Apparatus and method for reliable detection of temperature reading
A device and method in which image scanning circuitry acquires imaging information of an object, and thermal detection circuitry is disposed in close proximity to the image scanning circuitry. The thermal detection circuitry estimates a temperature of the image scanning circuitry by calculating a thermal transfer of heat passing from the image scanning circuitry to the thermal detection circuitry.
1 . A detection apparatus, comprising:
a radiation sensor configured to receive radiation emitted from an object to be imaged, and output a detection signal corresponding to the received radiation;
first processing circuitry arranged adjacent to the radiation sensor and configured to process the detection signal output by the radiation sensor;
a board on which the first processing circuitry is mounted;
a thermal probe configured to measure a temperature at a particular location on the first processing circuitry or on the board; and
second processing circuitry configured to estimate a temperature of the radiation sensor based on the measured temperature from the thermal probe.
2 . The detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first processing circuitry is an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and the thermal probe is arranged inside the ASIC.
3 . The detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second processing circuitry is further configured to estimate the temperature of the radiation sensor based on the measured temperature and a thermal conductivity of a path between the particular location and the radiation sensor.
4 . The detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the radiation sensor is directly attached to the first processing circuitry.
5 . The detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the radiation sensor is a photon-counting detector configured to measure an energy spectrum of incident photons.
6 . The detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second processing circuitry is further configured to estimate the temperature of the radiation sensor based on the measured temperature using an approximated impulse response function.
7 . The detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second processing circuitry is further configured to control an operation of the radiation sensor based on the estimated temperature of the radiation sensor.
8 . The detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second processing circuitry is further configured to estimate the temperature of the radiation sensor by:
receiving, from the thermal probe, a sequence of temperature readings; and
applying a filter to the received sequence of temperature readings to output the estimated temperature of the radiation sensor.
9 . The detection apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the filter is one of a finite-impulse-response filter, an infinite-impulse-response filter, and a low-pass filter.
10 . The detection apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the filter is one of a delay filter and a moving average filter.
11 . The detection apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the sequence is a sequence having non-uniform intervals.
12 . The detection apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the probe is configured to output an analog signal representing the measured temperature and the filter is an analog filter.
13 . A method for estimating a temperature of a radiation sensor configured to receive radiation emitted from an object to be imaged and to output a detection signal corresponding to the radiation, the method comprising:
receiving, from a thermal probe, a measured temperature at a particular location (1) on first processing circuitry arranged adjacent to the radiation sensor and configured to process the detection signal output by the radiation sensor, or (2) on a board on which the first processing circuitry is mounted; and
estimating, by second processing circuitry, the temperature of the radiation sensor based on the measured temperature.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the estimating step further comprises estimating the temperature of the radiation sensor based on the measured temperature and a thermal conductivity of a path between the particular location and the radiation sensor.
15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising controlling an operation of the radiation sensor based on the estimated temperature of the radiation sensor.
16 . A detection system, comprising:
a board on which is mounted:
a radiation sensor configured to receive radiation emitted from an object to be imaged, and to output a detection signal corresponding to the radiation,
first processing circuitry arranged adjacent to the radiation sensor and configured to process the detection signal output by the radiation sensor;
a thermal probe mounted on the board and configured to measure a temperature at a particular location on the first processing circuitry or on the board; and
second processing circuitry configured to receive the temperature measured by the thermal probe, and estimate a temperature of the radiation sensor based on the measured temperature at the particular location.
17 . The detection system of claim 16 , wherein the second processing circuitry is not located on the board.