Detector Development
The development of detectors and detector systems, as well as the transfer of existing detector technology to medical physics, is an essential ingredient to establishing new imaging techniques or is necessary whenever existing medical imaging systems reach their performance limits.
We are developing detectors for ion range verification in particle therapy, for ion transmission imaging, for fast timing and high precision tracking and for characterization of laser-accelerated particle beams.
Besides research and development on micro-mesh based micropattern gaseous detectors (Micromegas), we are constructing and using scintillator based and Cherenkov detectors. Furthermore, we work with CMOS pixel detectors and semiconductor dosimeters for particle beam imaging and characterization.
Find more information on our ongoing detector research and development on the dedicated subpages:
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Our research on gaseous detectors is focused on micro-pattern gaseous detectors of the Micromegas type. These are planar tracking detectors, suitable for accurate particle position measurement with typical spatial resolutions of 60μm and better. Thanks to short ion-draft paths and fast signal generation mechanisms, these detectors are high-rate capable and reliably detect individual particles at hit rates of 10MHz/cm2 and above.
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Commercially available CMOS pixel and prototype semiconductor detectors are used for scientific applications like proton beam radiography, spatially resolved detection of ion beams and characterization of laser-accelerated particles. They are also the basis for custom scintillation based detector systems for ion energy spectrometry and single particle characterization of ions beams with future potential use in radiotherapy.
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The contrast information in an ion range imaging system can be determined from a measurement of the residual ion range behind the imaged object. We are working on the improvement of a small multi-layer scintillator based range detector.
In the context of the Compton-camera development we are evaluating different inorganic scintillator materials for the absorber component of the camera. We are also investigating Silicon Photomultiplier arrays as position sensitive light detectors.
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