Low-cost Large-area High-Sensitivity X-ray Panel Detector for Digital Mammography

用于数字乳腺 X 线摄影的低成本大面积高灵敏度 X 射线平板探测器

• 批准号: 7804875
• 负责人: NEAL EUGENE HARTSOUGH
• 金额: $ 10万
• 依托单位: DXRAY, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-02-01 至 2011-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7804875
• 关键词: Area; Cadmium; Characteristics; Charge; Collection; Coupled; Custom; DAQ; Deposition; Detection; Devices; Diagnostic radiologic examination; Digital Mammography; Equipment; Figs - dietary; Film; Fluoroscopy; Glass; Goals; Growth; Housing; Image; Japan; Korea; Mammography; Manufacturer Name; Marketing; Measures; Methods; Noise; Output; Performance; Phase; Physics; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; Powder dose form; Power Sources; Price; Printing; Process; Property; Reporting; Research; Research Design; Resolution; Risk; Roentgen Rays; Selenium; Side; Slide; Source; Speed; Surface; System; Technology; Temperature; Testing; Thick; Transistors; Work; Writing; Zinc; base; cadmium telluride; cost; cost effective; design; detector; experience; imaging detector; imaging modality; improved; indium tin oxide; interest; meetings; public health relevance; quantum; red mercuric iodide; response; solid state; sublimation

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In this Phase I proposal we will develop a cost-effective large-area high-sensitivity x-ray panel detector for digital mammography. This direct-conversion x-ray detector will dramatically improve the capability for cost- effective high-performance mammography. By growing polycrystalline CZT (cadmium zinc telluride) films directly onto custom CMOS readouts, we will create large area panels with high resolution and high sensitivity. These panels will provide cost-effective, high-performance detectors for many other x-ray imaging applications including general radiography, fluoroscopy, and x-ray CT. We will leverage our existing expertise in polycrystalline film growth, solid-state x-ray detector physics, and x-ray readout ASIC design to produce CZT (cadmium zinc telluride) films grown directly onto customized CMOS readouts. Recently, academic research groups in Korea and Japan have investigated the potential for polycrystalline CZT films grown directly onto readouts to create x-ray imaging panel detectors. These studies have shown that relatively low substrate temperatures can be maintained during the film growth, enabling direct growth onto readouts such as thin-film transistor arrays and CMOS devices. The films produced have shown good x-ray detection properties. We propose to extend this work in the U.S., using our own experience in mercuric iodide polycrystalline film growth for x-ray imaging detectors and our experience in designing and producing CMOS-based readouts compatible with direct growth of mercuric iodide films. In this Phase I we will develop the film growth apparatus and processes necessary for successful polycrystalline CZT film growth on ITO-coated glass slides and we will measure the x-ray detection performance. This will substantially reduce the risk for Phase II. In previous work, we have designed, fabricated, and coated large area (10 cm x 10 cm) imaging charge-integrating CMOS readout chips which are chemically compatible with mercuric iodide. In this work, we will adapt them for compatibility with the CZT film growth process. The readouts have 30 5m pixel grids, enabling high-resolution imaging, and 8 parallel outputs which produce an 8 frames per second readout speed for the 10 Mpixel device. In Phase II, the CZT-coated CMOS readouts will be tested for x-ray imaging characteristics. Most digital mammography systems have spatial resolutions limited by their use of indirect detectors - scintillators coupled to photodiode arrays. A few recent systems are based on amorphous selenium, a direct detector. However, even these systems are limited to pixel sizes of about 70-100 5m. The CMOS readouts which will be coated in Phase II incorporate 30 5m pixel grids, giving mammography and other x-ray imaging modalities access to higher spatial resolutions. The devices will also be cost-effective due to the approach of growing CZT films directly onto readout arrays. We will widely market the device as an OEM component to mammography system manufacturers. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: We will grow a high-sensitivity detector material, cadmium zinc telluride (CZT), directly onto CMOS technology megapixel readouts. This will achieve significant breakthroughs in x-ray imaging panel detector price and performance. Mammography will benefit due to the improved spatial resolution and reduced cost from this unique combination of detector material and readout.

描述(申请人提供)：在这个第一阶段的提案中，我们将开发一种用于数字乳房X光检查的高性价比、大面积、高灵敏度的X射线面板探测器。这种直接转换X射线探测器将极大地提高经济高效的高性能乳房X光摄影的能力。通过将多晶碲化锌镉(CZT)薄膜直接生长到定制的CMOS读数上，我们将创造出具有高分辨率和高灵敏度的大面积面板。这些面板将为许多其他X射线成像应用提供具有成本效益的高性能探测器，包括普通射线照相、透视和X射线CT。我们将利用我们在多晶膜生长、固态X射线探测器物理和X射线读出ASIC设计方面的现有专业知识，生产直接在定制的CMOS读出器上生长的CZT(碲化锌镉)薄膜。最近，韩国和日本的学术研究小组研究了将多晶CZT薄膜直接生长到读出器上以制造X射线成像面板探测器的可能性。这些研究表明，在薄膜生长过程中可以保持相对较低的衬底温度，从而能够直接生长到薄膜晶体管阵列和CMOS器件等读出器上。所制得的薄膜具有良好的X射线探测性能。我们建议将这项工作扩展到美国，利用我们自己在用于X射线成像探测器的碘化汞多晶薄膜生长方面的经验，以及我们在设计和生产与直接生长碘化汞薄膜兼容的基于CMOS的读数方面的经验。在第一阶段中，我们将开发在ITO镀膜玻片上成功生长多晶CZT薄膜所必需的薄膜生长设备和工艺，并将测量其X射线探测性能。这将大大降低第二阶段的风险。在之前的工作中，我们设计、制造并镀膜了大面积(10 Cm X 10 Cm)成像电荷集成CMOS读出芯片，这些芯片在化学上与碘化汞兼容。在这项工作中，我们将对它们进行调整，使其与CZT薄膜生长过程兼容。读取器有30个5M像素栅格，支持高分辨率成像，以及8个并行输出，为10M像素设备产生每秒8帧的读出速度。在第二阶段，将测试CZT涂层的CMOS读出器的X射线成像特性。大多数数字乳房X光摄影系统的空间分辨率受到间接探测器--耦合到光电二极管阵列的闪烁体--的使用的限制。最近的一些系统是基于非晶态硒的，这是一种直接探测器。然而，即使是这些系统也被限制在大约70-100 5m的像素大小。将在第二阶段涂覆的CMOS读数包含30个5M像素栅格，使乳房X光照相和其他X射线成像方式能够获得更高的空间分辨率。由于将CZT薄膜直接生长到读出阵列上，该器件还将具有成本效益。我们将广泛地将该设备作为OEM组件销售给乳房X光检查系统制造商。 与公共健康相关：我们将把一种高灵敏度的探测器材料--碲化锌镉(CZT)直接移植到cmos技术的百万像素读数上。这将在X射线成像面板探测器的价格和性能方面实现重大突破。这种探测器材料和读数的独特组合提高了空间分辨率，降低了成本，乳房X光检查将从中受益。