Ch.22 Digital Radiography Flat Panel Detector Systems Flashcards
Referred to as digital radiography (DR)
Flat- Panel Detector digital systems
When was DR introduced ?
1995
what are the two general classes of DR panels
Indirect and Direct
Steps of Indirect Conversion:
xrays to light, then to an electrical charge
Steps of Direct conversion
xrays directly to electrical charge
Steps of Indirect Conversion: (with more detail)
Indirect conversion detectors are used in a two-step process. The first step involves converting incom-ing x-ray photons to light first, which is accomplished through the use of a scintillator. The second step involves a conversion of light photons to an electronic signal using a photodetector. Indirect DR systems include either a charge-coupled device (CCD) or amorphous silicon with a thin film transistor (TFT) array.
Direct Conversion (more detail)
Direct DR systems are capable of directly converting incoming x-ray photons to an electronic signal. These systems use amorphous sele-nium and a TFT.
Two types of Indirect DR detectors
TFT and CCD
How do scintillators emit light
Isotropically
conversion of incoming xray photons to an electronic signal without scintillation
Direct Conversion
A two part process involving a scintillator (which converts incoming xray photons to light) and a photodetector (which converts light into an electronic signal)
Indirect Conversion
Out of direct and indirect, which has the better image
direct. because there is one less step, so less info lost
-uses a scintillator to convert xray energy to light
-light energy converted to eletrical signal in amorphous silicon layer
-2 possible method : Charge couple device (CCD) or Thin Film Transistor (TFT)
Indirect detectors
Requires a scintillator because the atomic number is only 14
Amorphous silicon
what are two types of scintillators that amorphous silicon would require
-Cesium Iodide
-Gadolinium Oxysulfide
what are the three ways the signal is captured by :
-charge-coupled device (CCD)
-complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)
-Thin Film Transistor (TFT)
Designed to convert light energy into electrical signal
Transmission along detector circuit pathways
Analog-to-digital convertor (ADC)
-Used in both indirect and direct detectors
-Electronic readout of signal
-arranged in an array of detector elements (DELs)
TFT
how is pixel size related to DEL size
directly related
Collects the electric charges produced by either the selenium or silicon as an array or matrix of pixel size detector elements (DEL)
TFT
where is the latent image stored
TFT
which two use thin film transistors for electronic read out
-Amorphous silicon (indirect conversion )
-amorphous selenium (direct conversion)
out of CCD and CMOS which has the high quality, low noise
CCD
a photodetector that converts light to electric charge and stores it. The stored charge releases line by line to the ADC. The electrical signal produced is then sent to the computer for image processing
CCD
-more susceptible to noise
-light sensitivity tends to be lower
CMOS
-uses scintillator
-closely associated with CCD chips
-image sensors, which convert light to electrons
CMOS
-storing electric charge
-latent image stored here
TFT
Explain steps of TFT:
when taking an exposure, flap on TFT closes, capturing signal, when done TFT opens (releases signal), then reading line by line
Each DEL has :
-Sensor Surface (picking up that radiation)
-Storage Capactor
-TFT
how is spacial resolution related to DEL dimension?
indirectly
-determined by percentage of DEL consisting of sensing material
-how efficient is it picking up the dose of radiation
TFT Fill Factor
fill factors relationship with detector dose efficiency
Higher fill factor increases x-ray dose efficiency