Abstract: Optical windows for protecting infrared sensing instruments are manufactured from nano-sized crystallites by compressing the crystallites into a continuous mass under high pressure in the presence of a pulsed electric current, preferably one produced by spark plasma sintering. The resulting materials have excellent optical and mechanical properties that make them favorable as replacements for the conventional single-crystal sapphire.

Abstract: A scintillator panel 1 uses a glass substrate 5, having heat resistance, as a base member for forming a scintillator 10. Glass substrate 5 also functions as a radiation entry window. Also, a dielectric multilayer film mirror 6 is disposed as a light-reflecting film between the scintillator 10 and the glass substrate 5. Furthermore, a light-absorbing film 7 is disposed on the radiation entry surface of glass substrate 5 and this absorbs the light that has been emitted from scintillator 10 and has passed through the dielectric multilayer film mirror 6 and the glass substrate 5. Light components that are reflected by the radiation entry surface, etc., and return to the dielectric multilayer film mirror 7 and the scintillator 10 therefore do not occur and the optical output of the scintillator panel 1 is not subject to degrading effects.

Abstract: A focal plane array detector in a sensor for IR imaging. Pixel readout and analog to digital conversion is performed in an integrated circuit which includes the imaging array. The charge of each pixel is accumulated in a capacitor (16) and a digital to analog charge converter cancels this charge. A controller controls this charge converter providing the appropriate amount of charge. An analog to digital converter incorporating a comparator (92) switches the controller on/off. In some embodiment a programmable device external to the sensor participates in the control of the analog to digital converter. In a typical embodiment of the invention a cycle generator controls the charge output of the digital to analog converter. In a preferred embodiment the analog to digital converters are grouped wherein all such converters group operate simultaneously.

Abstract: A non-destructive method is provided for determining amount and distribution of a corrosion product on a metallic substrate. A value of infrared energy reflected from the metallic substrate without corrosion is determined. A value of infrared energy reflected from the metallic substrate with the corrosion product is determined. A value of infrared energy absorbed in the corrosion product is determined, and the value of the infrared energy absorbed in the corrosion product is correlated to an amount of the corrosion product.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system, method and software program product for implementing 3-D Complete-Body-Screening medical imaging which combines the benefits of the functional imaging capability of PET with those of the anatomical imaging capability of CT. The present invention enables execution of more complex algorithms measuring more accurately the information obtained from the collision of a photon with a detector. The present invention overcomes input and coincidence bottlenecks inherent in the prior art by implementing a massively parallel, layered architecture with separate processor stacks for handling each channel. The prior art coincidence bottleneck is overcome by limiting coincidence comparisons to those with a time stamp occurring within a predefined time window. The increased efficiency provides the bandwidth necessary for increasing the throughput even more by extending the FOV to over one meter in length and the execution of even more complex algorithms.

Abstract: A neutron flux mapping system for a nuclear reactor including: drivers each including a geared motor, a helical gear driven by the geared motor, and a storage reel adapted to supply, to the helical gear, a detector cable carrying a detector; and a double indexing path selector unit including upper and lower fixed plates, a fixed shaft, an outer path selector rotatably mounted to the upper fixed plate, and inner path selectors. The outer path selector includes an upper rotating plate rotatably mounted to the upper fixed plate while carrying a drive unit for rotating the outer path selector about the fixed shaft, and a control unit for controlling the drive unit, and a lower rotating plate connected to the upper rotating plate.

Abstract: A device for improving the view in a motor vehicle. It includes with a radiation source for illumination of the vehicle environment with infrared radiation, an infrared sensitive camera for detecting at least a part of the illuminated vehicle environment and a display for presenting the image information detected by the camera. In accordance with the invention, the camera is provided with an IR-filter which exhibits areas of differing transmission characteristics. The IR-filter thereby exhibits at least one area with a degree of transmission of approximately 70% for visible light or parts thereof and preferably at least a second area with a degree of transmission of approximately or less than 10?5 for visible light. By this design of the device for improving the view in a motor vehicle it is made possible to provide a reliable detection if the vehicle environment and thereby to more reliably map out the road traffic.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for correcting for at least one of deadtime losses and random coincidences in a positron emission tomography (PET) medical imaging device having a plurality of detectors at successive locations circumferentially spaced about a viewing area, the method comprising, receiving signals indicative of positron-electron annihilation events occurring along a line of response between pairs of detectors for a plurality of predetermined time segments of data acquisition of the events, calculating a correction sinogram for each predetermined time segment from data acquired during each respective single time segment, calculating corrected counts in the correction sinogram for each time segment, calculating a time-weighted correction sinogram for each time segment, combining the time-weighted correction sinogram to generate an acquisition sinogram, and generating an image from the acquisition sinogram.

Abstract: A system for detecting defects in paint coatings includes a temperature manipulation apparatus configured to change the temperature of a surface and a coating applied to the surface. The system may further include an infrared sensor for measuring the change in temperature of the surface and coating and a processor to compare the measured change in temperature of the surface and coating to an expected change of temperature in order to determine anomalies in the coatings.

Abstract: The present invention makes it possible to provide a radiation image conversion panel which can produce radiographic images having an excellent sharpness and having neither image unevenness nor line noise, while having a high scratch resistance property. The radiation image conversion panel is composed of a phosphor sheet having a stimulable phosphor layer coated on a support and a protective film designed to cover the stimulable phosphor layer and its panel having a highly improved scratch resistance property can be obtained by producing mean slope on the surface of a protective film ?a which is 0.014 or more and not more than 0.1. Sharpness of this panel can also be enhanced since a stimulating light which is scattered and reflected at the interface of a protective layer can be absorbed by preparing a stimulating light absorbing layer in the protective layer.

Abstract: The surfaces of an amorphous carbon substrate of a scintillator panel have undergone sandblasting, and an Al film 1 serving as a reflecting film is formed on one surface, and a columnar scintillator for converting incident radiation into visible light is formed on the surface of the Al film.

Abstract: A positron emission camera comprising a plurality of scintillators, wherein the scintillators include LuAlO3:Ce (LuxY1?xAP where 0.5?x?0.995) based crystals (18,20). In particular, the scintillation crystals (18,20) are LuxY1?xAP where 0.5?x?0.995.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for real-time monitoring of the substrate and the gaseous process environment in a semi-conductor process step is described. The method uses infrared spectroscopy for in-situ analysis of gaseous molecular species in the process region and characterization of adsorbed chemical species on a substrate. The process monitoring can be applied to endpoint- and fault detection in etching and deposition processes, in addition to chamber cleaning and chamber condition steps.

Abstract: A binderless storage phosphor screen comprises a vacuum deposited phosphor layer on a support, wherein the support includes a layer of amorphous carbon and, optionally, one or more auxilliary layers.

Abstract: In a photoelectric conversion device, in order to suppress alteration of its properties during a long time use, lower the decrease of the S/N ratio due to a dark current output, and shorten image-pickup cycles, MIS type photoelectric conversion elements using an amorphous semiconductor material are connected with an electric power source for applying bias for photoelectric conversion, an electric power for resetting an accumulated electric charge, and a setting point for applying zero bias at the time of non-operation of the element through a switch. Emitted x-rays from an x-ray source, which is a first light source, come into collision against phosphor after being transmitted through an object body to be inspected and then are absorbed in the phosphor to be converted into visible light rays. The visible light rays from the phosphor are radiated to the photoelectric conversion elements. Prior to reading out of the x-ray image, an LED light source is lighted.

Abstract: A system and method for authenticating a multi-sided die by viewing the die under invisible ultraviolet light. A die body has a plurality of sides of substantially equal area. A plurality of visible markings for indicating a roll of the die are disposed on the die sides. One or more of the markings include a substance which visibly reacts with invisible ultraviolet light. One or more authentication marks including a substance which visibly reacts with invisible ultraviolet light are arranged in a selected pattern on one or more of the die sides. A position of the authentication mark or marks in the selected pattern corresponds to the visible marking having a substance which visibly reacts with invisible ultraviolet light. An overlay key correlates the position of the authentication mark with the visible marking.

Abstract: A depth of interaction detector with uniform pulse-height comprises a multi-layer scintillator obtained by coupling at least two scintillator cells on a plane and then stacking the planar coupled scintillator cells, in layers, up to at least two stages and a light-receiving element connected to the bottom face of each scintillator cell of this multi-layer scintillator, wherein the detector is provided with a means for discriminating the position of a scintillator cell, which receives radiant rays and emits light rays and a means for making, uniform, the quantity of the light emitted from each scintillator cell and received by the light-receiving element.

Abstract: A radiation image read-out apparatus is provided with a line sensor which detects stimulated emission emitted from a radiation image convertor panel upon exposure to a line-like stimulating light beam extending in a main scanning direction and reads out a radiation image recorded on the radiation image convertor panel while moving the line sensor and the radiation image convertor panel relatively to each other in a sub-scanning direction intersecting the main scanning direction. The line sensor includes a CCD having a number of light receiving portions two-dimensionally arranged along the main scanning direction and outputs electric charges obtained by photoelectrically converting the stimulated emission received by the light receiving portions after binning the electric charges in a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction.

Abstract: A solid-state infrared imager comprises a matrix array of infrared sensing pixels which are formed as an imaging area on a semiconductor substrate and each of which contains a pn-junction thermoelectric converter element to sense incident infrared radiation, row selection lines each connected to the pixels of a corresponding row, signal lines each connected to the pixels of a corresponding column, a row selection circuit which selects and drives one of the row selection lines, and a signal readout circuit which reads out signal currents output to the signal lines from the pixels corresponding to the row selection line driven by the row selection circuit. Particularly, the signal readout circuit includes a signal line potential stabilizer which stabilizes the potential of the signal line to a constant level, and a current-voltage converter which converts the signal current flowing in a signal line to a signal voltage.

Abstract: A radiation image storage panel having a stimulable phosphor layer and a light-reflecting layer provided thereon, wherein the phosphor layer scatters both of a stimulating light and a stimulated emission emitted by the phosphor layer with a scattering length of 5 to 20 ?m and said light-reflecting layer scatters a stimulating light with a scattering length of 5 ?m or less is favorably employable for giving a reproduced radiation image having good quality.