Direct radiographic imaging panel

Claim 1

A radiation sensor comprising: i. a charge accumulating capacitor comprising: a) a first conductive microplate; b) a dielectric over said first microplate; c) a second conductive microplate over said first microplate; ii. a photoconductor over said second microplate; iii. a top electrode overlaying said photoconductor and said microplates; iv. a diode having an input terminal and an output terminal, the input terminal directly connected to said second microplate; v. a source of a charging voltage and a source of a biasing voltage connected to said top electrode and said first microplate respectively, the biasing voltage being of a polarity opposite to the polarity of the charging voltage; and, vi. a source of a diode reference reverse bias voltage connected to the output terminal of the diode.

Claim 20

A method for obtaining a signal indicative of the radiation exposure impinging on a radiation sensor, said sensor having a top electrode, a photoconductor, a charge accumulating capacitor including a first and a second conductive microplates, and a diode having an input terminal directly connected to said second microplate and an output terminal connected to a charge measuring device, the method comprising the steps of: I. gradually applying a charging voltage of a first polarity to the top electrode; II. applying to the first conductive microplate an initial capacitor bias voltage, having a polarity opposite to the charging voltage polarity and a magnitude Vbi such that the diode is reverse biased for a preselected range of radiation exposure of the sensor; III. exposing the sensor to radiation; IV. altering the capacitor bias voltage from the initial magnitude Vbi to a final magnitude Vba, which will cause the diode to become forward biased thereby flowing any charge accumulated in the charge accumulating capacitor to the charge sensing device; V. detecting an output indicative of the charge in the charge measuring device.

Claim 21

A method for obtaining a signal indicative of the radiation exposure impinging on a radiation sensor, said sensor having a top electrode, a photoconductor, a charge accumulating capacitor including a first and a second conductive microplates, and a diode having an input terminal directly connected to said second microplate and an output terminal connected to a charge measuring device, the method comprising the steps of: I. gradually applying a charging voltage of a first polarity to the top electrode; II. applying to the first conductive microplate an initial capacitor bias voltage, having a polarity opposite to the charging voltage polarity and a magnitude Vbi such that the diode is reverse biased for a preselected range of radiation exposure of the sensor; III. exposing the sensor to radiation; IV. altering the capacitor bias voltage from the initial magnitude Vbi to a final magnitude Vba, which will cause the diode to become forward biased thereby flowing any charge accumulated in the charge accumulating capacitor to the charge sensing device; V. detecting an output indicative of the charge in the charge measuring device.

Claim 24

A method for detecting image wise intensity modulated radiation incident on a radiation detection panel comprising a plurality of sensors each having a top electrode, a photoconductor, a charge accumulating capacitor including a first and a second conductive microplates, and a diode having an input terminal directly connected to said second microplate and an output terminal, said sensors spaced from each other and arranged in rows and columns, and wherein the top electrodes of all sensors are all connected to each other, the output terminals of all diodes in each column are all connected to a common read-out line for each column, the first microplates in each row are all connected to a common bias line for each row, and the readout lines are each connected to a charge measuring device, comprising the steps of: I. gradually applying a charging voltage of a first polarity to the top electrodes; II. applying through each bias line to the first conductive microplates of all sensors an initial bias voltage having a polarity opposite to the charging voltage polarity and a magnitude Vbi such that the diodes in all of said plurality of sensors are reverse biased for a preselected range of radiation exposure of the sensors; III. allowing imagewise intensity modulated radiation to impinge on the panel; IV. terminating the impingement of radiation on the sensor; V. altering the bias voltage on one bias line to change the voltage applied to the first microplates in all sensors in one row from the initial magnitude Vbi to a final magnitude Vba, which will cause the diodes in each sensor in such row to become forward biased thereby flowing any charge accumulated in the charge accumulating capacitors through the readout lines to the charge measuring device; VI. detecting the output of the charge measuring device in each column; VII. returning the altered bias voltage on the one bias line to the initial bias voltage magnitude Vbi thereby again reverse biasing the diodes in the sensors in that row and preventing any further charges flowing to the charge measuring devices from the sensors in that row; VIII. repeating steps (V) through (VII) for a different one of said bias lines addressing all rows to detect an output of all sensors in the panel to obtain a signal representing the imagewise intensity modulated radiation impinged on the panel.

Claim 25

A method for detecting image wise intensity modulated radiation incident on a radiation detection panel comprising a plurality of sensors each having a top electrode, a photoconductor, a charge accumulating capacitor including a first and a second conductive microplates, and a diode having an input terminal directly connected to said second microplate and an output terminal, said sensors spaced from each other and arranged in rows and columns, and wherein the top electrodes of all sensors are all connected to each other, the output terminals of all diodes in each column are all connected to a common read-out line for each column, the first microplates in each row are all connected to a common bias line for each row, and the readout lines are each connected to a charge measuring device, comprising the steps of: I. gradually applying a charging voltage of a first polarity to the top electrodes; II. applying through each bias line to the first conductive microplates of all sensors an initial bias voltage having a polarity opposite to the charging voltage polarity and a magnitude Vbi such that the diodes in all of said plurality of sensors are reverse biased for a preselected range of radiation exposure of the sensors; III. allowing imagewise intensity modulated radiation to impinge on the panel; IV. terminating the impingement of radiation on the sensor; V. altering the bias voltage on one bias line to change the voltage applied to the first microplates in all sensors in one row from the initial magnitude Vbi to a final magnitude Vba, which will cause the diodes in each sensor in such row to become forward biased thereby flowing any charge accumulated in the charge accumulating capacitors through the readout lines to the charge measuring device; VI. detecting the output of the charge measuring device in each column; VII. returning the altered bias voltage on the one bias line to the initial bias voltage magnitude Vbi thereby again reverse biasing the diodes in the sensors in that row and preventing any further charges flowing to the charge measuring devices from the sensors in that row; VIII. repeating steps (V) through (VII) for a different one of said bias lines addressing all rows to detect an output of all sensors in the panel to obtain a signal representing the imagewise intensity modulated radiation impinged on the panel.

Claim 32

A method for continuously displaying time varying image wise intensity modulated radiation incident on a panel comprising a plurality of sensors each having a top electrode, a photoconductor, a charge accumulating capacitor including a first and a second conductive microplates, and a diode having an input terminal directly connected to said second microplate and an output terminal, said sensors spaced from each other and arranged in rows and columns, and wherein the top electrodes of all sensors are all connected to each other, the output terminals of all diodes in each column are all connected to a common read-out line for each column, the first microplates in each row are all connected to a common bias line for each row, and the readout lines are each connected to a charge measuring device, comprising the steps of: I. gradually applying a charging voltage of a first polarity to the top electrodes; II. applying through each bias line to the first conductive microplates of all sensors an initial bias voltage having a polarity opposite to the charging voltage polarity and a magnitude Vbi such that the diodes in all of said plurality of sensors are reverse biased for a preselected range of radiation exposure of the sensors; and III. allowing imagewise modulated radiation to impinge on the panel; and IV. while radiation continues to impinge on the panel: a) altering the bias voltage on one bias line to change the voltage applied to the first microplates in all sensors in one row from the initial magnitude Vbi to a final magnitude Vba, which will cause the diodes in each sensor in such row to become forward biased thereby flowing any charge accumulated in the charge accumulating capacitors through the readout lines to the charge measuring device; b) detecting the output of the charge measuring device in each column; c) returning the altered first bias voltage on the one bias line to the initial bias magnitude Vbi thereby again reverse biasing the diodes in the sensors in that row and preventing any further charges flowing to the charge measuring device; d) repeating steps (a) through (c) for a different one of said bias lines addressing all rows to detect an output of all sensors in the panel to obtain a signal representing the imagewise modulated radiation impinged on the panel; and e) repeating steps (a) through (d).

Claim 33

A method for continuously displaying time varying image wise intensity modulated radiation incident on a panel comprising a plurality of sensors each having a top electrode, a photoconductor, a charge accumulating capacitor including a first and a second conductive microplates, and a diode having an input terminal directly connected to said second microplate and an output terminal, said sensors spaced from each other and arranged in rows and columns, and wherein the top electrodes of all sensors are all connected to each other, the output terminals of all diodes in each column are all connected to a common read-out line for each column, the first microplates in each row are all connected to a common bias line for each row, and the readout lines are each connected to a charge measuring device, comprising the steps of: I. gradually applying a charging voltage of a first polarity to the top electrodes; II. applying through each bias line to the first conductive microplates of all sensors an initial bias voltage having a polarity opposite to the charging voltage polarity and a magnitude Vbi such that the diodes in all of said plurality of sensors are reverse biased for a preselected range of radiation exposure of the sensors; and III. allowing imagewise modulated radiation to impinge on the panel; and IV. while radiation continues to impinge on the panel: a) altering the bias voltage on one bias line to change the voltage applied to the first microplates in all sensors in one row from the initial magnitude Vbi to a final magnitude Vba, which will cause the diodes in each sensor in such row to become forward biased thereby flowing any charge accumulated in the charge accumulating capacitors through the readout lines to the charge measuring device; b) detecting the output of the charge measuring device in each column; c) returning the altered first bias voltage on the one bias line to the initial bias magnitude Vbi thereby again reverse biasing the diodes in the sensors in that row and preventing any further charges flowing to the charge measuring device; d) repeating steps (a) through (c) for a different one of said bias lines addressing all rows to detect an output of all sensors in the panel to obtain a signal representing the imagewise modulated radiation impinged on the panel; and e) repeating steps (a) through (d).