Amorphous lead oxide (a-PbO) for direct conversion X-ray imaging detectors

Abstract

Modern medical imaging revolutionized the way that medical conditions are diagnosed. It became possible after significant advancements in science and technology related to the medical visualization field. X-ray imaging is one of the most commonly used modalities; it now relies on the digital Flat Panel X-ray Imagers (FPXIs) that can provide high-quality radiographs while benefiting from many advantages inherent to the digital detectors technology, including reduced radiation exposure and convenience of use. Although some FPXIs have already been commercialized, their application is very limited, and they do not exploit the full potential of this technology. Therefore, there is a niche that can only be filled through extensive research and development. The work carried out and presented in the dissertation contributes to this effort. In this work, an Amorphous Lead Oxide (a-PbO) photoconductor is investigated as a material of choice in the direct conversion digital FPXIs for various medical and industrial X-ray imaging applications, including general radiography, real-time fluoroscopy, digital breast tomosynthesis, and non-destructive testing. a-PbO is a recently developed material with high X-ray stopping power in a wide X-ray energy range and high theoretical X-ray–to–charge conversion efficiency. [...]