Apparatus and method for producing a sectional view of a body

Claim 2

In a method for producing a sectional view of a body in which the picture elements are derived from the absorption of ionizing rays going through the corresponding body element in a cross-sectional plane in different directions with the degree of absorption converted into electrical signals and the signals evaluated to develop outputs which are then provided to a display device, the improvement comprising: (a) irradiating the body of which a sectional view is to be produced with a fan shaped beam of radiation arranged to penetrate the body in the cross sectional plane to be examined; (b) disposing a vacuum image converter including a scintillator and photo-cathode behind the body as a receiver to detect the degree of absorption, said vacuum image converter including a plurality of detector units disposed side by side in the sectional plane to be measured in a polygonal form to approximate the arc of the circle, each detector unit comprising a plurality of space resolving semiconductor detectors formed on a common, thin semiconductor body; (c) accelerating the electrons in the vacuum; and (d) multiplying and converting the accelerated electrons into electrical signals in a space resolving manner using said semiconductor detectors.

Claim 3

In apparatus for producing a sectional view of a body in which picture elements are derived from the absorption of ionizing rays passing through the body elements in a cross-sectional plane in different directions and in which the absorption is converted into electrical signals which are electronically evaluated and the results of the evaluation provided to a display device, an improved arrangement for quickly and efficiently obtaining a plurality of electrical signals corresponding to individual picture elements with a small amount of radiation comprising: (a) means for generating a fan-shaped beam of radiation; and (b) an electronic vacuum image converter including: i. a scintillator and photocathode acting as a radiation receiver and releasing photoelectrons in response to incident radiation; ii. means to accelerate the photoelectrons eminating from said scintillator and photocathode in the vacuum within said image converter; and iii. a detector system comprising a plurality of detector units disposed side by side in the sectional plane to be measured in a polygonal form to approximate the arc of the circle, each detector unit comprising a thin semiconductor body having formed thereon a plurality of space resulting semiconductor detectors, for decellerating and multiplying said accelerated photoelectrons, the output of said semiconductors being the electrical signals which are to be electronically evaluated.

Claim 4

In apparatus for producing a sectional view of a body in which picture elements are derived from the absorption of ionizing rays passing through the body elements in a cross-sectional plane in different directions and in which the absorption is converted into electrical signals which are electronically evaluated and the results of the evaluation provided to a display device, an improved arrangement for quickly and efficiently obtaining a plurality of electrical signals corresponding to individual picture elements with a small amount of radiation comprising: (a) means for generating a fan-shaped beam of radiation; and (b) an electronic vacuum image converter including: i. a scintillator and photocathode acting as a radiation receiver and releasing photoelectrons in response to incident radiation; ii. means to accelerate the photoelectrons eminating from said scintillator and photocathode in the vacuum within said image converter; and iii. a detector system comprising a plurality of detector units disposed side by side in the sectional plane to be measured in a polygonal form to approximate the arc of the circle, each detector unit comprising a thin semiconductor body having formed thereon a plurality of space resulting semiconductor detectors, for decellerating and multiplying said accelerated photoelectrons, the output of said semiconductors being the electrical signals which are to be electronically evaluated.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said image converter is an electronic vacuum image converter having a scintillator for receiving the fan shaped beam of rays and a photo-cathode responsive thereto for producing electrons which are directed toward said detector system.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said semiconductor detector system comprises a plurality of semiconductor detectors each comprising: (a) a silicon semiconductor body; (b) a diffused barrier layer electrode on one side of said semiconductor body; and (c) an oxide layer covering the barrier between said diffused electrodes and said semiconductor body where it comes to the surface of said one side.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein a plurality of barrier layer electrodes are arranged side by side on a common silicon semiconductor body to form a detector unit and further including a common barrier free electrode on the opposite plane side of said silicon semiconductor body.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said detector system is made up of a plurality of detector units disposed in the sectional plane to be measured side by side.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said silicon semiconductor body is an n-conduction silicon semiconductor with a resistivity of between 3 and 300 ohm-cm.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said semiconductor body is a p-condition silicon semiconductor with a resistivity between 9 and 900 ohm-cm.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the depth of the space charge zone behind each of said barier layer electrodes is between 1 and 10 μm.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 4 and further including a protective layer over said oxide layer.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said barrier layer electrodes are made with different widths.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said detector system and vacuum image converter are arranged to reduce the image of the radiation electron optically at least one order of magnitude.