Patent ID: 8519338
Filing Date: 2013-08-27
Classification: A61B,G01T

Abstract:
1. A detection apparatus, comprising: a scintillator having a front surface and a rear surface, the scintillator configured to convert x-rays or gamma rays into optical radiation; a lens array including a plurality of lens elements, the lens array arranged behind the rear surface of the scintillator, and configured to guide the optical radiation from the rear surface of the scintillator to generate a plurality of projections of optical radiation for each absorbed x-ray or gamma ray; a plurality of optical image intensifiers that each collect a substantial fraction of the light from each flash produced by a single gamma-ray or x-ray photon and each produce an amplified flash of light associated with the projections of optical radiation, each optical image intensifier arranged in an optical axis of a corresponding lens element of the lens array, the plurality of optical image intensifiers configured to intensify the plurality of projections of optical radiation from a rear surface of the lens array to generate for the amplified flashes of light a plurality of projections of intensified optical radiation; a plurality of solid state detectors configured to detect the projections of intensified optical radiation and generate a plurality of interaction images, the solid state detectors operating at a frame rate fast enough to allow spatial separation of most of the clusters of pixels of the projections of optical radiation that received light from different gamma-ray or x-ray interactions in the scintillator; and a processing unit programmed with instructions, the instructions when executed identify the clusters of pixels associated with respective amplified flashes of individual gamma-ray or x-ray photons and use the data from said cluster of pixels to perform a statistical estimation of a position where the corresponding gamma-ray or x-ray photon interacted with the scintillator and the energy deposited in the interaction.