This paper introduces the key design optimizations which have been carried out recently in Trixell in order to prepare the future family of large area, combined static (Radiography) and dynamic (Fluoroscopy, Cardio...) digital X-ray detectors based on a-Si:H/CsI:Tl flat panel technology. These optimizations have been carried out on a 16' X 12' prototype that has been designed and built in a product-oriented way. We describe the detector technology and give some of its main characteristics, as well as some preliminary measurement results.The heart of the new prototype is a Cesium Iodide scintillating screen, directly evaporated onto a 2 K X 2.5 K pixel, array of amorphous silicon photodiodes and TFTs deposited on a glass substrate. The pixel pitch is 155 micrometer. The detective flat panel is connected to dedicated electronics which provides line addressing, low-noise column readout and multiplexing into a serial electrical signal. This signal is digitized over 14 bits to provide a direct digital image output, available for the host radiology system via an optical fiber. This type of detector (flat panel + electronics) is built into a light and thin (less than 100 mm) packaging which can be easily integrated in various x-ray equipment such as R&F tables, Angiography systems (incl. Cardiology), and mobile C-arm systems.
Jean Chabbal, Christophe Chaussat, Thierry Ducourant, Lionel Fritsch, Jean Michailos, Vincent Spinnler, Gerard Vieux, Marc Arques, Gerhard Hahm, Martin Hoheisel, Heinz Horbaschek, Reiner Schulz, Martin Spahn
The design and the performance of a 20 cm by 20 cm flat panel x-ray detector for digital radiography and fluoroscopy is described: Thin film amorphous silicon (aSi) technology has been used to build a 1024 by 1024 photodetector matrix, each pixel including both a photodiode and a switching diode; the pixel size is 196 by 196 micrometers2. A high resolution and high absorption CsI(Tl) scintillator layer covers the top of the photodetector matrix in order to provide for x ray to light conversion. For low electronic noise and 30 fr/s operating rate we developed a custom design charge readout integrated circuit. The detector delivers a 12 bit digital output. The image quality, signal to noise ratio, and DQE are presented and discussed. The flat panel detector provides a MTF in excess of 30% at 2 lp/mm and a high contrast ratio without any distortion on the whole imaging area. The x-ray absorption is 70% for 50 KeV photons. The readout amplifier is optimized to reduce the electronic noise down to 1000 e-. This low noise level, combined with high sensitivity (1150 e-/incident x-ray quantum) provides the capability for fluoroscopic applications. The digital flat panel detector has been integrated in a C-arm system for cardiology and has been used on a regular basis in a European hospital since February 1995. The results are discussed for several operating modes: radiography and fluoroscopy. Conclusions on present detector performances, as well as further improvements, are presented.
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