Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a photon counting detector and to a read-out integrated circuit to be used in such detector. Aspects of the present disclosure particularly relate to X-ray applications. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the detector comprises an electrical ground plane arranged at or near an interface between the carrier and at least one ROIC die. Each ROIC die comprises an extension region that laterally extends beyond the photon conversion assembly, wherein peripheral circuitry for a given ROIC die is arranged in the extension region of that ROIC die. The detector comprises at least one electrical connection that connects the power supply line that is arranged on the carrier to the peripheral circuitry of the at least one ROIC die.

Abstract: A seat adapted for use with a mammography apparatus for detecting malignant cells in a breast of a patient. The seat includes an x-ray source and an x-ray detector for imaging the breast, and is provided to the mammography apparatus to enable the patient to sit during imaging. The seat is tiltable between at least two positions: a first position in which the seat is level with the horizon; and a second position in which the seat is tilted obliquely sideways with reference to the horizon. The seat may compress the breast during x-ray imaging of the breast with the x-ray source and the x-ray detector.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fault detection circuit for detecting one or more column faults in a pixel array of an image sensor. The present invention further relates to a readout circuit for reading out a column line of an image sensor, and to an image sensor comprising the same. The fault detection circuit according to the invention comprises a signal unit for applying an electrical signal to a given column line of the pixel array, a determining unit for measuring a response to the applied electrical signal and for determining whether a fault exists for said given column line in dependence of the measured response, and a controller for controlling the signal unit and the determining unit, and for outputting a fault status for said given column line.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image sensor and to an imaging system comprising the same. The present invention particularly relates to X-ray image sensors and imaging systems. The image sensor according to the invention comprises a pixel array that includes a plurality of active pixels arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, and a plurality of column lines to which outputs of pixels in the same column are coupled for the purpose of outputting pixel signals. The image sensor further comprises readout circuitry that includes a plurality of readout units, each readout unit being configured for reading out a respective column line through an input node of the readout unit. The image sensor is characterized in that the image sensor further comprises capacitive units, such as capacitors, for capacitively coupling each input node to its corresponding column line.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a system for producing X-ray images from an object. According to this invention, a shift-and-add method is used for generating a stack of linear tomography planes each associated with a different area inside the object. A set of shift values is defined from the consideration of ensuring that said stack of linear tomography planes fills in the tomographic volume with a spatial density adequate to the application. If so required by the application, some focal planes can be selectively processed for sharpness reduction in some areas to control the depth-of-field. A focus stacking method is used to synthesize a single 2D X-ray image from UPI the tomographic stack of images. A depth map of in-focus areas from the linear tomography stack can be used for creating a 3D object model.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image sensor and to an X-ray system comprising such image sensor. More in particular, the invention relates to an image sensor wherein dose sensing pixels are used in conjunction with artificial pixels to sense a dose of incoming light or radiation. According to the invention, the image sensor comprises one or more shielded photo-sensitive pixels that are shielded for incoming photons and which are each configured for outputting a further reference voltage, wherein the input voltage of the artificial pixels is set in dependence on the outputted further reference voltage(s).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image sensor and to an imaging system comprising such a sensor. According to the invention, the overall conversion curve describing the conversion between photon flux and digital number comprises a first region in which the conversion is essentially linear and a second region in which the conversion is essentially non-linear. According to the invention, the non-linearity of the second region is obtained by operating the photodiode of the image sensor in its non-linear range and by changing the gain associated with the conversion between pixel voltage and digital number.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image sensor. More in particular, the present invention relates to an image sensor that comprises dose sensing pixels to sense an incident dose of photons. Such dose sensing can be used to trigger an image capturing process. A dose sensing pixel will act as a dose sensing pixel in a dose sensing mode of the sensor in dependence of a signal on a dose select line. The invention proposes a dose select line connecting unit for connecting dose select lines of a first stitching block among adjacent stitching blocks to a respective dose select line of a second stitching block among adjacent stitching blocks to prevent multiple dose sensing pixels in the same column of the matrix of pixels from being selected in the dose sensing mode.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for operating an imaging system that includes an intra-oral imaging sensor and an electronic processor. The intra-oral imaging sensor includes a housing, an image sensing component at least partially housed within the housing, and a multi-dimensional sensor at least partially housed within the housing. The electronic processor is configured to receive an output of the multi-dimensional sensor indicative of movement of the intra-oral imaging sensor. The output is compared to predetermined movement criteria indicative of a type of movement and, in response to determining that the type of movement of the imaging sensor has occurred, the electronic processor alters the operation of the imaging system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image sensor system. The invention further relates to an X-ray imaging system comprising such an image sensor system. More in particular, the present invention is related to image sensor systems that use a relatively small pixel width. The present invention proposes to group the pixel columns in a plurality of column groups, each column group comprising at least three columns of pixels. The binary counters corresponding to the columns in a column group are reset at the start of a conversion cycle such that at least three columns among the at least three columns in a column group are reset to a different initial value.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a converting device for converting an analog voltage into a digital number and to an imaging system comprising the same. The invention further relates to a method for converting an analog voltage into a digital number. According to the invention, one or more charge pumping steps are performed that change a voltage over a capacitive element that has been set in dependence of the voltage to be converted. During each charge pumping step, one or more substantially identical charge packets may be transferred to of from the capacitive element. The magnitude of the charge packets belonging to different charge pumping steps may be different allowing multi-slope operation. The digital number representing the analog voltage is calculated based on the net charge that has been injected into or removed from the main capacitive element as a result of having performed the one or more charge pumping steps.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image sensor system. The invention further relates to an X-ray imaging system comprising such an image sensor system. More in particular, the present invention is related to image sensor systems that use a relatively small pixel width. According to the present invention, the conversion unit comprises, for each column of pixels, a load that comprises a toggling unit configured for toggling a predefined number of bits in response to the clock signal. Furthermore, the load and binary counter are operable in a counting mode, in which mode the binary counter increases the binary count value in dependence of the clock signal and the load does not toggle, and in a non-counting mode, in which mode the binary counter has stopped counting and the load toggles said predefined number of bits in dependence of the clock signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an X-ray imaging system. The invention further relates to an X-ray sensor to be used in such system and to a method for manufacturing such sensors. According to the invention, the combination of a lower saturation dose and obtaining a plurality of image frames during a single exposure, can be used to form a final X-ray image having an improved dynamic range.

Abstract: The present invention is related to an X-ray detector and to an X-ray detector system comprising the X-ray detector. It is further related to an X-ray system and to a method for obtaining an X-ray image. According to the invention, the X-ray detector is configured to be operable in a mixed read-out mode in which an output of the X-ray sensor comprises sequentially obtained first blocks, each first block comprising a plurality of sequentially obtained different second blocks, wherein each second block comprises a read-out of the target segment, and wherein more than one of the second blocks comprises a different part of the additional segments such that each first block comprises a read-out for each of the plurality of segments.

Abstract: The present invention is related to an image sensor tile and to an image sensor comprising such a tile. An image sensor tile comprises a plurality of pixels that are arranged in a pattern of rows and columns. According to the present invention, each pixel block comprises, for each pixel row, at least one restoring unit that is arranged in a single pixel in that row or at least one restoring unit that is distributed over pixels in that row, said at least one restoring unit being configured to restore a shape of the at least one control signal.

Abstract: An x-ray detector comprises: a housing, including a cover removably fastened on a flange of a flanged base and forming a semi-hermetic seal therebetween, the flanged base including a bottom surface and the flange surrounding a perimeter of the bottom surface; and an x-ray imager positioned on the bottom surface, the x-ray imager including a scintillator and an image sensor, wherein the seal semi-hermetically encloses the x-ray imager in the housing, and is positioned nonadjacently to surfaces in contact with the x-ray imager. In this way, a simpler and less costly seal for a digital x-ray panel can be provide; furthermore, the seal is reusable and resealable, facilitating repair and refurbishment of the device.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for operating an imaging sensor, the imaging sensor including a multi-dimensional sensor. An electronic processor receives an output from the multi-dimensional sensor and transitions the imaging sensor from the low-power state into a ready state in response to a determination by the electronic processor, based on the output from the multi-dimensional sensor, that a first state transition criteria is satisfied and transitions the imaging sensor from the ready state into an armed state in response to a determination that a second state transition criteria is satisfied. In some implementations, the electronic processor operates the imaging sensor to capture image data only when operating in the armed state and prevents the imaging system from transitioning from the low-power state directly into the armed state.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for operating an intra-oral imaging sensor that includes a housing, an image sensing component at least partially housed within the housing, and a magnetometer at least partially housed within the housing. An output of the magnetometer indicative of an actual magnetic field that impinges the intra-oral imaging sensor is compared to data indicative of a first expected magnetic field. In response to determining, based on the comparison, that the actual magnetic field matches the first expected magnetic field, the electronic processor alters the operation of the imaging system. In some embodiments, the electronic processor causes the intra-oral imaging sensor to operate in a low-power state in response to determining that the actual magnetic field matches a first expected magnetic field indicative of placement of the intra-oral imaging sensor in an imaging sensor storage compartment.

Abstract: The radiation detector (10) comprises a scintillator (15) having a first refractive index (ns) for converting incident radiation (RR) received at a first side (S1) of the radiation detector (10) into converted radiation (CR), a photosensor (20) for receiving the converted radiation (CR) from the scintillator (15), and an optical coating layer (25) arranged between the scintillator (15) and the photosensor (20). The scintillator (15) has regions (RR) arranged for being imaged, when impinged by the incident radiation (RR), onto corresponding regions of the photosensor (20). The optical coating layer (25) has a second refractive index (no) lower than the first refractive index (ns) for reflecting the converted radiation (CR) resulting from the incident radiation (RR) impinged on a particular region (A1) of the scintillator (15) and received by a region (A3) of the optical coating layer (25) corresponding to a photosensor region different from the imaged one (A2).

Abstract: The present invention is related to a multi full-well pixel for a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) active pixel image sensor. It is further related to a MOS active pixel image sensor comprising a plurality of such pixels. The invention is particularly related to active pixel image sensors realized in complementary MOS (CMOS) technology. According to the invention, a MOS capacitor is used as a switchable capacitor, wherein the gate electrode is connected to the voltage that is to be read out. Semiconductor-side contacts of the MOS capacitor are used to apply a switching control signal that allows the effective capacitance of the MOS capacitor to be selected and being radiation-hard for damaging X-ray radiation.