Patents Assigned to General Imaging Corporation
  • Patent number: 5464984
    Abstract: An x-ray detector includes a scintillator, a sensor array, processing circuits, and a ceramic layer. The ceramic layer overlays the processing circuits. The pixel architecture of the detector utilizes a technique similar to a CCD array to shift data from the array. The detector preferably utilizes 4-side abuttable sensor arrays having imbedded shift registers and bond pads superimposed over the pixel array in the upper metallization layers of the sensor. An alternative embodiment incorporates a silicon-on-insulator substrate to produce a monolithic large area substrate and a contiguous uninterrupted pixel array over the entire imaging surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1995
    Assignee: General Imaging Corporation
    Inventors: John D. Cox, Donald W. Williams
  • Patent number: 5440130
    Abstract: The x-ray imaging system comprises an x-ray source for producing an x-ray beam having an energy of at least 30 kVp and an x-ray detector. The x-ray detector comprises a solid state integrated circuit having a silicon substrate and a plurality of charge storage devices. The detector is responsive to x-rays of at least 30 keV to directly produce free electrons which interact with the charge storage devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Assignee: General Imaging Corporation
    Inventors: John D. Cox, William R. Eisenstadt, Robert M. Fox
  • Patent number: 5381013
    Abstract: An x-ray detector includes a scintillator, a sensor array, processing circuits, and a ceramic layer. The ceramic layer overlays the processing circuits. The pixel architecture of the detector utilizes a technique similar to a CCD array to shift date from the array. The pixel charges are read out in a quasi-random fashion. The detector preferably utilizes edge-to-edge sensor array having octagonal pixels with a high fill factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1995
    Assignee: General Imaging Corporation
    Inventors: John D. Cox, D. Scott Langford
  • Patent number: 5220170
    Abstract: The invention comprises a scintillator for converting impinging x-rays into visible light; a sensor array having two opposed surfaces with a plurality of detectors at one of the surfaces and having the other of the surfaces facing the scintillator; and a plurality of processing circuits facing the one surface and connected to the detectors by bump bonds. Another feature of the invention is a gain stage in close proximity to sensors, which may be MOS capacitors. A single gain stage may be connected to one capacitor or may be connected to several at one time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1993
    Assignees: General Imaging Corporation, University of Florida
    Inventors: John D. Cox, William R. Eisenstadt, Robert M. Fox
  • Patent number: 5159455
    Abstract: A multisensor high-resolution camera splices together sub-images obtained from a plurality of fiber bundles and can play back these sub-images as a single composite image in real time. The camera can output the composite image as a single high-resolution analog video image or as a stream of digital data. The camera produces these composite images from the optical sub-images output by tapered or nontapered fiber bundles. A scan converter splices together video signals output from the plurality of video cameras or the multiport video camera/cameras each of which is optically coupled to one of the plurality of fiber bundles. The sensor arrays can also be driven directly. In this case each sensor array is coupled to one of the fiber bundles. The sensor arrays are either multiple single port integrated circuit (IC) sensor arrays such as CCD arrays or multiport (IC) arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1992
    Assignee: General Imaging Corporation
    Inventors: John D. Cox, David E. Fowler
  • Patent number: 4905265
    Abstract: The x-ray imaging system comprises an x-ray source for producing an x-ray beam and an x-ray detector. The x-ray detector comprises a solid state integrated circuit having a silicon substrate and a plurality of charge storage devices. A circuit is provided for placing a charge on the charge storage devices and the integrated circuit is disposed in an x-ray permeable material. The detector is positioned in an x-ray beam such that the charge is dissipated by secondary radiation produced by interaction between the x-ray beam and the silicon substrate of the integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1990
    Assignee: General Imaging Corporation
    Inventors: John D. Cox, Alan M. Jacobs, Stephen A. Scott, Yi-Shung Juang