Lead Oxide (PbO) photoconductor technology for low-dose x-ray medical imaging detectors-Phase I (Reduction-to-Practice Stage)

高分辨率X射线成像对于各种诊断和微创介入手术至关重要。我们在X射线医学成像探测器技术方面的创新方法侧重于开发新型光电导材料，如非晶氧化铅（a-PbO），以提高性能和效率，同时降低与医学成像相关的辐射剂量。我们的初步研究表明，a-PbO的潜力是成熟的应用在X射线成像，然而，其技术必须得到改进之前，其独特的成像性能将实现。以制造临床原型为最终目标，我们计划优化a-PbO技术，并设计、开发和测试用于数字乳腺断层合成（DBT）和图像引导心脏介入的直接转换探测器的实验室原型。 PbO光电导材料先进技术的发展将促进数字X射线成像系统在诊断和心脏介入治疗中的广泛临床应用。如果拟议计划的技术和科学目标得以实现，加拿大医疗保健行业将获得实用且具有成本效益的相关探测器解决方案，其图像质量上级于同类市售设备。潜在的市场（医院和诊所）非常大，而且是国际性的。例如，Teledyne DALSA是数字X射线应用探测器和子系统的领先供应商，是拟议的PbO技术的潜在接受者，前提是它被简化为实践，并且在拟议的研究中证明其与DALSA探测器技术的兼容性。

High-resolution x-ray imaging is crucial for a variety of diagnostic and minimally invasive interventional procedures. Our innovative approach to advancement in x-ray medical imaging detector technology focuses on exploiting a novel photoconductive material, such as amorphous lead oxide (a-PbO), to improve the capabilities and efficiencies, while reducing the radiation dose associated with medical imaging. Our initial studies have shown that a-PbO potential is ripe for application in x-ray imaging; however, its technology has to be improved before its unique imaging properties will be realized. With an ultimate goal of making clinical prototype, we plan to optimize a-PbO technology and to design, develop and test lab prototype of the direct conversion detector for Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) and image-guided cardiac intervention. The development of advanced technology for PbO as a photoconductive material will facilitate widespread clinical application of digital x-ray imaging systems for diagnosis and cardiac intervention. If the technical and scientific objectives of the proposed program are achieved, the Canadian healthcare industry will receive practical and cost-effective solutions for relevant detectors with image quality superior to similar, commercially available devices. The potential market place (hospitals and clinics) is very large and international. For example, Teledyne DALSA, a leading supplier of detectors and subsystems for digital X-ray applications, is a potential receptor of the proposed PbO technology, provided it is reduced to practice and its compatibility with the DALSA detector technology is demonstrated in the proposed research.