The objective of this SBIR project is to rapidly discover advanced scintillators for applications in many medical imaging detectors, using an efficient combinatorial screening process. In Phase I, we have developed and demonstrated the feasibility on a set of novel combinatorial screening tools, to rapidly synthesize large collection of scintillators in miniature forms, which accurately reproduced the crystalline phases of many well-known scintillators. In Phase II project, the unique set of efficient scintillator R&D tools will be broadly applied to search for advanced Cerium activated heavy metal oxides and halides scintillators. With the set of combinatorial scintillator tools, at least 12,000 different oxides and halides scintillators will be synthesized and characterized in the 2 year project.
The specific aim i s to discover a new single crystal scintillator phase with superior luminosity, faster fluorescent decay time, and lower material cost than state-of-the-art medical detector scintillator, e.g. Lu2SiO5:Ce3+.
Scintillator is a key detector material being used in many major medical diagnosis systems, including radiography, mammography, angiography, cardiovascular and fluoroscopic imaging, computed tomography, single photon emission computed tomography, positron emission tomography, etc. The performance of these medical systems, to a large extent, depends on the properties of scintillators, for example, scintillators with higher luminosity results in more sensitive and accurate detection of diseases at early stages which could save lives. Advanced scintillators that will be discovered in the project will significantly improve many medical imaging detectors.
