Patents by Inventor Andreas Thon

Andreas Thon has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20130153776
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pixellated detector with an enhanced structure to enable easy pixel identification even with high light output at crystal edges. A half-pixel shift between scintillator crystals (50) and detector pixels (12) enables the identification of a crystal (50) from four detector pixels (12) instead of nine pixels in case of optical crosstalk. Glass plates without any mechanical structuring may be used as a common substrate (60) for detectors and scintillators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Herfried Karl Wieczorek, Andreas Thon
  • Patent number: 8410449
    Abstract: A family of photodetectors includes at least first and second members. In one embodiment, the family includes members having different pixel sizes. In another, the family includes members having the same pixel size. The detection efficiency of the detectors is optimized to provide a desired energy resolution at one or more energies of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Andreas Thon, Thomas Frach
  • Patent number: 8395125
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a plurality of photosensors. Photon trigger signals produced in response to signals from the sensors are received by a trigger line network that includes segment, intermediate), and master lines. The trigger network is configured to reduce a temporal skew introduced by the trigger line network. Validation logic provides a trigger validation output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Gordian Prescher, Thomas Frach, Andreas Thon
  • Patent number: 8350218
    Abstract: In nuclear imaging, solid state photo multipliers (48) are replacing traditional photomultiplier tubes. One current problem with solid state photomultipliers, is that they are difficult to manufacture in the size in which a typical scintillator is manufactured. Resultantly, the photomultipliers have a smaller light receiving face (50) than a light emitting face (46) of the scintillators (44). The present application contemplates inserting a reflective material (52) between the solid state photomultipliers (48). Instead of being wasted, light that initially misses the photomultiplier (48) is reflected back by the reflective material (52) and eventually back to the radiation receiving face (50) of the photomultiplier (48).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Andreas Thon, Torsten Solf
  • Patent number: 8319186
    Abstract: An apparatus (208) includes a plurality of photosensors (310). Photon trigger signals produced in response to signals from the sensors are received by a trigger line network that includes segment (302), intermediate (304), and master (306) lines. The trigger network is configured to reduce a temporal skew introduced by the trigger line network. Validation logic (324) provides a trigger validation output signal (610).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Gordian Prescher, Thomas Frach, Andreas Thon
  • Publication number: 20120206139
    Abstract: In a combined system, a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner includes a magnet configured to generate a static magnetic field at least in a MR examination region from which MR data are acquired. Radiation detectors are configured to detect gamma rays generated by positron-electron annihilation events in a positron emission tomography (PET) examination region. The radiation detectors include electron multiplier elements having a direction of electron acceleration arranged substantially parallel or anti-parallel with the static magnetic field. In some embodiments, the magnet is an open magnet having first and second spaced apart magnet pole pieces disposed on opposite sides of a magnetic resonance examination region, and the radiation detectors include first and second arrays of radiation detectors disposed with the first and second spaced apart magnet pole pieces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N. V.
    Inventors: Volkmar SCHULZ, Torsten SOLF, Johan OVERWEG, Andreas THON
  • Publication number: 20120199748
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a plurality of radiation conversion elements (32) that convert radiation to light, and a reflector layer (34) disposed around the plurality of radiation conversion elements. The plurality of radiation conversion elements may consist of two radiation conversion elements and the reflector layer is wrapped around the two radiation conversion elements with ends (40, 42) of the reflector layer tucked between the two radiation conversion elements. The reflector layer (34) may include a light reflective layer (50) having reflectance greater than 90% disposed adjacent to the radiation conversion elements when the reflector layer (34) is disposed around the plurality of radiation conversion elements, and a light barrier layer (52).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Inventors: Steven E. Cooke, Andreas Thon
  • Patent number: 8188736
    Abstract: In a combined system, a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner includes a magnet (10, 110) configured to generate a static magnetic field (B0) at least in a MR examination region (12) from which MR data are acquired. Radiation detectors (40, 41, 140) are configured to detect gamma rays generated by positron-electron annihilation events in a positron emission tomography (PET) examination region (70). The radiation 5 detectors include electron multiplier elements (60, 160) having a direction of electron acceleration (ae) arranged substantially parallel or anti-parallel with the static magnetic field (B0). In some embodiments, the magnet is an open magnet having first and second spaced apart magnet pole pieces (14, 15) disposed on opposite sides of a magnetic 10 resonance examination region, and the radiation detectors include first and second arrays (40, 41) of radiation detectors disposed with the first and second spaced apart magnet pole pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Volkmar Schulz, Torsten Solf, Johan Overweg, Andreas Thon
  • Patent number: 8164063
    Abstract: A positron emission tomography apparatus (100) includes a plurality of radiation sensitive detector systems (106) and selective trigger systems (120). The selective trigger systems identify detector signals resulting from detected gamma radiation (310) while disregarding spurious detector signals (310). In one implementation, the apparatus (100) includes a time to digital converter which decomposes a measurement time interval (Tmax) according to a binary hierarchical decomposition of level H, where H is an integer greater than equal to one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Frach, Torsten Solf, Andreas Thon
  • Publication number: 20120001075
    Abstract: A light transmitting element such as a scintillating element (50) or an optic fiber (50?) has side surfaces coated with a metamaterial (62) which has an index of refraction less than 1 and preferably close to zero to light transmitted in the light transmitting element. A photonic crystal (80) or metamaterial layer optically couples a light output face of the light transmitting element with a light sensitive element (52), such as a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM). A thin metal layer (64) blocks optical communication between adjacent scintillating elements (50) in a radiation detector (22), such as a radiation detector of a nuclear imaging system (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Frach, Andreas Thon
  • Publication number: 20110233413
    Abstract: An apparatus (208) includes a plurality of photosensors (310). Photon trigger signals produced in response to signals from the sensors are received by a trigger line network that includes segment (302), intermediate (304), and master (306) lines. The trigger network is configured to reduce a temporal skew introduced by the trigger line network. Validation logic (324) provides a trigger validation output signal (610).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Gordian Prescher, Thomas Frach, Andreas Thon
  • Publication number: 20100219345
    Abstract: When designing detector arrays for diagnostic imaging devices, such as PET or SPECT devices, a virtual detector, or pixel, combines scintillator crystals (10, 20, 40) with photodetectors (12) in ratios that deviate from the conventional 1:1 ratio. For instance, multiple photodetectors can be glued to a single crystal to create a virtual pixel (10, 20, 40) which can be software-based or hardware-based. Light energy and time stamp information for a gamma ray hit on the crystal can be calculated using a virtualizer processor or using a trigger line network and time-to-digital converter logic. Additionally or alternatively, multiple crystals (54) can be associated with each of a plurality of photodetectors (52). A gamma ray hit on a specific crystal is then determined by a table lookup of adjacent photodetectors (52) that register equal light intensities, and the crystal (54) common to such photodetectors (52) is identified as the location of the hit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Franch, Andreas Thon
  • Patent number: 7778787
    Abstract: A time-of-flight PET nuclear imaging device (A) includes radiation detectors (20, 22, 24), electronic circuits (26, 28, 30, 32) for processing output signals from each of detectors (20), a coincidence detector (34), a time-of-flight calculator (38) and image processing circuitry (40). A calibration system (48) includes an energy source (50, 150) which generates an electrical or optical calibration pulse. The electrical calibration pulse is applied at an input to the electronics at an output of the detector and the optical calibration pulse is applied to a preselected point adjacent a face of each optical sensor (20) of the detectors. A calibration processor (52) measures the time differences between the generation of the calibration pulse and the receipt of a trigger signal from the electronic circuitry by the coincidence detector (34) and adjusts adjustable delay circuits (44, 46) to minimize these time differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Klaus Fiedler, Michael Geagan, Gerd Muehllehner, Walter Ruetten, Andreas Thon
  • Publication number: 20100200763
    Abstract: A family of photodetectors includes at least first and second members. In one embodiment, the family includes members having different pixel sizes. In another, the family includes members having the same pixel size. The detection efficiency of the detectors is optimized to provide a desired energy resolution at one or more energies of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Andreas Thon, Thomas Frach
  • Publication number: 20100102813
    Abstract: In a combined system, a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner includes a magnet (10, 110) configured to generate a static magnetic field (B0) at least in a MR examination region (12) from which MR data are acquired. Radiation detectors (40, 41, 140) are configured to detect gamma rays generated by positron-electron annihilation events in a positron emission tomography (PET) examination region (70). The radiation 5 detectors include electron multiplier elements (60, 160) having a direction of electron acceleration (ae) arranged substantially parallel or anti-parallel with the static magnetic field (B0). In some embodiments, the magnet is an open magnet having first and second spaced apart magnet pole pieces (14, 15) disposed on opposite sides of a magnetic 10 resonance examination region, and the radiation detectors include first and second arrays (40, 41) of radiation detectors disposed with the first and second spaced apart magnet pole pieces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2008
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N. V.
    Inventors: Volkmar Schulz, Torsten Solf, Johan Overweg, Andreas Thon
  • Publication number: 20100098311
    Abstract: In nuclear imaging, solid state photo multipliers (48) are replacing traditional photomultiplier tubes. One current problem with solid state photomultipliers, is that they are difficult to manufacture in the size in which a typical scintillator is manufactured. Resultantly, the photomultipliers have a smaller light receiving face (50) than a light emitting face (46) of the scintillators (44). The present application contemplates inserting a reflective material (52) between the solid state photomultipliers (48). Instead of being wasted, light that initially misses the photomultiplier (48) is reflected back by the reflective material (52) and eventually back to the radiation receiving face (50) of the photomultiplier (48).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N. V.
    Inventors: Andreas Thon, Torsten Solf
  • Publication number: 20090324042
    Abstract: A time of flight positron emission tomography apparatus (100) includes a detector (106), a data acquisition system (120), a coincidence system (122) and a reconstructor (129). Various elements of an imaging chain influence the temporal resolution of the system (100) so that positron data collected along different lines of response is characterized by different temporal resolutions. The different temporal resolutions are used to estimate the positions of detected events along their respective lines of response.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2007
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N. V.
    Inventors: Thomas Laurence, Jerome J. Griesmer, Jeffrey A. Kolthammer, Andreas Thon, Ralph Brinks, Carsten Degenhardt
  • Publication number: 20090236532
    Abstract: A positron emission tomography apparatus (100) includes a plurality of radiation sensitive detector systems (106) and selective trigger systems (120). The selective trigger systems identify detector signals resulting from detected gamma radiation (310) while disregarding spurious detector signals (310). In one implementation, the apparatus (100) includes a time to digital converter which decomposes a measurement time interval (Tmax) according to a binary hierarchical decomposition of level H, where H is an integer greater than equal to one.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2007
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N. V.
    Inventors: Thomas Frach, Torsten Solf, Andreas Thon
  • Publication number: 20070270693
    Abstract: A time-of-flight PET nuclear imaging device (A) includes radiation detectors (20, 22, 24), electronic circuits (26, 28, 30, 32) for processing output signals from each of detectors (20), a coincidence detector (34), a time-of-flight calculator (38) and image processing circuitry (40). A calibration system (48) includes an energy source (50, 150) which generates an electrical or optical calibration pulse. The electrical calibration pulse is applied at an input to the electronics at an output of the detector and the optical calibration pulse is applied to a preselected point adjacent a face of each optical sensor (20) of the detectors. A calibration processor (52) measures the time differences between the generation of the calibration pulse and the receipt of a trigger signal from the electronic circuitry by the coincidence detector (34) and adjusts adjustable delay circuits (44, 46) to minimize these time differences.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2005
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Klaus Fiedler, Michael Geagan, Gerd Muehllehner, Walter Ruetten, Andreas Thon
  • Publication number: 20070194242
    Abstract: The invention relates to a scintillation layer (20) for a PET-detector. The scintillation layer (20) consists of a plurality of scintillation elements (21) that are joined together in a practically gapless way and that are oriented towards the centre of curvature (24). Depending on the form of the scintillation layer (20), the scintillation elements (21) may have for example the form of a truncated wedge or pyramid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2004
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NV
    Inventors: Klaus Fiedler, Torsten Solf, Andreas Thon