and a shield configured to encompass the anode surface. The shield has at least one aperture and an internal surface facing the anode surface. The shield internal surface and anode surface are separated by a gap in the range of 1 mm to 10 mm. The shield of the present invention is fabricated from a material, such as graphite, that is substantially transmissive to X-ray photons.

A device for use in an imaging system is provided including a direct conversion detector element configured to convert x-ray photons into electric current. The direct conversion detector element is comprised of a cathode surface, an anode surface having a plurality of anode side edges, and a plurality of detector side surfaces connecting the cathode surface to the anode surface. The plurality of detector side surfaces each have a detector depth. The device further includes a pixel array assembly positioned on the anode surface. The pixel array assembly includes a plurality of pixel side edges. Each of the plurality of pixel side edges is immediately adjacent one of the anode side edges. A guard ring is mounted around the plurality of detector side surfaces. The guard ring includes an upper ring edge, a lower ring edge, and a ring outer surface including a guard ring height.

The present invention is a shielded anode having an anode with a surface facing an electron beam and a shield configured to encompass the anode surface. The shield has at least one aperture and an internal surface facing the anode surface. The shield internal surface and anode surface are separated by a gap in the range of 1 mm to 10 mm. The shield of the present invention is fabricated from a material, such as graphite, that is substantially transmissive to X-ray photons.

The present invention relates to an apparatus (10) for generating countable pulses (30) from impinging X-ray (12, 14) in an imaging device (16), in particular in a computer tomograph, the apparatus (10) comprising a pre-amplifying element (18) adapted to convert a charge pulse (20) generated by an impinging photon (12, 14) into an electrical signal (22) and a shaping element (26) having a feedback loop (28) and adapted to convert the electrical signal (22) into an electrical pulse (30), wherein a delay circuit (38) is connected to the feedback loop (28) such that a time during which the feedback loop (28) collects charges of the electrical signal (22) is extended in order to improve an amplitude of the electrical pulse (30) at an output (56) of the shaping element (26). The invention also relates to a corresponding imaging device (16) and a corresponding method.

A method for X-ray analysis of a sample includes aligning an optical radiation source with an X-ray excitation source, so that a spot on the sample that is irradiated by an X-ray beam generated by the X-ray excitation source is illuminated with optical radiation generated by the optical radiation source. Optical radiation that is reflected from the sample is used to generate a first signal, which is indicative of an alignment of the spot on the sample. The X-ray beam is aligned, responsively to the first signal, so that the spot coincides with a target area of the sample. X-ray photons received from the spot on the sample, after aligning the X-ray beam, are used in generating a second signal that is indicative of a characteristic of the target area.

An X-ray image sensor having a photoelectric conversion part that converts X-ray photons into electric charges. The X-ray image sensor includes a pixel electrode for collecting the electric charges and a storage capacitor for storing the electric charges collected by the pixel electrode. The storage capacitor includes a first capacitor electrode, the pixel electrode, and a dielectric layer that is deposited on the first capacitor electrode. The pixel electrode contacts an electron transport electrode via a hole through the dielectric layer. A switching TFT controls the release of electric charges in the storage capacitor to an external circuit. The switching TFT is comprised of a gate electrode, a first insulation film, a drain electrode, and a source electrode that contacts the electron transport electrode.

A pixel for the detection of electromagnetic radiation or impinging high energy particles, in particular for detecting X-ray photons, including a radiation receptor for converting the electromagnetic radiation or impinging high energy particles into a radiation signal, a converter for converting the radiation signal into a pulse train, and an analog accumulator for accumulating the pulses of a pulse train to an analog signal for readout. The analog accumulator is adapted such that the analog signal is non-linearly proportional to the pulse count. Such non-linear analog accumulator has the advantage of an large dynamic range.

A method for single photon counting transmission computed tomography (CT) is described. The method is based on an apparatus consisting of a radiation source and detectors on an opposite side of the subject from the source. The radiation source is for example an X-ray tube. The detectors are independently connected to parallel, fast, low-noise processing electronics capable of recording and counting individual X-ray photons at very high rate. In one embodiment of the invention, said detector is made of a scintillator coupled to a photodetector. The photodetector can be an avalanche photodiode (APD). The method comprises the steps of: directing the low energy radiation source toward the subject; detecting the radiation transmitted through the subject towards the detectors and recording the position and energy of each individual X-ray photon; rotating the radiation source and detectors around the subject; recording data for each position of the radiation source and detectors around the subject to form projections; and creating a CT image from the recorded projection data. The proposed method allows enhancing CT image contrast and reducing radiation dose to the patient by counting individual X-ray photons.

The present invention is a shielded anode having an anode with a surface facing an electron beam and a shield configured to encompass the anode surface. The shield has at least one aperture and an internal surface facing the anode surface. The shield internal surface and anode surface are separated by a gap in the range of 1 mm to 10 mm. The shield of the present invention is fabricated from a material, such as graphite, that is substantially transmissive to X-ray photons.