Rare-earth halide scintillator coated with a light absorber or light reflector

1. A scintillator material comprising a rare-earth halide coated with a layer comprising a resin and a pigment, wherein the layer comprises 0.01 to 20% by weight of pigment.

2. The material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the resin is an epoxy or silicone resin.

3. The material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the layer is between 10 μm; and 5 mm.

4. The material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rare-earth halide comprises lanthanum chloride or lanthanum bromide.

5. The material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein its surface comprises a region that is not coated by the layer.

6. The material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pigment and the layer which contains it are black to the naked eye.

7. The material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pigment and the layer that contains it are white to the naked eye.

8. The material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pigment and the layer which contains it are gray to the naked eye.

9. The material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the layer is partially transparent.

10. The material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the interface between the layer and the scintillator material has been polished.

11. The material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the resin is an epoxy or silicone resin, the thickness of the layer is between 10 μm and 5 mm, the rare-earth halide comprises lanthanum chloride or lanthanum bromide, and its surface comprises a region that is not coated by the layer.

12. The material as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the interface between the layer and the scintillator material has been polished.

13. An ionizing-radiation detector comprising the scintillator material from claim 11 , said scintillator material being coupled, via a region of the surface that is not coated by said layer, to a photodetector.

14. A process for manufacturing the scintillator material from claim 11 , comprising the application of a homogeneous mixture of an adhesive resin and a pigment to the surface of the scintillator material containing less than 1% by weight of water.

15. The process as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the mixture contains less than 100 ppm by weight of water.

16. The process as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the surface of the material onto which the mixture is applied is polished.

17. An ionizing-radiation detector comprising the scintillator material from claim 1 , said scintillator material being coupled, via a region of the surface that is not coated by said layer, to a photodetector.

18. A gamma camera comprising the detector from claim 17 .

19. A process for manufacturing a scintillator material comprising:

providing a rare-earth halide; and

coating the rare-earth halide with a layer by applying a homogeneous mixture of an adhesive resin and a pigment to the surface of the scintillator material containing less than 1% by weight of water.

20. The process as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the surface of the material onto which the mixture is applied is polished.

21. The material as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the resin is an epoxy or silicone resin.

22. The material as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the thickness of the layer is between 10 μm and 5 mm.

23. The material as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the rare-earth halide comprises lanthanum chloride or lanthanum bromide.

24. The material as claimed in claim 19 , wherein its surface comprises a region that is not coated by the layer.

25. The material as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the pigment and the layer which contains it are black to the naked eye.

26. The material as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the pigment and the layer that contains it are white to the naked eye.

27. The material as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the pigment and the layer which contains it are gray to the naked eye.

28. The material as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the layer comprises 0.01 to 20% by weight of pigment.

29. The material as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the layer is partially transparent.

30. The material as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the interface between the layer and the scintillator material has been polished.

31. The material as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the resin is an epoxy or silicone resin, the thickness of the layer is between 10 μm and 5 mm, the rare-earth halide comprises lanthanum chloride or lanthanum bromide, and its surface comprises a region that is not coated by the layer.

32. The material as claimed in claim 31 , wherein the interface between the layer and the scintillator material has been polished.

33. An ionizing-radiation detector comprising the scintillator material from claim 31 , said scintillator material being coupled, via a region of the surface that is not coated by said layer, to a photodetector.

34. A process for manufacturing the scintillator material from claim 31 , comprising the application of a homogeneous mixture of an adhesive resin and a pigment to the surface of the scintillator material containing less than 1% by weight of water.

35. The process as claimed in claim 34 , wherein the mixture contains less than 100 ppm by weight of water.

36. The process as claimed in claim 34 , wherein the surface of the material onto which the mixture is applied is polished.

37. An ionizing-radiation detector comprising the scintillator material from claim 19 , said scintillator material being coupled, via a region of the surface that is not coated by said layer, to a photodetector.

38. A gamma camera comprising the detector from claim 37 .

39. The process as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the mixture contains less than 100 ppm by weight of water.

40. A scintillator material comprising a rare-earth halide coated with a layer comprising a resin and a pigment, wherein the layer is in direct contact with the rare-earth halide.

41. The material as claimed in claim 40 , wherein the resin is an epoxy or silicone resin, the thickness of the layer is between 10 μm and 5 mm, the rare-earth halide comprises lanthanum chloride or lanthanum bromide, and its surface comprises a region that is not coated by the layer.

42. The material as claimed in claim 41 , wherein the interface between the layer and the scintillator material has been polished.

43. An ionizing-radiation detector comprising the scintillator material from claim 41 , said scintillator material being coupled, via a region of the surface that is not coated by said layer, to a photodetector.

44. A gamma camera comprising the detector from claim 43 .

45. A process for manufacturing the scintillator material from claim 41 , comprising the application of a homogeneous mixture of an adhesive resin and a pigment to the surface of the scintillator material containing less than 1% by weight of water.

46. The process as claimed in claim 45 , wherein the mixture contains less than 100 ppm by weight of water.

47. The process as claimed in claim 45 , wherein the surface of the material onto which the mixture is applied is polished.

48. The material as claimed in claim 40 , wherein the resin is an epoxy or silicone resin.

49. The material as claimed in claim 40 , wherein the thickness of the layer is between 10 μm and 5 mm.

50. The material as claimed in claim 40 , wherein the rare-earth halide comprises lanthanum chloride or lanthanum bromide.

51. The material as claimed in claim 40 , wherein its surface comprises a region that is not coated by the layer.

52. The material as claimed in claim 40 , wherein the pigment and the layer which contains it are black to the naked eye.

53. The material as claimed in claim 40 , wherein the pigment and the layer that contains it are white to the naked eye.

54. The material as claimed in claim 40 , wherein the pigment and the layer which contains it are gray to the naked eye.

55. The material as claimed in claim 40 , wherein the layer comprises 0.01 to 20% by weight of pigment.

56. The material as claimed in claim 40 , wherein the layer is partially transparent.

57. The material as claimed in claim 40 , wherein the interface between the layer and the scintillator material has been polished.

58. An ionizing-radiation detector comprising the scintillator material from claim 40 , said scintillator material being coupled, via a region of the surface that is not coated by said layer, to a photodetector.

59. A process for manufacturing the scintillator material from claim 40 , comprising the application of a homogeneous mixture of an adhesive resin and a pigment to the surface of the scintillator material containing less than 1% by weight of water.

60. The process as claimed in claim 59 , wherein the mixture contains less than 100 ppm by weight of water.

61. The process as claimed in claim 59 , wherein the surface of the material onto which the mixture is applied is polished.