New type of scintillation detectors for biological, medical, and radiation monitoring applications

• Published in: IEEE transactions on nuclear science Vol. 51; no. 3; pp. 1297 - 1303
• Main Authors: Globus, M., Grinyov, B., Ratner, M., Tarasov, V., Lyubinskiy, V., Vydai, Yu, Ananenko, A., Zorenko, Yu, Gorbenko, V., Konstankevych, I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01.06.2004; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Biomedical imaging; Electromagnetic wave absorption; Optical films; Radiation detectors; Radiation monitoring; Scintillation counters; Solid scintillation detectors; Spatial resolution; Substrates; X-ray imaging
• ISSN: 0018-9499; 1558-1578
• DOI: 10.1109/TNS.2004.830113

Scintillation detectors in the form of luminescent films on a bulk substrate have been developed and explored. Thin doped garnet films on the basis of Lu/sub 3/Al/sub 5/O/sub 12/ were grown on an undoped Y/sub 3/Al/sub 5/O/sub 12/ nonluminescent substrate for the application as X-ray imaging screens in microtomography. The introduction of Lu provided a strong absorption for X-rays and a possibility to reduce the film thickness down to 1 - 2 /spl mu/m and to achieve a spatial resolution of 0.8 to 1.2 /spl mu/m. Doped luminescent films of various materials with the thickness adapted to the path length of short-range particles, were grown or deposited on a doped luminescent substrate intended for detecting long-range particles. Such phoswich-detectors are used for radiation monitoring of low-activity nuclides. Ways to improve the operation characteristics of such detection systems are proposed.