Abstract: A semiconductor detector array including a substrate formed of a semiconductor material and defining a detector array surface including first and second opposite facing surfaces and at least one side wall, electrodes operative as anodes and cathodes of the detector array, formed on the respective first and second opposite facing surfaces, electrical insulation formed along at least part of the at least one side wall and at least one segmented electrical conductor formed over at least part of the electrical insulation along the at least part of the at least one side wall.

Abstract: Method, apparatus and system for reducing or preventing polarization in semiconductor radiation detectors for medical imaging. For example, an apparatus includes a semiconductor with electrodes coupled thereto, configured to generate an electrical signal in the electrodes in response to absorption of ionizing radiation in the semiconductor, wherein the absorption of the ionizing radiation generates a space charge in the semiconductor; and an infra-red (IR) generator configured to generate IR radiation of a selectable wavelength, the selectable wavelength being chosen so as to at least partially reduce an effect of the space charge on the electrical signal.

Abstract: Method, apparatus and system for reducing or preventing polarization in semiconductor radiation detectors for medical imaging. For example, an apparatus includes a semiconductor with electrodes coupled thereto, configured to generate an electrical signal in the electrodes in response to absorption of ionizing radiation in the semiconductor, wherein the absorption of the ionizing radiation generates a space charge in the semiconductor; and an infra-red (IR) generator configured to generate IR radiation of a selectable wavelength, the selectable wavelength being chosen so as to at least partially reduce an effect of the space charge on the electrical signal.

Abstract: Some embodiments include methods, devices and systems of radiation detection by asynchronous demultiplexing. In some embodiments, an apparatus to read a plurality of electrical signals received from an electrode may include two or more electrical signal readers, wherein each of the signal readers is individually switchable between a coupled state in which an input of the signal reader is coupled to the electrode, and a decoupled state in which the input is decoupled from the electrode; and a controller to detect the plurality of electrical signals, to selectively switch the two or more signal readers to the coupled state to receive at least one sequence of two or more of the detected electrical signals, respectively, and to selectively activate the two or more signal readers to process the two or more detected electrical signals, respectively. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Apparatus for detecting radiation, including a detector which is configured to generate electrical charges responsive to incidence of a photon on the detector. The apparatus includes a plurality of detector circuits coupled to the detector at different respective locations. Each detector circuit consists of an amplifier which is configured to generate a pulse in response to the charges, and a first pulse shaper, having a first time constant, which is configured to produce a metric representative of an energy of the pulse. Each detector circuit also has a second pulse shaper, having a second time constant greater than the first time constant, which is configured to produce an indication that the metric is representative of an energy of the photon. The apparatus also includes a summing device which is coupled to sum the metric of each of the detector circuits in response to the respective indication.

Abstract: System and method for determining an energy window in a medical imaging system. The imaging system, designed to operate in a single photon counting mode, includes a pixilated radiation detector having an array of detector elements coupled to respective electronic channels. The method includes measuring the electronic signals produced for each detector element and producing two spectra corresponding to two different energy levels of photons, deriving an electrical offset for the signals received from each detector element and producing corrected signals and a corrected spectrum of radiation flux impinging on the detector, calculating a peak channel value measured in units of energy channels, and determining an energy window for each detector element such that the width of the window is equal to a desired fraction of the peak channel value.

Abstract: A radiation detection camera head having a focal-plane array of pixelated detectors having constant pitch between pixels over the whole of the camera head, while using detector modules having normal production tolerances, and which can nevertheless be readily removed and replaced in the detector array by means of predetermined gaps between adjacent detector modules. The pixels on the side walls of the detector modules have reduced size to maintain constant pitch over the array in spite of production variation between modules. The reduction in sensitivity due to this reduced size is compensated for by the addition of insulated conductive bands on the side walls. The head collimator is such that the septa fall between pixels and between modules, such that head sensitivity is maintained at its optimum value.

Abstract: A readout system, including a data channel for conveying data, and detector units. Each detector unit includes an input which receives a pulse having a magnitude, a storage buffer which stores an indication of the magnitude, and output circuitry which outputs a request-to-read signal in response to the storage unit receiving the pulse. The units output the indications to the data channel upon receiving a select signal in response to the request-to-read signal. The system includes a processor, which receives the request-to-read signal, and in response transmits the select signal and reads the indication from the data channel. The system also includes selectors, coupled as a tree of hierarchical rows having decreasing numbers of selectors, which convey the request-to-read signals from the detector units to the processor. The selectors also convey the select signals from the processor to the detector units, thereby causing the processor to read the indications.

Abstract: A pixelated detector assembly comprising a stack of thin detector crystals, each detector crystal having a pair of planar surfaces bound by edges substantially thinner than the dimensions of the surfaces. The stack is disposed such that the radiation to be detected is incident on one set of edges of the stack of detector crystals. The dimension of the planar surfaces in the general direction of incidence of the radiation incidence is sufficient to ensure that substantially all of the high energy photons to be detected are absorbed within the depth of the detector assembly. Each of the detector crystals has a two-dimensional pixelated anode array formed on one of its planar surfaces. A cathode is formed on its opposite planar surface, preferably covering substantially all of the surface.

Abstract: A pixelated detector assembly comprising a stack of thin detector crystals, each detector crystal having a pair of planar surfaces bound by edges substantially thinner than the dimensions of the surfaces. The stack is disposed such that the radiation to be detected is incident on one set of edges of the stack of detector crystals. The dimension of the planar surfaces in the general direction of incidence of the radiation incidence is sufficient to ensure that substantially all of the high energy photons to be detected are absorbed within the depth of the detector assembly. Each of the detector crystals has a two-dimensional pixelated anode array formed on one of its planar surfaces. A cathode is formed on its opposite planar surface, preferably covering substantially all of the surface.

Abstract: A two-dimensional, pixellated, monolithic semiconductor radiation detector, in which each detector pixel is essentially a perpendicular mode detector. This is achieved by an arrangement of anode spots, one for each pixel located on the flux-exposed front surface of the detector substrate, surrounding by a cathode array preferably in the form of a network of lines, such that the field between the anodes and cathodes on this front surface has a major component in the direction parallel to the surface, and hence perpendicular to the incident photon flux. The conductivity of the substrate is high near this front surface, since this is where the highest level of absorption of photons takes place, and a significant photoconductive current is thus generated between cathodes and anodes. The conductivity is proportional to the incoming photon flux, and decays exponentially with depth into the detector.