RCUK Innovation Fellow

莱斯特大学在太空仪器方面也有着独特的传统;自1967年以来，每年都有莱斯特建造的仪器在太空中运行。莱斯特以其在X射线天文学和行星科学方面的工作而闻名，为XMM-牛顿，Beagle 2和BepiColombo等太空任务设计和建造高能光子探测器。高能光子的探测对于医学、核能和安全方面以及制造业、采矿业和考古学等部门的材料特性也很重要。该项目旨在通过调查旨在探测空间高能光子并将其应用于地面应用的技术，在科学、技术和金融中心资助的核心研究的基础上建立研究、创新和转化方案。一个关键的应用是医学成像。莱斯特大学开发了一种便携式伽马照相机，该照相机利用了与为XMM-牛顿EPIC X射线照相机开发的技术类似的技术。医用伽马相机用于广泛的医疗诊断测试，包括确定癌症是否已经扩散到身体的其他部位，可以占据医院的整个房间。在莱斯特开发的便携式摄像机足够小，可以手持，因此无论患者身在何处，甚至在手术室，都可以将其带到患者面前。这对外科医生来说可能会有很大的不同，他们目前使用非成像探测器进行放射导向手术，当探测到放射性时（类似于金属探测器）会发出哔哔声。伽马相机可以显示任何放射源的位置和形状，除了在光学覆盖上显示它们的位置，这将极大地帮助外科医生定位体内的源，减少手术创伤并改善患者的预后。由于高能光子的探测有着广泛的应用，而莱斯特的便携式伽马相机包括将肉眼不可见的高能光子沿着可见光相结合的独特技术，因此有可能将其转移到许多其他领域。该项目的一部分将需要调整该平台技术，以便在目标环境中进行测试，以确定它是否对其他行业感兴趣。伽马照相机的改造有可能在许多部门开展研究和商业化。这位研究员还将参与莱斯特大学对新型探测器材料的研究。半导体（硅是最常用的）是包括探测器在内的各种电子产品的重要组成部分。新型化合物半导体种类繁多，其中许多是“可调的”，能够根据其化学组成表现出不同的特性。例如，由新型半导体材料制成的探测器可能比硅对高能光子更敏感，或者可能能够在更高的温度下工作。这为包括核安全在内的一系列行业的应用开辟了道路。该研究员将与英国核安全部门的主要参与者合作，以确定目前探测器供应中新材料有用的差距，然后将努力调查材料以填补这一差距。该研究员将得到联合国大学的全力支持，联合国大学将在与知识转让和创新有关的一些关键领域提供高质量的培训。工业伙伴也将提供具体部门的培训。在部门内嵌入这些经验将加速当前和未来的商业化项目，并进一步利用STFC提供的资金。

The University of Leicester also has a unique heritage in space instrumentation; every year since 1967 has seen a Leicester-built instrument operating in space. Leicester is particularly well known for its work in X-ray astronomy and planetary science, designing and building detectors of high energy photons for space missions such as XMM-Newton, Beagle 2 and BepiColombo. The detection of high energy photons is also important for aspects of medicine, nuclear power and security, and for characterising materials in sectors like manufacturing, mining, and archaeology. This project aims to build research, innovation and translation programmes based on core STFC funded research through investigating technology designed for detecting high energy photons in space and applying these to terrestrial applications. One key application is medical imaging. A portable gamma camera has been developed at the University of Leicester that has made use of similar technology to that developed for the XMM-Newton EPIC X-ray camera. Medical gamma cameras, which are used for a wide range of medical diagnostic tests including determining whether cancer has spread to other areas of the body, can take up a whole room in a hospital. The portable camera developed at Leicester is small enough to be hand held and so it can be brought to the patient wherever they may be, even in the operating theatre. This could make a big difference to surgeons, who currently perform radioguided surgery with a non-imaging detector, which beeps when detecting radioactivity (similar to a metal detector). The gamma camera can show the position and shape of any radioactive sources, in addition to showing their location on an optical overlay, which should greatly help surgeons in localising sources within the body, reducing surgical trauma and improving patient outcomes. As the detection of high energy photons has a wide array of applications, and the portable gamma camera from Leicester includes unique technology for combining high energy photons invisible to the naked eye along with visible light, there is potential to transfer this to a number of other sectors. Part of the project will entail adapting this platform technology for testing in target environments to determine whether it can be of interest to other industries. Adaptations of the gamma camera have the potential to open up research and commercialisation in a wide number of sectors. The fellow will also be involved in the University of Leicester's research into novel detector materials. Semiconductors (silicon being the most commonly used) are vital components in all sorts of electronics, including detectors. Novel compound semiconductors are varied and many are 'tunable', able to exhibit different properties depending on their chemical makeup. Detectors made from new semiconductor materials may, for example, be far more sensitive to high energy photons than silicon, or may be able to operate at far higher temperatures. This opens up applications in a range of industries, including in nuclear security. The fellow will work with lead players in the UK nuclear security sector to determine gaps in current detector provision where new materials would be useful, and will then work to investigate materials to fill that gap. The fellow will have the full support of the University, which will provide high quality training in a number of key areas related to knowledge transfer and innovation. Sectorial specific training will also be provided by industrial partners. Embedding this experience within the department will accelerate current and future commercialisation projects, and further capitalise on funding provided by the STFC.