| abstract |
In nuclear imaging, when a gamma ray strikes a scintillator, a burst of visible light is created. That light is detected by a photodetector and processed by downstream electronics. It is desirable to harness as much of the burst of light as possible and get it to the photodetector. In a detector element ( 18 ), a first reflective layer ( 44 ) partially envelops a scintillation crystal ( 34 ). The first reflective layer ( 44 ) diffuses the scintillated light. A second reflective layer ( 46 ) and a support component reflective layer ( 48 ) prevent the light from leaving the scintillation crystal ( 34 ) by any route except a light emitting face ( 36 ) of the scintillator ( 34 ). In another embodiment, a light concentrator ( 50 ) is coupled to the scintillator ( 34 ) and channels the diffuse light onto a light sensitive portion of a photodetector ( 38 ). The reflective layers ( 44, 46, 48 ) and the concentrator ( 50 ) ensure that all or nearly all of the light emitted by the scintillator ( 34 ) is received by the photodetector ( 38 ). |