Systems and methods for providing a shared charge in pixelated image detectors

1. A method for controlling a charge distribution of a pixelated solid state photon detector, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of pixels for a pixelated solid state photon detector in a configuration such that a charge distribution is detected by at least two pixels by at least one of shaping or spacing pixelated elements defining the pixels to share a charge for the at least two pixels;

configuring each of the plurality of pixels in a stretched configuration having an overlapping region between adjacent pixels;

obtaining charge sharing information from the at least two pixels; and

determining a position of an interaction of the charge distribution with the plurality of pixels based on the obtained charge sharing information.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the charge distribution is defined by a electron charge cloud and further comprising configuring the plurality of pixels to have a size smaller than the electron charge cloud.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein determining a position comprises using a centroid calculation to determine the position, wherein the centroid calculation uses charge information from a primary pixel and at least one adjacent pixel.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the plurality of pixels are divided into rows and columns and further comprising using row and column summing to obtain the charge sharing information.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising determining an energy of a detected photon by summing an energy output of a plurality of channels associated with the plurality of pixels.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein providing a plurality of pixels comprises providing a plurality of anode pixels and a plurality of cathode pixels.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising determining a depth of interaction using a time based on a time of flight difference between anode and cathode signals of the pixelated solid state photon detector.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising determining a correction factor for the plurality of pixels based on the determined position.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising configuring each of the plurality of pixels into sub-pixels.

10. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising interconnecting the plurality of pixels such that alternating pixels in each of a plurality of rows and columns of a pixel array are connected.

11. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the overlapping regions comprise a saw-toothed configuration.

12. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising positioning the plurality of pixels such that the charge distribution is detected by the at least two pixels.

13. A method for controlling a charge distribution of a pixelated solid state photon detector, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of pixels for a pixelated solid state photon detector in a configuration such that a charge distribution is detected by at least two pixels by at least one of shaping or spacing pixelated elements defining the pixels to share a charge for the at least two pixels;

providing a resistive layer adjacent the plurality of pixels;

obtaining charge sharing information from the at least two pixels; and

determining a position of an interaction of the charge distribution with the plurality of pixels based on the obtained charge sharing information.

14. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising providing a steering grid configured to focus a charge sharing of the charge distribution.

15. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising providing a two-layer pixelated solid state photon detector having a plurality of pixelated anodes.