Direct-conversion flat-panel imager with avalanche gain: Feasibility investigation for HARP-AMFPI

Medical Physics

Volumn 35, Issue 12, 2008, Pages 5207-5218

  Wronski, M M ^a   Rowlands, J A ^a  

^a SUNNYBROOK RESEARCH INSTITUTE   (Canada)

Author keywords

Amorphous selenium; Avalanche gain; Flat panel detector; Fluoroscopy

Indexed keywords

ELECTRIC FIELDS; FLUORESCENT SCREENS; QUANTUM NOISE; THIN FILM TRANSISTORS;

ACTIVE MATRIX FLAT-PANEL IMAGERS; AMORPHOUS SELENIUM; AVALANCHE GAINS; AVALANCHE MULTIPLICATION; DETECTIVE QUANTUM EFFICIENCY; FLAT PANEL DETECTORS; FLUOROSCOPY; HIGH SPATIAL RESOLUTION;

X RAY RADIOGRAPHY;

SELENIUM;

ACTIVE MATRIX FLAT PANEL IMAGER; ARTICLE; ELECTRIC FIELD; FEASIBILITY STUDY; FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS; FLUOROSCOPY; HIGH GAIN AVALANCHE PHOTOCONDUCTOR; MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS; MEDICAL INSTRUMENTATION; PRIORITY JOURNAL; RADIATION DOSE; SIGNAL NOISE RATIO; X IRRADIATION;

EID: 56749097172     PISSN: 00942405     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1118/1.3002314     Document Type: Article

References (40)

1. L. E. Antonuk, K.-W. Jee, Y. El-Mohri, M. Maolinbay, S. Nassif, X. Rong, Q. Zhao, R. A. Street, and K. S. Shah, " Strategies to improve the signal and noise performance of active matrix, flat-panel imagers for diagnostic x-ray applications.," Med. Phys. 27, 289-306 (1999).
2. Z. S. Huang, G. DeCrescenzo, and J. A. Rowlands, " Signal and noise analysis using transmission line model for larger area flat-panel x-ray imaging sensors.," Proc. SPIE 3659, 76-89 (1999).
3. D. C. Hunt, O. Tousignant, and J. A. Rowlands, " Evaluation of the imaging properties of an amorphous selenium-based flat panel detector for digital fluoroscopy.," Med. Phys. 31, 1166-1175 (2004).
4. Handbook of Medical Imaging Volume 1. Physics and Psychophysics (SPIE, Bellingham, WA, 2000).
5. M. Z. Kabir, S. O. Kasap, W. Zhao, and J. A. Rowlands, " Direct conversion x-ray sensors: Sensitivity, DQE and MTF.," IEE Proc.: Circuits Devices Syst. 150, 258-266 (2003).
6. R. B. Benitez, R. Ning, and D. Conover, " Comparison measurements of DQE for two flat panel detectors: Fluoroscopic detector vs. cone beam CT detector.," Proc. SPIE 6142, 1-10 (2006).
7. O. Tousignant, M. Choquette, Y. Demers, L. Laperriere, J. Leboeuf, M. Honda, M. Nishiki, A. Takahashi, and A. Tsukamoto, " Progress report on the performance of real-time selenium flat-panel detectors for direct x-ray imaging. " Proc. SPIE 4682, 503-510 (2002).
8. D. C. Hunt, S. S. Kirby, and J. A. Rowlands, " X-ray imaging with amorphous selenium: X-ray to charge conversion gain and avalanche multiplication gain.," Med. Phys. 29, 2464-2471 (2002).
9. R. A. Street, " High resolution, direct detection x-ray imagers.," Proc. SPIE 3977, 418-425 (2000).
10. G. Zentai, " Mercuric iodide and lead iodide x-ray detectors for radiographic and fluoroscopic medical imaging.," Proc. SPIE 5030, 77 (2003).
11. K. S. Karim, Y. K. Vygranenko, D. A. Striakhilev, A. Nathan, S. Germann, J. A. Rowlands, G. Belev, K. Koughia, R. Johanson, and S. O. Kasap, " Active pixel image sensor for large-area medical imaging.," Proc. SPIE 5030, 38-47 (2003).
12. J. P. Lu, K. Van Schuylengergh, J. Ho, Y. Wang, J. B. Boyce, and R. A. Street, " Flat panel imagers with pixel level amplifiers based on polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistor technology.," Appl. Phys. Lett. 80, 4656-4658 (2002).
13. S. Sankararaman, K. Andrew, and V. Srinivasan, " Theoretical analysis of hybrid flat-panel detector arrays for digital x-ray fluoroscopy: General system architecture, signal, and noise processes.," IEEE Sens. J. 1, 168-174 (2001).
14. K. H. Reiss, " Pictorial representation of ionizing radiation by electrostatic storage of electron avalanches.," Z. Angew. Phys. 19, 1 (1965).
15. J. W. Boag, " New ways with x-rays: Xeroradiography and ionography.," Phys. Technol. 6, 209-216 (1975).
16. Y. Giomataris, Ph. Rebourgeard, J. P. Robert, and G. Charpak, " MICROMEGAS: A high-granularity position-sensitive gaseous detector for high particle-flux environments.," Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A 376, 29-35 (1996).
17. F. Sauli, " GEM: A new concept for electron amplification in gas detectors.," Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A 386, 531-534 (1997).
18. F. Sauli, " Imaging with the gas electron multiplier.," Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A 580, 971-973 (2007).
19. M. Li, M. S. Dixit, and P. C. Johns, " Photon-counting digital radiography using high-pressure xenon filled detectors.," Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A 471, 215-221 (2001).
20. H. Guilleminot, " Use of selenium in the radiometry of Rontgen rays.," Archives d'Electricite Medicale 23, 168-173 (1915).
21. C. Luraschi, " New apparatus for measuring the intensity and quantity of Rontgen rays.," Archives d'Electricite Medicale 16, 14-26 (1908).
22. A. Nemet, A. W. Balls, and W. F. Cox, " Xeroradiography applied to the inspection of electrical equipment.," Proc. Inst. Electr. Eng. 109A, 184-188 (1962).
23. J. A. Rowlands and G. DeCrescenzo, " X-ray imaging using amorphous selenium: Determination of x-ray sensitivity by pulse height spectroscopy.," Med. Phys. 19, 1065-1069 (1992).
24. G. Juska and K. Arlauskas, " Impact ionization and mobilities of charge carriers at high electric fields in amorphous selenium.," Phys. Status Solidi 59, 389 (1980).
25. K. Miyakawa, Y. Ohkawa, T. Matsubara, T. Takahata, S. Suzuki, and M. Kubota, " Ultrahigh-sensitivity HDTV new Super-HARP camera.," Proc. SPIE 5677, 26-34 (2005).
26. K. Tanioka, J. Yamazaki, K. Shidara, K. Taketoshi, T. Kawamura, S. Ishioka, and Y. Takasaki, " An avalanche-mode amorphous selenium photoconductive layer for use as a camera tube target.," IEEE Electron Device Lett. 8, 392-394 (1987).
27. D. C. Hunt, " Investigation of avalanche multiplication in amorphous selenium for use in digital fluoroscopy.," Ph.D. thesis, University of Toronto, 2005.
28. W. Zhao, D. Li, A. Reznik, B. J. M. Lui, D. C. Hunt, J. A. Rowlands, Y. Ohkawa, and K. Tanioka, " Indirect flat-panel detector with avalanche gain: Fundamental feasibility investigation for SHARP-AMFPI (scintillator HARP active matrix flat panel imager).," Med. Phys. 32, 2954-2966 (2005).
29. B. J. M. Lui, D. C. Hunt, A. Reznik, K. Tanioka, and J. A. Rowlands, " X-ray imaging with amorphous selenium: Pulse height measurements of avalanche gain fluctuations.," Med. Phys. 33, 3183-3192 (2006).
30. D. C. Hunt, K. Tanioka, and J. A. Rowlands, " X-ray imaging using avalanche multiplication in amorphous selenium: Investigation of depth dependent avalanche noise.," Med. Phys. 34, 976-986 (2007).
31. D. L. Y. Lee, " Selenium detector with a grid for selenium charge gain.," Proc. SPIE 5745, 216-222 (2005).
32. W. Que and J. A. Rowlands, " X-ray imaging using amorphous selenium: Inherent spatial resolution.," Med. Phys. 22, 365-374 (1995).
33. I. A. Cunningham and R. Shaw, " Signal-to-noise optimization of medical imaging systems.," J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 16, 621-632 (1999).
34. A. S. Tager, " Current fluctuations in a semiconductor (dielectric) under the conditions of impact ionization and avalanche breakdown.," Sov. Phys. Solid State 6, 1919 (1965).
35. A. Reznik, S. D. Baranovskii, O. Rubel, G. Juska, S. O. Kasap, Y. Ohkawa, K. Tanioka, and J. A. Rowlands, " Avalanche multiplication phenomenon in amorphous semiconductors: a-Se vs a-Si:H.," J. Appl. Phys. 102, 53711-53715 (2007).
36. A. Reznik, S. D. Baranovskii, O. Rubel, K. Jandieri, S. O. Kasap, Y. Ohkawa, M. Kubota, K. Tanioka, and J. A. Rowlands, " Avalanche multiplication in amorphous selenium and its utilization in imaging.," J. Non-Cryst. Solids 354, 2691-2696 (2008).
37. K. Tsuji, Y. Takasaki, T. Hirai, J. Yamazaki, and K. Tanioka, " Avalanche phenomenon in amorphous selenium.," Optoelectron., Devices Technol. 9, 367-378 (1994).
38. W. Zhao, J. Law, D. Waechter, Z. Huang, and J. A. Rowlands, " Digital radiology using active matrix readout of amorphous selenium: Detectors with high voltage protection.," Med. Phys. 25, 539-549 (1998).
39. L. Chowdhury, O. Tousignant, G. DeCrescenzo, P. Gauthierb, J. Leboeufb, and J. A. Rowlands, " Effect of ghosting on the modulation transfer function of amorphous selenium based flat panel detectors.," Proc. SPIE 6142, 1S1-1S7 (2006).
40. I. M. Blevis, D. C. Hunt, and J. A. Rowlands, " X-ray imaging using amorphous selenium: Determination of Swank factor by pulse height spectroscopy.," Med. Phys. 25, 638-641 (1998).