A method for correction of high rate inefficiencies of a single photon counting detector system and single photon counting detector system

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This invention introduces a method and system for improving the accuracy of single photon counting detectors, especially at high rates where traditional systems are prone to errors due to overlapping photon events. The core idea is to split the total exposure time into multiple short, fixed sub-exposure intervals, apply specific correction factors to each sub-interval's photon count, and sum these corrected counts to obtain a more precise total. This approach compensates for inefficiencies caused by high photon arrival rates, enabling reliable photon counting even when photon flux varies rapidly.

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• X-ray and gamma-ray imaging in scientific research, e.g., crystallography and material science
• Medical imaging (e.g., digital X-ray, CT scans) where high-precision photon detection is critical
• Industrial inspection systems for non-destructive testing using high flux radiation sources
• Nuclear and particle physics experiments requiring accurate photon or particle event counting at high rates
• Synchrotron and free electron laser facilities where sample intensity changes rapidly during exposure

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Improved counting accuracy at high photon rates by dynamically correcting inefficiency in short sub-intervals
• Ability to handle variable or rapidly changing photon intensities during exposure (better time-resolved accuracy)
• Reduced need for recalculating correction factors for each measurement, allowing for a standardized correction process
• Simplified data handling, with the potential for hardware-based (e.g., FPGA) real-time correction before transferring data, reducing overhead
• Enhanced image quality and quantitative measurement reliability in applications relying on precise photon counting

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Patent Abstract

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a method for correction of high rate inefficiencies of a single photon counting detector system and single photon counting detector system having this property in order be more precise in terms of photon counting. This objective is achieved according to the present invention by a method and a single photon counting pixel detector (chip or multi chip), comprising: a) a layer of photosensitive material; b) an N x M array of photo-detector diodes arranged in said layer of photosensitive material; each of said photo-detector diodes having a diode output interface; c) a N x M array of readout unit cells, one readout unit cell for each photo-detector diode; d) said readout unit cell comprising an input interface connected to said diode output interface, a high-gain charge to voltage amplifying means and a pixel counter being connected to an output of the high-gain voltage amplifying means, e) a calculation means for integrating the total number of incident photons over a predetermined total exposure time, wherein the total exposure time is split into sub-exposure intervals, wherein distinct rate corrections are applied to the sub-counts of the sub-exposure intervals and then the number of incident photons is calculated by summing the sub-counts which are individually corrected.