SBIR Phase I: A New High Efficiency, Low Cost Scintillator Screen for Digital Radiography

该小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目旨在开发一种新的X射线成像屏幕，与现有材料相比，该屏幕具有上级特性，可用于数字X射线摄影。 具体来说，这种新屏幕将通过允许制造提供高空间分辨率、高信噪比、低噪声性能和显著更好的检测量子效率的系统来解决数字X射线成像的许多限制。这种新的闪烁体将在医疗诊断、国土安全和许多其他x射线成像应用领域得到广泛应用。 该项目的目标包括优化以粉末形式合成闪烁体的方法，具有适当的化学计量、粒度和形状，以提高闪烁效率和填充密度。一种新开发的具有成本效益的涂层方法将用于生产大面积、坚固耐用和寿命长的闪烁体屏幕。数字成像方法的优越性将通过将屏幕集成到现有的数字读数中并进行详细的X射线成像研究来证明，所提出的闪烁体屏幕对于目前专注于有效检测非法或威胁材料的国土安全应用特别有利。此外，基于所提出的屏幕的X射线探测器将在生物技术、医疗诊断和无损检测系统（如行李扫描和建筑物损坏评估系统）等领域得到应用。数字X射线成像的集体市场规模达数十亿美元;该市场的很大一部分代表了所提出的技术非常适合的领域。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project aims to develop a new x-ray imaging screen that offers superior properties for digital radiography compared to current materials. Specifically, this new screen will address many of the limitations of digital x-ray imaging by allowing fabrication of systems that provide high spatial resolution, high signal to noise ratios, low noise performance, and substantially better detective quantum efficiency. This new scintillator will find wide spread use in areas of medical diagnostics, homeland security, and many other applications of x-ray imaging. The objectives of the project include optimizing the method of synthesizing the scintillator in powder form with appropriate stoichiometry, particle size, and shape for enhanced scintillation efficiency and packing density. A newly developed, cost-effective coating method will be used to produce large-area, rugged and long-lived scintillator screens. Superiority of the approach for digital imaging will be demonstrated by integrating screens into existing digital readouts and conducting detailed x-ray imaging studies.The proposed scintillator screens are specifically advantageous for homeland security applications that are currently focused on efficient detection of illegal or threatening materials. Additionally, x-ray detectors based on the proposed screen will find applications in the areas of biotechnology, medical diagnostics, and non-destructive testing systems such as baggage scanning and building damage assessment systems. Collective market for digital x-ray imaging is in billions of dollars; a significant fraction of this market represents areas where the proposed technology is well suited.