Patent ID: 7304309

Claim:
A radiation imaging system consisting of one of group comprising a Compton camera, a Gamma Camera, a SPECT, a PET, a CT and a Digital Radiography system wherein said radiation imaging system includes radiation detectors for detecting ionizing radiation wherein, said radiation detectors comprise a plurality of adjacent non-touching Photonic Bandgap Crystal lattices, wherein, each said lattice consists of matrix of first material containing non-touching vertical tubular elements of a second material wherein said second material has different refractive index than the first material and wherein, said tubular elements are organized in periodically recurring geometrical structures formed by no more than 5 tubular elements, wherein said periodicity is across the lateral plane perpendicular to the direction of the tubular elements of the lattice, wherein the first and second materials are selected from a group comprising, scintillator materials and non-scintillating materials transparent to scintillation wavelengths and having a refractive index smaller than 1.2, and wherein, a the distance between the non-touching vertical tubular elements, and b the distance between the non-touching lattices and c the diameters of the vertical tubular elements are less than the wavelengths of the scintillation light, wherein said a distances between the non-touching vertical tubular elements, and b diameters of the vertical tubular elements and c distances between the non-touching lattices and d the refractive index contrast between the first material and the second material are selected in a manner that maximizes the amount of scintillation light is inhibited to propagate laterally across the periodical groups of tubular elements of the lattice and wherein at least one of the edges of the lattices normal to the direction of the tubular elements is covered by a multiplicity of photo-electric sensors sensitive to the wavelengths of the scintillator and wherein the edges of the lattices not covered by photo-sensors are coated with materials reflective to the wavelength of the scintillator and wherein the position of a scintillation along the direction normal to lateral periodicity plane, where an ionizing radiation caused said scintillation, is determined by the shape of the distribution of the intensity of scintillation light, exiting the non-coated edges of the lattices from the region around the tubular scintillator where the ionizing radiation caused said scintillation, wherein said photo-electric sensors connect to electronic circuits that measure the intensity, timing and lateral distribution of electrical signals generated by said sensors.