Abstract: Device and method for synchronously switching activating a first and second charge accumulation section (31, 32) for a duration of a first and second predetermined sub-frame and a first and second X-ray source until lapse of a predetermined time frame for each of the first and second charge accumulation section (31, 32) for the accumulation of a plurality of temporally distributed partial charges according to an origin of a respective one of the plurality of spatially distributed X-ray sources so as to establish a specific relation between the focal spot position and a rule for accumulating the respective partial measurements, e.g. temporally distributed partial charges, belonging to the same focal spot positions, and to keep the focal spot temperature low by only activating the focal spot for a limited time according to a sub-frame.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a pixilated direct conversion photon counting detector with a direct conversion material layer and a pixilated electrode. Individual electrode pixels are segmented into three segments (510, 520, 530), wherein one of the segments (520) is operated at a more electrically repellant value than that of the other two (510, 530). Said other two segments are connected to electric circuitry (610, 611, 620, 630) that is arranged to generate signals which are indicative of a count of electrons or holes that approach each of the respective electrode pixel segments and to subtract the generated signals from each other.

Abstract: A radiation detector (10) includes a semiconductor element (1) for generating positive holes and electrons, a cathode (2) formed on a first surface of the semiconductor element (1) and a plurality of segmented anodes (3) formed on a second surface of the semiconductor element (1), the second surface being in opposed relation to the first surface. Additionally, a plurality of segmented steering electrodes (5a) are positioned adjacent the plurality of segmented anodes (3). Moreover, a plurality of doping atoms are located above at least a portion of the plurality of segmented anodes (3) for reducing the voltage difference between the plurality of segmented anodes (3) and the plurality of segmented steering electrodes (5a).

Abstract: An apparatus includes a pulse shaper (120) for receiving signals indicative of detected photons and generating a plurality of pulses therefrom to form a pulse train (200) and a peak detector (150) for sampling the pulse train (200) at an output of the pulse shaper (120). The peak detector (150) includes a circuit (300) for selectively detecting and sampling a maximum (202a, b, c) and a minimum (204a, b) value of the pulse train (200). The maximum (202a, b, c) and minimum (204a, b) values sampled are then converted from analog-to-digital format via an analog-to-digital converter (160).

Abstract: In radiation-sensitive detector devices, such as direct conversion detectors, charges are drifting within an externally applied electric field towards collecting electrodes (4), which are segmented (e.g. representing a pixel array). At the gaps between segments, electrical field lines can leave the detector, and charges drifting along those field lines can be trapped within the gap. This can be avoided by external electrodes (8) which push electric field lines back into the direct conversion material.

Abstract: A radiation detector assembly (20) includes a detector array module (40) configured to convert radiation particles to electrical detection pulses, and an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) (42) operatively connected with the detector array. The ASIC includes signal processing circuitry (60) configured to digitize an electrical detection pulse received from the detector array, and test circuitry (80) configured to inject a test electrical pulse into the signal processing circuitry. The test circuitry includes a current meter (84) configured to measure the test electrical pulse injected into the signal processing circuitry, and a charge pulse generator (82) configured to generate a test electrical pulse that is injected into the signal processing circuitry.

Abstract: The invention relates to a radiation detector (100) comprising a converter element (102) for converting incident high-energy radiation (X) into charge signals. A cathode (101) and an array (104) of anodes (103) are disposed on different sides of the converter element (102) for generating an electrical field (E0, Ed) within it. The strength of said electrical field (E0, Ed) is increased in a first region (Rd) near the anode array (104) with respect to a second region (R0) remote from it. Such an increase may be achieved by doping the first region (Rd) with an electron acceptor. The increased field strength in the first region (Rd) favorably affects the sharpness of charge pulses generated by incident radiation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an x-ray detector comprising a sensor unit (200, 300) for detecting incident x-ray radiation comprising a number of sensor elements (230, 311-314), a counting channel (240) per sensor element for obtaining a count signal by counting photons or charge pulses generated in response to the incident x-ray radiation since a beginning of a measurement interval, an integrating channel (250) per sensor element for obtaining an integration signal representing the total energy of radiation detected since the beginning of the measurement interval, and a processing unit (260) for estimating, from the integration signals of the sensor elements (321), count signals of sensor elements (311, 312) whose counting channel has been saturated during the measurement interval.

Abstract: The present invention relates to radiation detector (2) comprising a radiation sensitive semiconductor element (10) generating electron-hole pairs in response to an irradiation with radiation (3), an anode electrode(20) arranged on a first surface (11) of the semiconductor element (10) facing away from the radiation, said anode electrode (20) being segmented into anode segments (21) representing anode pixels, wherein anode gaps (22) are arranged between said anode segments (21), a cathode electrode (30) arranged on a second surface (12) of the semiconductor element (10) opposite the first surface (11) and facing the radiation (3), said cathode electrode (30) being segmented into first and second cathode segments (31, 32), wherein said first cathode segments (31) are substantially arranged opposite said anode segments (21) and said second cathode segments (32) are substantially arranged opposite said anode gaps (22), and a cathode terminal (41, 42) providing electrical connections to said first cathode segment

Abstract: In radiation-sensitive detector devices, such as direct conversion detectors, charges are drifting within an externally applied electric field towards collecting electrodes (4), which are segmented (e.g. representing a pixel array). At the gaps between segments, electrical field lines can leave the detector, and charges drifting along those field lines can be trapped within the gap. This can be avoided by external electrodes (8) which push electric field lines back into the direct conversion material.

Abstract: An imaging system (300) includes a detector array (314) with direct conversion detector pixels that detect radiation traversing an examination region of the imaging system and generate a signal indicative of the detected radiation, a pulse shaper (316) configured to alternatively process the signal indicative of detected radiation generated by the detector array or a set of test pulses having different and known heights that correspond to different and known energy levels and to generate output pulses having heights indicative of the energy of the processed detected radiation or set of test pulses, and a thresholds adjuster (330) configured to analyze the heights of the output pulses corresponding to the set of test pulses in connection with the heights of set of test pulses and a set of predetermined fixed energy thresholds and generate a threshold adjustment signal indicative of a baseline based on a result of the analysis.

Abstract: Due to NACK-to-ACK misinterpretations in base stations, packets are lost, and there may be gaps in a re-ordering buffer of a base station. According to the present invention, when the receiver decodes—possibly after some retransmissions—a first data packet without an error, which first data packet is sent along with an indicator indicating that the first data packet is a new data packet, after the receiver has sent a negative confirmation message (NACK) with respect to a second data packet, the receiver sends a Revert (REV) message to the transmitter. The REV message informs the base station that the first data packet was decoded error-free, and that the second data packet is still missing on the receiving side so that the base station may re-send this second data packet.

Abstract: Data transmission in a multicast fashion in which retransmissions are requested by recipients sending feedback to the one sender. Receiving stations are informed about the feedback of another receiving station. This is done by mirroring the feedback of receiving stations to other receiving stations. Due to this, in case, for example, one of the mirrored feedbacks is a negative acknowledgement message, the other receiving stations are informed that it is no longer necessary to provide their feedback, since a retransmission will be initiated anyway. Advantageously, this may allow reduced interference in the direction of the feedback.

Abstract: A detector tile (116) of an imaging detector array (112) includes a scintillator array (202), a photosensor array (204), which includes a plurality of photosensitive pixels, optically coupled to the scintillator array (202), and a current-to-frequency (I/F) converter (302). The I/F converter (302) includes an integrator (304) that integrates charge output by a photosensitive pixel during an integration period and generates a signal indicative thereof and a comparator (310) that generates a pulse when the generated signal satisfies predetermined criteria during the integration period. A reset device (316) resets the integrator (304) in response to the comparator (310) generating a pulse. Circuitry (320, 324) samples the generated signal at a beginning of the integration period and/or at an end of the integration period and generates quantized digital data indicative thereof. Logic (322) estimates the charge at the input of the integrator (304) based on the generated digital data.

Abstract: The invention relates to a radiation detector (100) comprising a converter element (113) with an array (120) of first electrodes (121) for sampling electrical signals generated by incident radiation (X). With a connection circuit (130), at least two first electrodes (121) can selectively be coupled to a common readout unit (141) according to a given connection pattern (CP1). The effective pixel size along the path of incident radiation (X) can thus be adapted to the distribution of electrical signals, which is usually determined by the spectral composition of the incident radiation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a radiation detector that is particularly suited for energy resolved single X-ray photon detection in a CT scanner. In a preferred embodiment, the detector has an array of scintillator elements in which incident X-ray photons are converted into bursts of optical photons. Pixels associated to the scintillator elements determine the numbers of optical photons they receive within predetermined acquisition intervals. These numbers can then be digitally processed to detect single X-ray photons and to determine their energy. The pixels may particularly be realized by avalanche photodiodes with associated digital electronic circuits for data processing.

Abstract: Data transmission in a multicast fashion in which retransmissions are requested by recipients sending feedback to the one sender. Receiving stations are informed about the feedback of another receiving station. This is done by mirroring the feedback of receiving stations to other receiving stations. Due to this, in case, for example, one of the mirrored feedbacks is a negative acknowledgement message, the other receiving stations are informed that it is no longer necessary to provide their feedback, since a retransmission will be initiated anyway. Advantageously, this may allow to reduce interference in the direction of the feedback.

Abstract: A detector array (110) of an imaging system (100) includes a radiation sensitive detector (114, 116) that detects radiation and generates a signal indicative thereof. A current-to-frequency (I/F) converter (202) converts the signal to a pulse train having a frequency indicative of the signal for an integration period. Circuitry (120) generates a first moment and at least one higher order moment based on the pulse train.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes methods, systems, and computer program products for providing access to business network data. One method includes identifying a logical graph from business network linked graph data to be transformed into a resource graph, the logical graph including at least two nodes and at least one edge connecting a pair of nodes and defining a connection between the nodes. Each node is converted into a resource. A resource graph associated with the logical graph can be generated, where generation comprises, for each identified node, associating at least one attribute associated with the identified node as a resource attribute of the corresponding resource, adding at least one node connected to the identified node via an edge in the logical graph as a resource attribute of the corresponding resource, and dissolving at least one connection between the identified node and at least one other entity in the logical graph.

Abstract: The invention is directed at an apparatus (10), an imaging device and a method for detecting X-ray photons, in particular photons (32,34) in a computer tomograph. Photons (32,34) are converted into an electrical pulse and compared against a threshold using a discriminator (20). The electrical network (12) performing these functions comprises a switching element (28), that can modify the electrical path (22) along which the process signals travel. The trigger signal (VT) for actuating the switching element (28) is derived from an electrical state of the electrical path (22). If a pulse associated to a photon (32,34) is detected, the switching element (28) is actuated in order to avoid that the processing of the charge pulse stemming from a first photon (32) is affected by a subsequent second photon (34).