New Scintillators for Medical Imaging

Microcolumnar growth technology represents a major advance for novel inorganic/oxide scintillators designed for high-efficiency high-resolution detection and imaging by means of X-rays or neutrons. Unlike powdered screens, the microcolumnar structure acts to channel the scintillator light directly towards the detector with minimal lateral spread, which greatly reduces need for tradeoff between efficiency and spatial resolution. RMD has played a major role in this development, and with our expertise in materials and our basic understanding of production of structured CsI:Tl films, we have successfully tailored performance of scintillators for various specific applications. Adapted methodologies include:
1) Bandgap engineering to minimize afterglow or to enhance emission speed;
2) Using alternative dopants to modify spectral emissions;
3) Modifying growth techniques to form thick structures with enhanced brightness and transparency;
4) Tailoring scintillator host composition for enhanced response to certain types of radiation; and
5) Using advanced scintillator compositions that provide extraordinary performance but cannot otherwise be grown using conventional crystal growth methods.
Post-deposition processing such as laser pixelation, deposition of optical coatings, or incorporating nanostructures in the detection chain for enhanced signal-to-noise are some of the other investigated approaches that show promise for radiographic or nuclear medicine imaging. A brief review of various methodologies adapted at RMD to improve scintillator performance for specific applications will be presented.