Patent ID: 8779366

Claim:
A radiation detector module, including: a rigid optically opaque grid that defines a plurality of cells; a plurality of scintillator crystals, each of the scintillator crystals being completely disposed within one cell of the grid surrounded by an air layer between each scintillator crystal and the grid such that a scintillator/air interface is defined between each scintillator crystal and the grid to reflect light in the scintillator crystal back into said scintillator crystal; a plurality of photoelectric detectors, each of the photoelectric detectors being associated with a corresponding scintillator crystal; an optical coupling layer disposed completely within each of the cells and optically coupling one of the scintillator crystals to the corresponding one of the photoelectric detectors, the optical coupling layer being affixed to the inner walls of the optically opaque grid closing one end of the cell and providing mechanical stability to the grid; and a radiation transparent, optically opaque layer closing an end of the optically opaque grid opposite to the photoelectric detectors and spaced from the scintillation crystals to form air gaps therebetween to reflect light.