Granted Patent B2

US 8,502,170 · App. 13/193,750 · Granted Aug 6, 2013

Abstract

Claims (25)

1. A patterned scintillator panel comprising:

an extruded scintillator layer comprising a thermoplastic polyolefin and a scintillator material, where at least a portion of one surface of the scintillator layer is patterned.

2. The patterned scintillator panel of claim 1 , wherein the pattern is subtractively patterned or additively patterned.

3. The patterned scintillator panel of claim 1 , wherein the patterned scintillator panel has an intrinsic MTF of about 5% to about 95% greater than the iH50 of a solvent-coated non-patterned screen.

4. The patterned scintillator panel of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic olefin comprises low density polyethylene.

5. The patterned scintillator panel of claim 1 , wherein the scintillator material comprises at least one phosphor selected from the group consisting of Y 2 SiO 5 :Ce; Y 2 Si 2 O 7 :Ce; LuAlO 3 :Ce; Lu 2 SiO 5 :Ce; Gd 2 SiO 5 :Ce; YAlO 3 :Ce; ZnO:Ga; CdWO 4 ; LuPO 4 :Ce; PbWO 4 ; Bi 4 Ge 3 O 12 ; CaWO 4 ; GdO 2 S:Tb, GdO 2 S:Pr; RE 3 Al5O 12 : Ce, and combinations thereof, wherein RE is at least one rare earth metal, wherein the ratio of thermoplastic polyolefin to scintillator material ranges from about 10:90 to about 90:10.

6. The patterned scintillator panel of claim 1 , where the thermoplastic polyolefin is a non-scintillating material.

7. The patterned scintillator panel of claim 1 , further comprising a co-extruded opaque layer comprising carbon black.

8. The patterned scintillator panel of claim 1 , wherein the extruded scintillator layer comprises a thickness ranging from about 10 μm to about 1000 μm.

9. A method of making a patterned scintillator panel comprising:

forming a scintillator layer by melt extrusion, the scintillator layer comprising a thermoplastic polyolefin and a scintillator material; and

patterning the scintillator layer.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein patterning the scintillator layer comprises subtractive patterning or additive patterning at least a portion of one surface of the scintillator layer.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the thermoplastic particles are formed by melt compounding the thermoplastic polyolefin and scintillator material through ten heating zones for a period of time in each zone, the first heating zone comprising a temperature ranging from about 175° C. to about 180° C.; the second heating zone comprising a temperature ranging from about 185° C. to about 190° C.; the third heating zone comprising a temperature ranging from about 195° C. to about 200° C.; the fourth heating zone comprising a temperature ranging from about 195° C. to about 200° C.; the fifth heating zone comprising a temperature ranging from about 185° C. to about 190° C.; the sixth heating zone comprising a temperature ranging from about 185° C. to about 190° C.; the seventh heating zone comprising a temperature ranging from about 185° C. to about 190° C.; the eighth heating zone comprising a temperature ranging from about 185° C. to about 190° C.; the ninth heating zone comprising a temperature ranging from about 180° C. to about 175° C.; and the tenth heating zone comprising a temperature ranging from about 175° C. to about 170° C., wherein the period of time in each zone ranges from about 0.01 min to about 30 min.

12. The method of claim 11 , where the extruded scintillator layer comprises a thickness ranging from about 10 μm to about 1000 μm.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising co-extruding an opaque layer with the extruded scintillator layer.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the ratio of thermoplastic polyolefin to scintillator material ranges from about 10:90 to about 90:10.

15. A method of making a patterned scintillator panel comprising:

forming a scintillator layer by injection molding, the scintillator layer comprising thermoplastic particles comprising a thermoplastic polyolefin and a scintillator material; and

patterning the scintillator layer.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein patterning the scintillator layer comprises subtractive patterning or additive patterning at least a portion of one surface of the scintillator layer.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the thermoplastic particles are formed by melt compounding the thermoplastic polyolefin and scintillator material through ten heating zones for a period of time in each zone, the first heating zone comprising a temperature ranging from about 175° C. to about 180° C.; the second heating zone comprising a temperature ranging from about 185° C. to about 190° C.; the third heating zone comprising a temperature ranging from about 195° C. to about 200° C.; the fourth heating zone comprising a temperature ranging from about 195° C. to about 200° C.; the fifth heating zone comprising a temperature ranging from about 185° C. to about 190° C.; the sixth heating zone comprising a temperature ranging from about 185° C. to about 190° C.; the seventh heating zone comprising a temperature ranging from about 185° C. to about 190° C.; the eighth heating zone comprising a temperature ranging from about 185° C. to about 190° C.; the ninth heating zone comprising a temperature ranging from about 180° C. to about 175° C.; and the tenth heating zone comprising a temperature ranging from about 175° C. to about 170° C., wherein the period of time in each zone ranges from about 0.01 min to about 30 min.

18. The method of claim 15 , where the extruded scintillator layer comprises a thickness ranging from about 10 μm to about 1000 μm.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising co-extruding an opaque layer with the extruded scintillator layer.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the ratio of thermoplastic polyolefin to scintillator material ranges from about 10:90 to about 90:10.

Assignments (10)