H01J40/14

LIGHT DETECTION SYSTEM AND DISCHARGE PROBABILITY CALCULATING METHOD
20210255283 · 2021-08-19 · ·

To calculate a probability of an optical sensor's irregular discharge, a light detection system includes an optical sensor, an application voltage generating circuit that applies a drive pulse voltage to the optical sensor, a discharge determining portion that detects the optical sensor's discharge, a discharge probability calculating portion that calculates a discharge probability in a first state in which light from an additional light source having a known light quantity is incident on the optical sensor or the additional light source is turned off, and in a second state in which the additional light source's turning-on/turning-off state is different from the first state and the drive pulse voltage's pulse width is the same as the first state, a sensitivity parameter storing portion that stores the optical sensor's sensitivity parameters, and another discharge probability calculating portion that calculates a discharge probability of the optical sensor's irregular discharge.

Electronic device having large dynamic range for image sensing
10893225 · 2021-01-12 · ·

An electronic device includes a first sensing module and a first threshold voltage generation module. The first sensing module includes a first sensing transistor having a first gate, a second gate and a semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer of the first sensing transistor is disposed between the first gate and the second gate of the first sensing transistor. The first gate of the first sensing transistor is coupled to a top gate line. The first threshold voltage generation module includes a node coupled to the second gate of the first sensing transistor, and is used to provide a first threshold voltage in a dark state to the node of the first threshold voltage generation module.

Self-calibrating optical detector
10876966 · 2020-12-29 · ·

The present disclosure includes systems and methods for calibration of an optical sensor package, including setting an initial detection threshold of a detector, gradually increasing a power level of a signal generator that is in communication with a detector to cause a detected power at the detector to exceed the initial detection threshold, storing in a memory a first power level of the signal generator at which the detected power at the detector exceeds the initial detection threshold, and adjusting the initial detection threshold of the detector to an adjusted detection threshold to include a detection buffer amount within the adjusted detection threshold.

Spectrometer and spectrum measurement method thereof

A spectrometer and a spectrum measurement method thereof are provided. An analog-to-digital converter converts an amplified signal into a digital signal according to a reference voltage provided by a variable reference voltage generation circuit and amplifies the digital signal according to a target signal value, thereby approximating a signal value of the amplified digital signal to the target signal value. A control circuit outputs a spectral signal according to the amplified digital signal. A user can obtain spectrum measurement results that can be easily interpreted by the spectrometer and the spectrum measurement method thereof, without changing hardware or software, so as to improve convenience of use of the spectrometer.

Focus scanning apparatus recording color

Disclosed are a scanner system and a method for recording surface geometry and surface color of an object where both surface geometry information and surface color information for a block of the image sensor pixels at least partly from one 2D image recorded by the color image sensor. A particular application is within dentistry, particularly for intraoral scanning.

Apparatus comprising a semiconductor-based photomultiplier and method regarding gain stabilization

Apparatuses and methods as described herein can be used to help stabilize the gain of a semiconductor-based photomultiplier. In an embodiment, an apparatus can include a semiconductor-based photomultiplier. The apparatus can be configured to inject a first input pulse into the semiconductor-based photomultiplier; determine a revised bias voltage for the semiconductor-based photomultiplier based at least in part on a first output pulse corresponding to the first input pulse and a second output pulse from the semiconductor-based photomultiplier that is obtained at another time as compared to the first output pulse; and adjust a bias voltage for the semiconductor-based photomultiplier to the revised bias voltage. A calibration light source, a temperature sensor, and temperature information are not required to be used for the method.

Image intensifier bloom mitigation

Image intensifiers may include a photocathode that emits photoelectrons in proportion to the rate photons impact the photocathode. The photoelectrons are multiplied using a microchannel plate that includes a plurality of microchannels. Photoelectrons are scattered by the microchannel plate when the photoelectrons strike the surface of the microchannel plate rather than enter one of the microchannels. Electron scatter within an image intensifier results in a halo or bloom around bright or luminous objects. Halo or bloom may be minimized by reducing the electron scatter within the image intensifier. Deposition of an anti-scattering layer on the surface of the microchannel plate within the image intensifier can absorb photoelectrons that fail to enter a microchannel and may thus reduce the incidence of halo or bloom.

SPAD array with gated histogram construction

A sensing device includes a first array of sensing elements, which output a signal indicative of a time of incidence of a single photon on the sensing element. A second array of processing circuits are coupled respectively to the sensing elements and comprise a gating generator, which variably sets a start time of the gating interval for each sensing element within each acquisition period, and a memory, which records the time of incidence of the single photon on each sensing element in each acquisition period. A controller controls the gating generator during a first sequence of the acquisition periods so as to sweep the gating interval over the acquisition periods and to identify a respective detection window for the sensing element, and during a second sequence of the acquisition periods, to fix the gating interval for each sensing element to coincide with the respective detection window.

Readout electronics architecture with improved timing resolution

A multichannel ASIC for interfacing with an array of photodetectors in a PET imaging system includes a front-end circuit configured to be coupled to the array of photodetectors and to receive analog signals therefrom. The ASIC includes a time discriminating circuit including a low input impedance amplifier configured to be coupled to the array of photodetectors and to receive a signal summing the analog signals from the array of photodetectors and to generate a hit signal for timing pickoff based on the signal. The ASIC includes an energy circuit operably coupled to the front-end circuit and configured to generate a summed energy output signal based on each of the analog signals and summed positional output signal based on each of the analog signals.

Readout electronics architecture with improved timing resolution

A multichannel ASIC for interfacing with an array of photodetectors in a PET imaging system includes a front-end circuit configured to be coupled to the array of photodetectors and to receive analog signals therefrom. The ASIC includes a time discriminating circuit including a low input impedance amplifier configured to be coupled to the array of photodetectors and to receive a signal summing the analog signals from the array of photodetectors and to generate a hit signal for timing pickoff based on the signal. The ASIC includes an energy circuit operably coupled to the front-end circuit and configured to generate a summed energy output signal based on each of the analog signals and summed positional output signal based on each of the analog signals.