JP2021165654A - Radiation detection device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a radiation detection device which can improve strength and moisture resistance as well.SOLUTION: A radiation detection device of the present embodiment includes: a radiation detection panel for detecting radiation; a supporting body for supporting the radiation detection panel; a housing which has an incident window facing the radiation detection panel and accommodates the radiation detection panel and the supporting body; and a sealing structure for sealing the radiation detection panel inside the housing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a radiation detector.

An X-ray detector is known as a radiation detector. The X-ray detector includes a scintillator layer that converts X-rays, which is a type of radiation, into visible light (fluorescence), and a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements that convert the light into electrical signals. The X-ray detection device detects X-rays transmitted through a human body or the like as two-dimensional image information, and outputs the image information to the outside as an electric signal.

In recent years, various types of X-ray detectors have been developed. For example, applications to the cardiovascular field and digestive system field that realize real-time moving images, and thinning and weight reduction of X-ray detectors are progressing. This makes it possible to carry the X-ray detector and replace it with a cassette (Cartridge) in which a film medium for capturing an X-ray image is incorporated.

For example, a technique of providing a cushioning material along the side wall of a housing including a detection panel or the like is known. Further, there is known a technique of providing an elastic member that absorbs an impact on the surface and side surfaces of a frame that holds a housing. Further, a technique for making the elastic member arranged on the side surface of the housing removable is also known.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-346788 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-6806 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-6424

Since the X-ray detector that can come into direct contact with the human body is thin and lightweight, it can be carried and used in a hospital room or outdoors. Such an X-ray detector is required to avoid damage due to an impact when dropped or a load from a human body. Further, although the scintillator layer is covered with a moisture-proof body in order to suppress deterioration due to moisture, it is required to suppress the infiltration of body fluid when it comes into contact with the human body.

An object of the present embodiment is to provide a radiation detection device capable of improving the strength and the moisture resistance.

The radiation detection device of this embodiment is
A radiation detection panel for detecting radiation, a support for supporting the radiation detection panel, an incident window facing the radiation detection panel, and a housing for accommodating the radiation detection panel and the support are provided. It has a sealing structure for sealing the radiation detection panel inside the housing.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a radiation detection device 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of the radiation detection panel 2 shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part A shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of the support 4 shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an example of the elastic member 20. FIG. 6 is an exploded view showing another example of the elastic member 20.

Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the disclosure is merely an example, and those skilled in the art can easily conceive of appropriate changes while maintaining the gist of the invention are naturally included in the scope of the present invention. Further, in order to clarify the description, the drawings may schematically represent the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part as compared with the actual embodiment, but this is merely an example, and the present invention is provided. It does not limit the interpretation. Further, in the present specification and each figure, components exhibiting the same or similar functions as those described above with respect to the above-mentioned figures may be designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate detailed description may be omitted as appropriate. ..

In the present embodiment, an X-ray detection device will be described as an example of the radiation detection device. The main components disclosed in the present embodiment can also be applied to a radiation detection device for detecting various types of radiation other than X-rays.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a radiation detection device 1 according to the present embodiment.
The radiation detection device 1 according to the present embodiment may be referred to as an X-ray image detector, an X-ray plane detector, or the like.

The radiation detection device 1 includes a radiation detection panel 2, a moisture-proof cover 3, a support 4, a drive circuit board 5, spacers 8A and 8B, a housing 9, and a flexible wiring board 10.

The radiation detection panel 2 is configured to detect X-rays, as will be described later, and includes a scintillator layer that converts X-rays into fluorescence. The moisture-proof cover 3 covers the scintillator layer 22 of the radiation detection panel 2. The moisture-proof cover 3 is formed of, for example, an aluminum alloy or the like.

The support 4 is formed in a flat plate shape and has an upper surface 4A for supporting the radiation detection panel 2 and a lower surface 4B on the opposite side of the upper surface 4A. The upper surface 4A is substantially flat. The radiation detection panel 2 is fixed to the upper surface 4A via an adhesive such as an adhesive sheet. Such a support 4 is formed by using, for example, an aluminum alloy, a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), or the like, and is necessary for stably holding the radiation detection panel 2. Has strength.

The aggregate of the radiation detection panel 2 and the moisture-proof cover 3 is formed by laminating thin members. Such aggregates are light and have low mechanical strength. By fixing the radiation detection panel 2 to the support 4, it is possible to suppress damage to the radiation detection panel 2 when vibration or impact is applied to the radiation detection device 1 from the outside.

The drive circuit board 5 is fixed to the lower surface 4B of the support 4 via a spacer 8A. By using the spacer 8A, even if the support 4 is made of metal, the electrical insulation distance from the support 4 to the drive circuit board 5 can be maintained. The radiation detection panel 2 and the drive circuit board 5 are connected via the flexible wiring board 10. The drive circuit board 5 electrically drives the radiation detection panel 2 and electrically processes the output signal from the radiation detection panel 2.

The housing 9 houses a radiation detection panel 2, a moisture-proof cover 3, a support 4, a drive circuit board 5, a flexible wiring board 10, and spacers 8A and 8B. The housing 9 includes a cover 30 and an incident window 31. The cover 30 includes a back cover 32 and a side cover 33. The incident window 31, the back cover 32, and the side cover 33 are formed of, for example, an aluminum alloy, a carbon fiber reinforced plastic, or the like. In particular, the incident window 31 is made of a material having a low X-ray absorption rate.

The back cover 32 is formed in a flat plate shape. The side cover 33 has a portion 33A fixed to the back cover 32 and a portion 33B facing the portion 33A and pressing the incident window 31. The side cover 33 is fixed to the back cover 32 by a screw 34 in the portion 33A. The integrated back cover 32 and side cover 33 form a cover 30, have a box shape, and have an opening on the incident side of X-rays. The incident window 31 is formed in a flat plate shape and is provided so as to close the opening of the cover 30. The incident window 31 faces the radiation detection panel 2 and the moisture-proof cover 3. The incident window 31 has a function of protecting the inside of the housing 9.

The drive circuit board 5 is fixed to the back cover 32 via the spacer 8B. By using the spacer 8B, even if the back cover 32 is made of metal, the electrical insulation distance from the back cover 32 to the drive circuit board 5 can be maintained. The back cover 32 supports the support 4 and the like via the drive circuit board 5 and the spacers 8A and 8B.

The radiation detection panel 2, the moisture-proof cover 3, the support 4, the drive circuit board 5, the spacers 8A and 8B, and the flexible wiring board 10 are inside the housing 9, that is, the incident window 31, the back cover 32, and the side. It is located in the space surrounded by the cover 33. Further, the radiation detection panel 2 and the moisture-proof cover 3 are located between the support 4 and the incident window 31, and the drive circuit board 5 is located between the support 4 and the back cover 32.

Further, the radiation detection device 1 has a sealing structure for sealing the radiation detection panel 2 inside the housing 9. Specifically, the radiation detection device 1 includes an elastic member 20 such as rubber that is elastically deformable and has low moisture permeability as a sealing structure. The elastic member 20 is provided along the side surface 4S of the support 4. As will be described later, the elastic member 20 is provided over the entire circumference of the side surface 4S. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the elastic member 20 is sandwiched between the incident window 31 and the side cover 33 and is elastically deformed. In particular, the elastic member 20 is sandwiched between the upper surface 4A of the support 4 and the lower surface 31B of the incident window 31, and is also sandwiched between the lower surface 4B of the support 4 and the side cover 33 (more strictly, the side cover). It is sandwiched between the portion 33A of 33 and the lower surface 4B) and elastically deformed. The elastic member 20 may be sandwiched between the incident window 31 and the back cover 32.

As a result, an airtight space 51 is formed inside surrounded by the elastic member 20. The space 51 has a space 51A surrounded by an incident window 31, a support 4, and an elastic member 20, and a space 51B surrounded by a back cover 32, a support 4, and an elastic member 20. There is. The radiation detection panel 2 and the moisture-proof cover 3 are arranged in the space 51A, and the drive circuit board 5 is arranged in the space 51B.
The space 51A and the space 51B communicate with each other through the through hole 4H formed in the support 4. The flexible wiring board 10 that connects the radiation detection panel 2 and the drive circuit board 5 is bent, passes through the through hole 4H between the radiation detection panel 2 and the elastic member 20, and is provided over the space 51A and the space 51B. ing.

Further, an airtight space 52 is formed between the side cover 33 and the elastic member 20. This space 52 is formed along the entire circumference of the side surface 4S. The space 51 and the space 52 are partitioned by an elastic member 20.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of the radiation detection panel 2 shown in FIG.
The radiation detection panel 2 includes a photoelectric conversion substrate 21 and a scintillator layer 22. The photoelectric conversion substrate 21 is formed based on an insulating substrate such as a glass substrate. The photoelectric conversion substrate 21 includes a plurality of photodetectors 28 two-dimensionally formed on the insulating substrate, a gate line GL formed along the row direction, and a signal line SL formed along the column direction. , Is equipped. The photodetector 28 includes a switching element 26 and a photosensor 27. The switching element 26 is composed of, for example, a thin film transistor. The photosensor 27 is composed of, for example, a photodiode. The switching element 26 and the photosensor 27 are formed of, for example, a-Si (amorphous silicon) as a base material.

The gate line GL is electrically connected to the gate electrode of the switching element 26 in the same row. The signal line SL is electrically connected to the source electrode of the switching element 26 in the same row. The photosensor 27 is electrically connected to the drain electrode of the switching element 26.

The scintillator layer 22 is formed directly on the photoelectric conversion substrate 21. The scintillator layer 22 is located on the incident side of the X-ray of the photoelectric conversion substrate 21. The scintillator layer 22 is formed, for example, by depositing a scintillator material on the photoelectric conversion substrate 21. As the scintillator material, for example, a material containing cesium iodide (CsI) as a main component can be used.

The radiation (X-rays) transmitted through the incident window 31 shown by the dotted line in the figure is converted into fluorescence which is visible light by the scintillator layer 22. The fluorescence converted by the scintillator layer 22 is received by the photosensor 27 and converted into an electric signal. The electric signal converted by the photo sensor 27 is output to the outside via the flexible wiring board 10. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the flexible wiring board 10 is connected to the two sides of the photoelectric conversion board 21, but may be connected to the four sides of the photoelectric conversion board 21.

According to the radiation detection device 1 according to the present embodiment, the strength of the radiation detection device 1 can be improved by providing the elastic member 20 over the entire circumference of the side surface 4S of the support 4. .. As a result, the impact applied when the radiation detection device 1 is dropped or the like is absorbed, and damage to the radiation detection panel 2 can be suppressed.

Further, since the radiation detection panel 2 is sealed inside the housing 9, the moisture resistance can be improved. In particular, the upper surface 31A of the incident window 31 may come into contact with the human body and may be exposed to moisture such as body fluid. Since the inside of the housing 9 is sealed by the elastic member 20 having low moisture permeability, it is possible to suppress the infiltration of moisture into the space 51 in which the radiation detection panel 2 is arranged.

Further, the space 52 surrounded by the elastic member 20 and the side cover 33 is separated from the space 51 in which the radiation detection panel 2 is arranged by the elastic member 20. Therefore, even if water infiltrates through the gap between the incident window 31 and the portion 33B of the side cover 33, it is possible to suppress the infiltration of water into the space 51.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part A shown in FIG.
While the lower surface 31B of the incident window 31 is a flat surface, a step is formed on the upper surface 31A side of the incident window 31. That is, the incident window 31 has a thin-walled portion 311 along the entire peripheral edge and a thick-walled portion 312 surrounded by the thin-walled portion 311. The thickness of the thin portion 311 is smaller than the thickness of the thick portion 312.

The thin-walled portion 311 is sandwiched between the side cover 33 and the elastic member 20 (more strictly, between the portion 33B of the side cover 33 and the elastic member 20). The lower surface 31B of the incident window 31 extends over the thin portion 311 and the thick portion 312. That is, in the thin portion 311 the lower surface 31B is in contact with the elastic member 20. The upper surface 31A is located at the thick portion 312 and does not extend to the thin portion 311. In the thin portion 311 the contact surface 31C with the side cover 33 forms a step with the upper surface 31A.

The incident window 31 has a through hole 31H that penetrates the thin portion 311. The side cover 33 has a protrusion 33P protruding downward in the portion 33B. The shape of the protrusion 33P is not limited to the example shown in FIG. The protrusion 33P fits into the through hole 31H. As a result, the side cover 33 or the cover 30 and the incident window 31 can be positioned.

Further, the through hole 31H of the incident window 31 is closed by the elastic member 20. Therefore, the airtightness of the space 51 is ensured. As a result, even if water infiltrates through the gap between the incident window 31 and the portion 33B of the side cover 33, it is possible to suppress the infiltration of water into the space 51.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of the support 4 shown in FIG.
The support 4 has through holes 4H on each of the two sides so that the two flexible wiring boards 10 shown in FIG. 2 can pass through. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the through hole 4H is formed as a recess recessed from the side surface 4S toward the central portion of the support 4 (or the arrangement region 2A of the radiation detection panel 2 shown by the dotted line) in a plan view. ing. The through hole 4H does not overlap the arrangement region 2A of the radiation detection panel 2.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an example of the elastic member 20.
The elastic member 20 is formed in a continuous annular shape surrounding the side surface 4S of the support 4. The elastic member 20 is arranged without blocking the through hole 4H. The flexible wiring board 10 passes through the through hole 4H between the radiation detection panel 2 and the elastic member 20 and extends to the back surface side of the support 4.

As described above, from the viewpoint of improving the strength and waterproofness of the radiation detection device 1 or ensuring the airtightness of the space 51 in which the radiation detection panel 2 is arranged, the elastic member 20 is provided on the entire circumference of the support 4. On the other hand, the front side of the support 4, that is, the space 51A in which the radiation detection panel 2 is arranged, and the back side of the support 4, that is, the space 51B in which the drive circuit board 5 is arranged are through holes 4H. It is communicated through. As a result, the flexible wiring board 10 is provided over the space 51A and the space 51B, and the radiation detection panel 2 and the drive circuit board 5 can be electrically and mechanically connected to each other.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view showing another example of the elastic member 20.
The example shown in FIG. 6 is different from the example shown in FIG. 5 in that the elastic member 20 has a plurality of segments 201 to 204. That is, the side surface 4S of the support 4 is formed along a plurality of sides. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the side surface 4S is formed along four sides. Each of the four segments 201 to 204 is formed in a straight line and is provided on each of the four sides of the support 4.
In the example shown in FIG. 6, the same effect as the above example can be obtained.

According to the present embodiment described above, it is possible to provide a radiation detection device capable of improving the strength and the moisture resistance.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment itself, and at the stage of its implementation, the components can be modified and embodied within a range that does not deviate from the gist thereof. In addition, various inventions can be formed by an appropriate combination of the plurality of components disclosed in the above-described embodiment. For example, some components may be removed from all the components shown in the embodiments. In addition, components from different embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

1 ... Radiation detection device 2 ... Radiation detection panel 4 ... Support 4S ... Side surface 4H ... Through hole 5 ... Drive circuit board 9 ... Housing 10 ... Flexible wiring board 20 ... Elastic member 21 ... Photoelectric conversion board 22 ... Scintillator layer 31 ... Incident window 311 ... Thin-walled part 312 ... Thick-walled part 31H ... Through hole 32 ... Back cover 33 ... Side cover

Claims (10)

A radiation detection panel that detects radiation and
A support that supports the radiation detection panel and
It is provided with an incident window facing the radiation detection panel, and includes the radiation detection panel and a housing for accommodating the support.
A radiation detection device having a sealing structure for sealing the radiation detection panel inside the housing. The radiation detection device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing structure includes an elastic member provided over the entire circumference of a side surface of the support. The radiation detection device according to claim 2, wherein the elastic member is sandwiched between the upper surface of the support and the lower surface of the incident window. The housing further includes a back cover and a side cover.
The radiation detection device according to claim 3, wherein the elastic member is sandwiched between the incident window and the side cover. Further, a drive circuit board located between the back cover and the support and driving the radiation detection panel,
A flexible wiring board for connecting the radiation detection panel and the drive circuit board is provided.
The radiation detection device according to claim 4, wherein the support has a through hole through which the flexible wiring board is passed between the elastic member and the radiation detection panel. The radiation detection device according to claim 4, wherein an airtight space is formed between the side cover and the elastic member. The incident window has a thin portion over the entire peripheral edge, and has a thin wall portion.
The radiation detection device according to claim 4, wherein the thin portion is sandwiched between the side cover and the elastic member. The incident window has a through hole penetrating the thin wall portion.
The side cover has a protrusion that fits into the through hole.
The radiation detection device according to claim 7, wherein the elastic member closes the through hole. The radiation detection device according to claim 2, wherein the elastic member is formed in a continuous annular shape surrounding the side surface of the support. The side surface of the support is formed along a plurality of sides and is formed.
The elastic member has a plurality of segments and has a plurality of segments.
The radiation detection device according to claim 2, wherein each of the segments is formed in a straight line and is provided on each side of the support.

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