Scintillation crystal with reflection inhibiting material and scintillation device embodying the crystal

Claim 2

The assembly of claim 1 wherein the juncture is intermediate planes of said input and output faces.

Claim 3

The assembly of claim 1 wherein the juncture is co-planar with said input face.

Claim 4

A scintillation camera comprising: a. radiation delineating means; b. a scintillator for producing a light output in response to radiatioN stimuli; c. light responsive means to receive the spatial light scintillations from said scintillator and to produce an output representative of the spatial light scintillations emitted by said scintillator and received by said light responsive means; d. said scintillator being positioned between said radiation delineating means and said light responsive means; e. said scintillator having a peripheral light absorbent region for absorbing at least a portion of the scintillator light transmitted into the peripheral region and for inhibiting the reflection of light from the periphery of the scintillator back into the main imaging portion of the scintillator; and, f. said light absorbent region including a wedge-shaped peripheral surface portion formed integrally with said scintillator.

Claim 5

The scintillation camera of claim 5 wherein said light absorbent region further includes a layer of light absorbing material in contact with said peripheral surface.

Claim 6

The scintillation camera of claim 6 wherein said layer of light absorbing material is adhered to said peripheral surface.

Claim 7

The scintillation camera of claim 7 wherein said light absorbing material comprises a black coating.

Claim 8

A scintillation camera comprising: a. a housing; b. a collimator connected to said housing; c. a scintillation crystal assembly including a disc-like crystal carried by said housing near said collimator; d. an array of phototubes positioned in said housing to receive light from said crystal and to emit electric signals in response to light received from said crystal when a scintillation occurs in said crystal; e. said assembly being interposed between said collimator and said array of phototubes; f. said crystal including a main imaging portion, a circumferential peripheral portion around said main imaging portion, an input face and an output face; g. said peripheral portion including a peripheral surface joining said input and output faces; h. said peripheral surface including at least two surfaces, at least one of which is oblique to said input and output faces; and i. said assembly further including a light absorbing means disposed around said crystal and contiguous with said peripheral surface.

Claim 9

The scintillation camera of claim 9 wherein said light absorbing means includes a layer of light absorbing material adhered to said peripheral surface.

Claim 10

The scintillation camera of claim 10 wherein said light absorbing material comprises a black coating.

Claim 11

The scintillation camera of claim 9 wherein said peripheral portion is wedge-shaped.

Claim 12

In a scintillation camera of the type having a radiation delineating means, a light responsive means for receiving spatial light scintillations and for producing an output signal representative of the spatial light scintillations received, and a scintillation means interposed between the radiation delineating means and the light responsive means for producing spatial light scintillations in response to radiation stimuli, the improvement of a scintillation means comprising: a. a substantially planar scintillation crystal having an input face, an output face and a peripheral surface connecting said input face and said output face; b. light absorbent means disposed around the periphery of the crystal and contiguous with the peripheral surface for absorbing at least a portion of the scintillator light in the peripheral region of the crystal and for inhibiting the reflection of light from the periphery of the crystal into the main imaging portion of the crystal.

Claim 13

The scintillation camera of claim 13 wherein said light absorbent means comprises a layer of light absorbent material adhered to the peripheral surface of the crystal.

Claim 14

The scintillation camera of claim 14 wherein the layer of light absorbent material comprises a coating which is deposited on the peripheral surface.

Claim 15

The scintillation camera of claim 13 wherein the peripheral Surface includes at least first and second surfaces, at least one of which is oblique to the input and output faces of the crystal.

Claim 16

The scintillation camera of claim 16 wherein said light absorbent means includes a layer of light absorbent material adhered to at least one of said first and second surfaces.

Claim 17

The scintillation camera of claim 16 wherein said light absorbent means includes a layer of light absorbent material adhered to both of said first and second surfaces.

Claim 18

The scintillation camera of claim 16 wherein said light absorbent material comprises a coating deposited on said at least one surface.