A Wireless, Battery-Powered Probe Based on a Dual-Tier CMOS SPAD Array for Charged Particle Sensing

A compact probe for charged particle imaging, with potential applications in source activity mapping and radio-guided surgery was designed and tested. The development of this technology holds significant implications for medical imaging, offering healthcare professionals accurate and efficient tools...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inElectronics (Basel) Vol. 12; no. 11; p. 2549
Main Authors Minga, Joana, Brogi, Paolo, Collazuol, Gianmaria, Dalla Betta, Gian-Franco, Marrocchesi, Pier Simone, Morsani, Fabio, Pancheri, Lucio, Ratti, Lodovico, Torilla, Gianmarco, Vacchi, Carla
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.06.2023
Subjects
Atoms & subatomic particles
Batteries
Cameras
Charged particles
Circuit design
CMOS
Complementary metal oxide semiconductors
Data processing
Data transmission
Design
Design and construction
Diodes
Embedded systems
Firmware
Gamma rays
Internet of Things
Localization
Medical imaging
Methods
Microcontrollers
Power supply
Printed circuit boards
Semiconductors
Sensors
Signal processing
Universal Serial Bus
Wireless communications
Italy
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Summary:A compact probe for charged particle imaging, with potential applications in source activity mapping and radio-guided surgery was designed and tested. The development of this technology holds significant implications for medical imaging, offering healthcare professionals accurate and efficient tools for diagnoses and treatments. To fulfill the portability requirements of these applications, the probe was designed for battery operation and wireless communication with a PC. The core sensor is a dual-layer CMOS SPAD detector, fabricated using 150 nm technology, which uses overlapping cells to produce a coincidence signal and reduce the dark count rate (DCR). The sensor is managed and interfaced with a microcontroller, and custom firmware was developed to facilitate communication with the sensor. The performance of the probe was evaluated by characterizing the on-board SPAD detector in terms of the DCR, and the results were consistent with the characterization measurements taken on the same chip samples using a purposely developed benchtop setup.
ISSN:2079-9292
2079-9292
DOI:10.3390/electronics12112549