阅读说明：本技术 直接转换辐射探测 (Direct conversion radiation detection ) 是由 R·斯特德曼布克 C·赫尔曼 于 2018-06-21 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种辐射探测器(1)、一种成像系统以及一种用于辐射探测的相关的方法。所述探测器包括：直接转换材料(2),其用于通过直接光子-物质相互作用而将X射线和/或伽玛辐射转换成电子-空穴对。所述探测器包括阳极(3)和阴极(4),其被布置在直所述接转换材料(2)的相对侧上,使得电子和空穴能够分别由阳极和阴极来收集。所述阴极对红外辐射是基本上透明的。所述探测器包括光导层(5),所述光导层在阴极上的所述阴极与直接转换材料相对的一侧处,其中,所述光导层适于使红外辐射在所述直接转换材料上分布。所述探测器包括反射体层(6),所述反射体层被布置在光导层(5)上的在阴极相对的一侧处,其中,所述反射体层适于基本上反射红外辐射。所述探测器包括至少一个光发射器(7),所述至少一个光发射器毗邻光导层(5)和/或被集成在光导层(5)中,其用于将红外辐射发射到光导层中。(The invention relates to a radiation detector (1), an imaging system and an associated method for radiation detection. The detector includes: direct conversion material (2) for converting X-rays and/or gamma radiation into electron-hole pairs by direct photon-to-substance interaction. The detector comprises an anode (3) and a cathode (4) arranged on opposite sides of the direct conversion material (2) such that electrons and holes can be collected by the anode and the cathode, respectively. The cathode is substantially transparent to infrared radiation. The detector comprises a photoconductive layer (5) at a side of the cathode opposite the direct conversion material on the cathode, wherein the photoconductive layer is adapted to distribute infrared radiation over the direct conversion material. The detector comprises a reflector layer (6) arranged on the light guiding layer (5) at a side opposite the cathode, wherein the reflector layer is adapted to substantially reflect infrared radiation. The detector comprises at least one light emitter (7) adjacent to the light guiding layer (5) and/or integrated in the light guiding layer (5) for emitting infrared radiation into the light guiding layer.)

1. A radiation detector (1) comprising:

a direct conversion material (2) for converting X-ray and/or gamma radiation into electron-hole pairs by direct photon-to-substance interaction of the radiation in the direct conversion material;

an anode (3) and a cathode (4) arranged on opposite sides of the direct conversion material (2) such that electrons and holes of the electron-hole pairs can be collected by the anode and the cathode, respectively, when a voltage is applied across the anode and the cathode, wherein the cathode is substantially transparent to infrared radiation;

a photoconductive layer (5) on the cathode at a side of the cathode opposite the direct conversion material, the photoconductive layer being adapted to distribute infrared radiation over the direct conversion material;

a reflector layer (6) arranged on the light guiding layer (5) at a side of the light guiding layer opposite the cathode, the reflector layer being adapted to substantially reflect infrared radiation; and

at least one light emitter (7) adjacent to the light guiding layer (5) and/or integrated in the light guiding layer (5), the at least one light emitter being adapted to emit infrared radiation into the light guiding layer.

2. The radiation detector according to claim 1, wherein the reflector layer (6) comprises a metal foil layer.

3. The radiation detector according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one light emitter (7) is electrically connected to the cathode (4) to receive a supply current for powering the at least one light emitter (7).

4. The radiation detector according to claim 3, wherein the at least one light emitter (7) is connected to an electrode (9) such that a current between the cathode (4) and the electrode can power the at least one light emitter (7).

5. The radiation detector according to claim 4, wherein the reflector layer (6) is electrically conductive and electrically connected to the at least one light emitter (7) so as to act as the electrode (9) for powering the at least one light emitter (7).

6. The radiation detector according to claim 5, comprising a power supply for supplying a first voltage (V) over the anode (3) and the cathode (4) and for supplying a second voltage (V) over the cathode (4) and the reflector layer (6)_Biasing)。

7. The radiation detector according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one light emitter (7) abuts the light guiding layer (5) such that the at least one light emitter (7) is arranged laterally on one or more sides of the light guiding layer (5).

8. The radiation detector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the at least one light emitter (7) comprises an array of light emitters embedded in the light guiding layer (5).

9. The radiation detector according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the direct conversion material (2) comprises cadmium zinc telluride crystals and/or cadmium telluride crystals.

10. The radiation detector according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cathode (4) continuously covers a first side (S) of the direct conversion material, and wherein the detector is an imaging detector comprising a plurality of anodes (3) arranged in a pixelated grid on a second side of the direct conversion material (2) opposite to the first side (S), such that the electrons generated by interaction of radiation with the direct conversion material (2) can be collected in a spatially resolved manner.

11. The radiation detector according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cathode (4) comprises indium tin oxide.

12. The radiation detector according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one light emitter (7) comprises a light emitting diode for emitting light in at least part of the wavelength range of 700nm to 1600 nm.

13. A radiation detector according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising readout electronics for detecting, counting and/or analyzing the electron-hole pairs by processing an electrical signal obtained from the anode.

14. A diagnostic imaging system comprising a radiation detector according to any of the preceding claims.

15. A method for detecting radiation, the method comprising:

obtaining: a direct conversion material (2) for converting X-ray and/or gamma radiation into electron-hole pairs by direct photon-to-substance interaction of the radiation in the direct conversion material; an anode (3) and a cathode (4) arranged on opposite sides of the direct conversion material (2), wherein the cathode is substantially transparent to infrared radiation;

applying a first voltage (V) across the anode and the cathode such that electrons and holes of the electron-hole pairs can be collected by the anode and the cathode, respectively;

emitting infrared radiation into a photoconductive layer (5) for distributing infrared radiation over the direct conversion material, the photoconductive layer being arranged on the cathode (4) at a side of the cathode opposite to the direct conversion material (2); and is

-reflecting infrared light using a reflector layer (6) arranged on the light guiding layer (5) at a side of the light guiding layer opposite the cathode.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of radiation detection, and in particular to the detection of gamma and X-ray photons by direct conversion of incident radiation into electrical signals. More particularly, the present invention relates to a radiation detector and a method for detecting radiation.

Background

It is known in the art to use semiconductor materials, such as group II-VI binary or ternary compound materials, for example cdznte (czt) and CdTe, as direct conversion materials in photon detection. The advantages of such a material are: it may have good stopping power for photons in the X-ray and gamma photon spectral ranges and may also provide good transient response speed for direct conversion of incident radiation into electrical signals. CdMnTe, InP, TIBr₂Or HGI₂Are other examples of materials that may be suitable for X-ray and/or gamma detection due to their high absorption in the appropriate energy range.

Semiconductor alloys such as CZT and/or CdTe may also be suitable for radiation detectors that operate at room temperature and are capable of handling high photon fluxes (e.g., over one million photons per square millimeter per second).

These direct conversion materials are therefore particularly suitable for energy-resolved photon counting, for example in clinical applications such as spectral CT and/or nuclear medicine. Direct conversion materials such as CdTe and CdZnTe may be particularly suitable for use in photon counting energy resolved spectroscopy computed tomography (PCS-CT) detectors.

In a detector element based on such a semiconductor material, the absorption of X-ray photons or gamma photons is detected by a pair of electrodes arranged on both sides of the layer of semiconductor material. A voltage can be applied to the electrodes to generate an electric field across the semiconductor material, for example such that one electrode acts as a cathode and the other electrode acts as an anode. In an imaging array, one of the electrodes may be shared over a plurality of individual detection elements, e.g. acting as a counter electrode, while each detector element in the array may have a dedicated readout electrode for spatially resolved detection of absorption events.

However, direct conversion materials (such as CZT and CdTe) may be sensitive to charge trapping, for example, which results in polarization, e.g., causing a change in the electric field when exposed to a photon flux. For example, in an electric field generated between a pair of electrodes in a detector, the charge released by an absorption event can be driven towards one of the electrodes by a voltage difference applied across the pair of electrodes. This may generate a detectable electrical signal, for example in the form of a current, whose amplitude is proportional to the area integral of the current curve and thus to the amount of charge released by the incident photons. The evaluation signal thus generated can be supplied to a pulse discriminator which can detect photons in a threshold-based manner.

However, if space charge is formed by charge trapping in the detector volume, for example inside the pixel volume, the applied electric field may be relatively weakened by the charge, thereby making the electron-hole pair generated by photon-substance interaction drift more slowly towards the collecting anode/cathode pair.

It is known in the art to mitigate the effects of charge trapping in CZT or CdTe, e.g., polarization changes and/or electric field changes. For example, in WO 2014/072939 it is disclosed that sub-band infrared radiation of a direct conversion semiconductor material can significantly reduce polarization, for example, enabling counting at higher tube currents without any baseline shift. The international patent application also discloses an infrared radiation device integrated into a read-out circuit to which a semiconductor crystal is flip-chip bonded so as to enable the semiconductor crystal to abut on four sides.

Thus, according to methods known in the art, the semiconductor material can be irradiated with light comprising a wavelength corresponding to an energy above the band gap of the material (e.g., 1.4eV for CZT). As has been experimentally confirmed, such irradiation, typically by infrared radiation, can assist in significantly reducing imaging and energy resolution artifacts, which can be caused by changes in electric field conditions.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of embodiments of the present invention to provide good and efficient radiation detection by a detector based on a direct conversion material.

The above object is achieved by a method and a device according to the present invention.

The embodiment of the invention has the advantages that: infrared illumination can be easily and efficiently integrated in a radiation detector to prevent or reduce charge trapping and/or polarization of the direct conversion material.

The embodiment of the invention has the advantages that: good infrared illumination, e.g. substantially uniform infrared illumination, of the direct conversion material can be achieved.

The embodiment of the invention has the advantages that: the infrared illumination unit can be provided in a direct conversion radiation detector suitable for use in a clinical environment (e.g., for diagnostic imaging), for example, to mitigate imaging artifacts.

The embodiment of the invention has the advantages that: high count rates can be achieved in photon counting radiation detectors for diagnostic imaging, for example at high X-ray flux.

In a first aspect, the invention relates to a radiation detector comprising: a direct conversion material for converting X-ray and/or gamma radiation into electron-hole pairs by direct photon-to-substance interaction of the radiation in the direct conversion material. The detector includes an anode and a cathode arranged on opposite sides of the direct conversion material such that electrons and holes of an electron-hole pair can be collected by the anode and cathode, respectively, when a voltage is applied across the anode and cathode. In addition, the cathode is substantially transparent (e.g., transparent) to infrared radiation. The radiation detector further comprises a photoconductive layer on the cathode at a side of the cathode opposite the direct conversion material, wherein the photoconductive layer is adapted to distribute infrared radiation over the direct conversion material. The detector further comprises a reflector layer arranged on the light guiding layer at a side of the waveguide layer opposite the cathode, wherein the reflector layer is adapted to (substantially) reflect infrared radiation. The detector further comprises at least one light emitter abutting and/or integrated in the light guiding layer, wherein the at least one light emitter is adapted to emit infrared radiation into the light guiding layer.

In a radiation detector according to an embodiment of the invention, the direct conversion material may comprise cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe or CZT) crystals and/or cadmium telluride crystals.

In the radiation detector according to an embodiment of the present invention, the cathode may continuously cover one side of the direct conversion material, and the anode may continuously cover the other side of the direct conversion material.

In a radiation detector according to an embodiment of the invention, the cathode may continuously cover a first side of the direct conversion material, and the detector may comprise a plurality of anodes arranged in a pixelated grid on a second side of the direct conversion material opposite the first side, such that electrons generated by interaction of radiation with the direct conversion material can be collected in a spatially resolved manner. In particular, the detector may be an imaging detector.

In a radiation detector according to an embodiment of the invention, the cathode may comprise Indium Tin Oxide (ITO).

In a radiation detector according to an embodiment of the invention, the light guiding layer may be transparent for infrared radiation and adapted to diffuse infrared radiation.

In a radiation detector according to an embodiment of the invention, the reflector layer may comprise a metal foil layer, such as an aluminum foil. In a radiation detector according to an embodiment of the invention, the at least one light emitter may comprise a light emitting diode for emitting light within at least a part of the wavelength range of 700nm to 1600nm (e.g. in the range of 800nm to 1200 nm).

A radiation detector according to embodiments of the present invention further comprises readout electronics for detecting, counting and/or analyzing electron-hole pairs by processing the electrical signal obtained from the anode. Such readout electronics may include, for example, a shaper, a counter, a threshold comparator, and/or a baseline restorer.

In a radiation detector according to an embodiment of the invention, the at least one light emitter may be electrically connected to the cathode for receiving a supply current for powering the light emitter.

In a radiation detector according to an embodiment of the invention, the at least one light emitter may be connected to an electrode such that a current (e.g. a supply current) between the cathode and the electrode is able to power the at least one light emitter.

In a radiation detector according to an embodiment of the invention, the reflector layer may be electrically conductive and electrically connected to the at least one light emitter, thereby acting as an electrode for powering the at least one light emitter.

In a radiation detector according to an embodiment of the invention, the at least one light emitter may be connected to the electrically conductive reflector layer such that an electrical current between the cathode and the electrically conductive reflector layer can power the at least one light emitter.

A radiation detector according to embodiments of the invention may comprise a power supply for supplying a first voltage, e.g. a high voltage, across the anode and the cathode, e.g. "high voltage" as understood by a skilled person in the context of a voltage for generating a suitable electric field across a direct conversion material to enable radiation detection; and for supplying a second voltage, e.g. a bias voltage, over the cathode and reflector layers, e.g. a "bias voltage" as understood by the skilled person in the context of a voltage for generating light emission by a light emitter, such as a light emitting diode.

In a radiation detector according to an embodiment of the invention, the at least one light emitter may adjoin the light guiding layer such that the at least one light emitter is arranged laterally on one or more sides of the light guiding layer.

In a radiation detector according to an embodiment of the invention, the at least one light emitter may comprise an array of light emitters embedded (e.g. integrated and embedded) in a light guiding layer.

In a second aspect, the invention relates to a diagnostic imaging system comprising a radiation detector according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the invention.

In a third aspect, the invention relates to a method for detecting radiation, the method comprising:

obtaining a direct conversion material for converting X-ray and/or gamma radiation into electron-hole pairs by direct photon-to-substance interaction of the radiation in the direct conversion material; an anode and a cathode disposed on opposite sides of the direct conversion material, wherein the cathode is substantially transparent to infrared radiation;

applying a first voltage across the anode and the cathode such that electrons and holes of the electron-hole pair can be collected by the anode and the cathode, respectively;

emitting infrared radiation into a photoconductive layer for distributing infrared radiation over the direct conversion material, the photoconductive layer being disposed on the cathode at a side of the cathode opposite the direct conversion material; and

the infrared light is reflected using a reflector layer arranged on the light guiding layer at a side of the light guiding layer opposite to the cathode.

Particular and preferred aspects of the invention are set out in the accompanying independent and dependent claims. Features from the dependent claims may be combined with features of the independent claims and features of other dependent claims as appropriate and not merely as explicitly set out in the claims.

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

Drawings

FIG. 1 illustrates a first exemplary detector according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a second exemplary detector according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates an imaging system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The drawings are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn on scale for illustrative purposes.

Any reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope.

The same reference numbers in different drawings identify the same or similar elements.

Detailed Description

The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn on scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and relative dimensions do not correspond to actual reductions in practice of the invention.

Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequence temporally, spatially, in ranking, or in any other manner. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.

Furthermore, the terms top, bottom and the like in the description and the claims are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other orientations than described or illustrated herein.

It is to be noticed that the term 'comprising', used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being restricted to the elements listed thereafter; it does not exclude other elements or steps. It should be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components as referred to, but does not preclude the presence or addition of other features, integers, steps or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of the expression "a device comprising units a and B" should not be limited to devices comprising only component a and component B. This means that with respect to the present invention, the only relevant components of the device are a and B.

Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments.

Similarly, it should be appreciated that in the description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention.

Moreover, although some embodiments described herein include some but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the invention and form different embodiments, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments may be used in any combination.

In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description.

In a first aspect, the invention relates to a radiation detector comprising: a direct conversion material for converting X-ray and/or gamma-ray radiation into electron-hole pairs by direct photon-to-substance interaction of the radiation in the direct conversion material; an anode and a cathode arranged on opposite sides of the direct conversion material such that electrons and holes of an electron-hole pair can be collected by the anode and cathode, respectively, when a voltage is applied across the anode and cathode. The cathode is also transparent to infrared radiation. The radiation detector further comprises a photoconductive layer on the cathode on a side of the cathode opposite the direct conversion material, wherein the photoconductive layer is adapted to distribute infrared radiation over the direct conversion material. The detector further comprises a reflector layer arranged on the light guiding layer at a side of the waveguide layer opposite the cathode, wherein the reflector layer is adapted to reflect infrared radiation. The detector further comprises at least one light emitter abutting and/or integrated in the light guiding layer, wherein the at least one light emitter is adapted to emit infrared radiation into the light guiding layer. Fig. 1 schematically shows an exemplary detector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The layers of the detector 1 are shown spaced apart in figures 1 and 2, for example in an "exploded" view, for clarity, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that direct physical contact between the layers may be highly preferred in embodiments of the present invention.

The radiation detector 1 comprises a direct conversion material 2 for converting X-ray and/or gamma radiation into electron-hole pairs by direct photon-to-substance interaction of said radiation in said direct conversion material.

For example, the direct conversion material 2 may include a direct conversion crystal, such as a semiconductor crystal, e.g., a crystal of a binary or ternary group II-IV compound semiconductor, such as a CZT crystal or a CdTe crystal.

The radiation detector comprises an anode 3 and a cathode 4. The anode and the cathode are arranged on opposite sides of the direct conversion material 2 such that electrons and holes forming electron-hole pairs in the direct conversion material due to radiation exposure can be collected by the anode 3 and the cathode 4, respectively, when a voltage V (e.g., a high voltage) is applied across the anode and the cathode. For example, the anode and cathode may be configured to allow generation and collection of electron-hole pairs resulting from radiation exposure of the direct conversion material, e.g. when a voltage V is applied across the direct conversion material, e.g. such that the electric field strength (e.g. voltage divided by the thickness of the direct conversion material) in said direct conversion material is in the range of 100V/cm to 20kV/cm, e.g. in the range of 500V/cm to 10kV/cm, e.g. in the range of 1kV/cm to 5 kV/cm.

The cathode 4 may continuously cover one side of the direct conversion material 2. The cathode 4 is furthermore transparent to infrared radiation. For example, for light in at least part of the wavelength range of 700nm to 1600nm (e.g. in the range of 800nm to 1200 nm), for example at least for infrared light corresponding to the emission spectrum of the at least one light emitter, the cathode may comprise a material having a total transmittance of more than 50% (e.g. higher than 60%, e.g. at least 75%, e.g. at least 80%). In particular, the cathode 4 may comprise a material that is electrically conductive and substantially transparent to infrared radiation, for example, an Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) material.

The anode 3 may continuously cover the other side of the direct conversion material, i.e., the side of the direct conversion material 2 opposite to the side where the cathode 4 is disposed. Alternatively, the detector 1 may comprise a plurality of anodes 3 arranged in a pixelated grid on the other side of the direct conversion material, such that electrons generated by interaction of radiation with the direct conversion material can be collected in a spatially resolved manner.

The radiation detector 1 further comprises a photoconductive layer 5 on the cathode 4 at the side of the cathode opposite to the direct conversion material 2. The photoconductive layer 5 is adapted to distribute infrared radiation over the direct conversion material 2. For example, the photoconductive layer 5 may comprise photoconductive elements for guiding the infrared radiation such that the direct conversion material is substantially uniformly illuminated by the infrared radiation through the cathode 4. For example, the photoconductive layer 5 may be transparent to infrared radiation. In a preferred embodiment, the light guiding layer 5 may also be adapted to diffuse infrared light. For example, the light guiding layer 5 may comprise a frosted plastic material.

The light guiding layer 5 may form a light distributing element, e.g. a light diffusing and/or diffracting element, for diffusing and/or diffracting infrared radiation before it passes through the cathode 4. For example, the light guiding layer 5 may comprise a diffractive and/or diffusive plate from which, for example, infrared radiation can be substantially homogeneously coupled onto the cathode 4 and thus preferably substantially homogeneously distributed over the direct conversion material 2 by the cathode 4.

The detector further comprises a reflector layer 6 arranged on the light guiding layer 5 at a side of the light guiding layer 5 opposite to the cathode 4, wherein the reflector layer 6 is adapted to reflect infrared radiation, e.g. the reflector layer 6 may comprise a material interfacing with the light guiding layer 5, which has a reflectivity above 50%, e.g. above 60%, e.g. at least 75%, e.g. at least 80%, for light in at least part of the wavelength range of 700nm to 1600nm, e.g. in at least part of the wavelength range of 800nm to 1200nm, e.g. at least for infrared light corresponding to the emission spectrum of the at least one light emitter. For example, the reflector layer may comprise a metal foil layer, such as aluminum foil. The reflector layer 6 (e.g., infrared reflector layer) may advantageously confine as much infrared light as possible within the detector, e.g., in the direct conversion material 2.

The reflector layer may also be electrically conductive. For example, the reflector layer 6 may act as an electrode for powering the at least one light emitter 7, e.g. as illustrated in fig. 2.

The detector further comprises at least one light emitter 7 adjoining the light guiding layer 5 and/or integrated in the light guiding layer 5, wherein the at least one light emitter is adapted to emit infrared radiation into the light guiding layer 5. For example, the at least one light emitter may comprise a light emitting diode, e.g. for emitting light in a wavelength range of 700nm to 1600nm, e.g. in at least part of the range of 800nm to 1200 nm.

Electric field variations within the direct conversion material (e.g., in CZT blocks) can be caused by the accumulation of space-charge regions, e.g., due to charge trapping.

Furthermore, the detector may comprise readout electronics, such as readout electronics capable of high rate detector readout.

Detectors according to embodiments of the invention may be particularly suitable for use in a clinical environment, for example, in a diagnostic imaging system. The at least one light emitter 7 can advantageously be integrated on the detector without reducing the available area on an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) for the readout of the detector. For example, although an infrared light emitter may be integrated on the readout ASIC to illuminate the direct conversion material from the anode side, this will significantly impact the cost of the ASIC circuitry and reduce the available area of the front-end electronics.

For example, the anode may be integrated on the readout circuit or integrated together with the readout circuit, for example in an ASIC together with the readout electronics.

In the detector according to an embodiment of the invention, the infrared illumination unit is advantageously integrated on the cathode side of the direct conversion material. In particular, the cathode may include a thin optically transparent (or at least transparent in the relevant IR range) high voltage contact. On top of the cathode, e.g. on top of the transparent contacts, the light guiding layer 5 may form an IR light guide for distributing the infrared radiation almost evenly across the entire surface.

At least one light emitter 7 (e.g. at least one LED) may advantageously be connected to the cathode 4, for example to a high voltage contact 8 of the cathode 4, to receive a supply current for powering the light emitter. However, embodiments of the invention are not necessarily limited thereto, e.g. the at least one light emitter 7 may receive power via a pair of electrodes (e.g. which may be separate, e.g. isolated, from the cathode 4).

The at least one light emitter 7 may be connected to the cathode 4 and the further electrode 9 such that a current between the cathode 4 and the further electrode 9 is able to power the at least one light emitter 7.

In a preferred embodiment, the at least one light emitter 7 may be connected to the electrically conductive reflector layer 6 such that an electrical current between the cathode 4 and the electrically conductive reflector layer 6 is able to power the at least one light emitter 7. In other words, the further electrode 9 may be or may comprise the conductive reflector layer 6. However, embodiments of the invention are not necessarily limited thereto, e.g. the further electrode 9 may also be separate, e.g. isolated, from the reflector layer 6.

For example, the detector may comprise a power supply for supplying a voltage to the anode and the cathode in order to obtain a predetermined potential difference V between the anode and the cathode, and for supplying a voltage to the reflector layer 6 in order to obtain a predetermined potential difference V + V between the anode and the reflector layer_BiasingWhere V may refer to a suitable high voltage for generating a suitable electric field in the direct conversion material for radiation detection purposes, and V_BiasingMay refer to the bias voltage (e.g., of the LED) of the light emitter. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that this potential V depends on the cathode/anode orientation of the LED within the substrate_BiasingMay have a numerically negative value or a numerically positive value.

Thus, a detector according to embodiments of the invention may advantageously require only one additional electrical connection when compared to a conventional detector stack that does not provide infrared illumination.

As shown in fig. 1, at least one light emitter 7, e.g. at least one infrared Light Emitting Diode (LED), may adjoin the light guiding layer 5. For example, the direct conversion material 2 may comprise an entrance surface S through which X-rays and/or gamma radiation to be detected may enter the direct conversion material 2. The light emitters may advantageously be arranged laterally from the entrance surface S such that the light emitters do not obstruct a potential trajectory of the incident radiation to be detected. At least one light emitter 7 may thus be placed on one or more sides of the light guiding layer 5.

Fig. 2 illustrates a further exemplary radiation detector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. At least one light emitter 7 may be integrated in the light guiding layer 5. This advantageously allows detectors according to embodiments of the present invention to abut each other without requiring a gap therebetween to accommodate at least one light emitter 7. For example, at least one light emitter 7 (e.g. a plurality of infrared light emitting diodes) may be embedded in the light guiding layer 5, e.g. in a substrate transparent to infrared light, e.g. an infrared transparent substrate adapted to diffuse infrared light. For example, the at least one light emitter 7 may comprise an array of light emitters (e.g. LEDs) across the entire substrate. The number of light emitters and the pitch of the array may be predetermined such that a uniform distribution of the infrared light over the light guiding layer 5 and thus over the direct conversion material 2 (at least over its surface S) can be obtained.

In a second aspect, as described above, embodiments of the invention further relate to a diagnostic imaging system comprising a radiation detector according to embodiments of the first aspect of the invention.

For example, the diagnostic imaging system 100 may be a computed tomography system, such as a spectral computed tomography system.

Fig. 3 illustrates an imaging system 100 including a spectral computed tomography (spectral CT) scanner. The imaging system 100 may include a generally stationary gantry 102 and a rotating gantry 104. The rotating gantry 104 may be rotatably supported by the stationary gantry 102 and may rotate about an examination region 106 about a longitudinal axis Z.

A radiation source 108 (such as an X-ray tube) may be rotatably supported by the rotating gantry 104, such as rotate with the rotating gantry 104, and may be adapted to emit multi-energy radiation through the examination region 106. The radiation source 108 may comprise or consist of a single broad spectrum X-ray tube. Alternatively, the radiation source may be adapted to controllably switch between at least two different photon emission spectra during irradiation, for example between at least two different peak emission voltages (e.g. 80kVp, 140kVp, etc.). In another variation, the radiation source 108 may include two or more X-ray tubes configured to emit radiation having different average spectra. In another variation, the radiation source 108 may include a combination of the above.

The radiation sensitive detector array 110 may subtend an angular arc opposite the radiation source 108 across the examination region 106. According to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the array 110 may comprise one or more rows of detectors 1 arranged relative to each other along the Z-axis direction. The array 110 may be adapted to detect radiation traversing the examination region 106 and generate a signal indicative thereof. The radiation sensitive detector array 110 includes a direct conversion detector according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, such as a CdTe, CdZnTe, or other direct conversion detector.

The system may include a reconstructor 112 for reconstructing the signals output by the detector array 110. This may include decomposing the signal into various energy-dependent components. The reconstructor 112 may be adapted to reconstruct the energy-related components and generate one or more images corresponding to one or more different energies. The reconstructor 112 may also combine the energy-related components to generate non-spectral image data.

The system may comprise an object support 113, such as a couch, for supporting a target or object in the examination region. The system may also include an operator console 114, such as a general purpose computer programmed to control or monitor the system 100 and/or to provide a user interface for an operator. The console 114 may include a human readable output device such as a monitor or display and an input device such as a keyboard and mouse. Software resident on the console 114 may allow an operator to interact with the scanner 100 via a Graphical User Interface (GUI) or otherwise. The interaction may include selecting a spectral imaging protocol or a non-spectral imaging protocol, initiating a scan, and so forth.

The imaging system 100 may be operatively connected to a workstation, for example, a computing system 116 (such as a computer) that may include an input/output (I/O) interface 118 for facilitating communication with a spectral CT scanner. The imaging system 100 may include the computing system 116 as a system-level integrated component, or the imaging system 100 may be adapted to communicate with a separate computing system 116, such as to transmit image data to the computing system 116.

The computing system 116 may also include an output device 120. The one or more output devices may include, for example, a display monitor, a film printer, a paper printer, and/or an audio output for audio feedback. The computing system may also include an input device 122, or multiple input devices, such as a mouse, a keyboard, a touch interface, and/or a voice recognition interface. The computing system 116 may also include at least one processor 124, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), microprocessor, Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) for processing, and/or a suitably configured programmable hardware processor, such as a field programmable gate array. The computing system may include a computer-readable storage medium 126, e.g., a non-transitory memory, such as a physical digital memory. Computer-readable storage media 126 may store computer-readable instructions 128 and data 130. The at least one processor 124 may be adapted to execute computer-readable instructions 128. The at least one processor 126 may also execute computer readable instructions carried by a signal, carrier wave or other transitory medium. Alternatively or additionally, the at least one processor may be physically configured to embody the instructions 128, for example, in whole or in part, without necessarily requiring memory storage of such instructions, for example, by implementation in a field programmable gate array or ASIC dedicated to executing at least a portion of the instructions.

The instructions 128 may include image processing algorithms 132 for segmenting, analyzing, registering, quantifying, measuring, filtering, and/or performing other typical image processing tasks known in the art of diagnostic image processing.

In a further aspect, embodiments of the invention also relate to a method for detecting radiation. The method comprises obtaining a direct conversion material for converting X-ray and/or gamma radiation into electron-hole pairs by direct photon-to-substance interaction of the radiation in the direct conversion material, with an anode and a cathode arranged on opposite sides of the direct conversion material, wherein the cathode is substantially transparent to infrared radiation.

The method comprises applying a first voltage (V), for example a suitably high voltage, across the anode and the cathode such that electrons and holes of the electron-hole pairs can be collected by the anode and the cathode, respectively.

The method comprises emitting infrared radiation into a photoconductive layer to distribute the infrared radiation over the direct conversion material, wherein the photoconductive layer is disposed on the cathode at a side of the cathode opposite the direct conversion material.

The method comprises reflecting the infrared light using a reflector layer arranged on the light guiding layer at a side of the light guiding layer opposite the cathode.

The details of the method according to embodiments of the invention should be clear with respect to the description provided above in connection with the embodiments of the first aspect of the invention. In particular, the functions performed by or the operations of the detector according to embodiments of the invention should be understood to constitute corresponding steps and/or features of the method according to embodiments of the invention.