In Products > Medical Equipment > X-Ray Image Sensor
Accelerating the Digitization of Medical Imaging
X-Ray Image Sensor
With conventional diagnostic X-ray imaging systems, X-rays passing through the patient's body are absorbed by a scintillator, and light from the scintillator is projected onto a film that records an image. The LANMIT (Large Area New MIS Sensor and TFT) X-ray image sensor developed by Canon is made up of a scintillator on top of a photosensor. X-rays passing through the patient are converted into visible light by the scintillator layer, which is then directly read by the photosensor. The X-ray image appears on the monitor a mere three seconds after X-ray exposure and the system does away with the need for development. The image sensor significantly increases the speed and efficiency of X-ray procedures compared with conventional film-based X-ray systems and systems based on laser-scanning technology.
The most difficult challenge in the development of the X-ray image sensor was noise. The problem was eventually solved by developing a low-noise IC, signal processing circuits, and power supplies, which made possible an image sensor with a 43 cm x 43 cm imaging area — the largest in the world for such a sensor — that realizes 7.2-megapixel resolution.
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After passing through a human body or an object, X-rays are absorbed by a scintillator and converted into light. Because the energy of X-rays is much higher than that of visible light, light is amplified by a multiple of approximately one thousand. This light is converted into an electrical signal by the sensor cell, and the image data is obtained by turning the switch element (TFT) on. |
Cross Section of LANMIT
After launching the world's first X-ray digital radiography system in 1998, Canon launched upright and bucky-type digital X-ray systems and, in 2001, a portable model. In 2003, the company introduced a lighter and smaller upright, horizontal-bed-type model that uses lower X-ray doses, as well as a portable model that allows shots with broader fields of view, thereby covering nearly the entire range of ordinary radiography. Canon digital radiography systems do not only display Xray images on the operator's monitor, but also transmit images to workstations, printers, and archives, allowing information to be shared within the hospital via a network, and transmitted outside the hospital. Supporting off-site diagnoses and emergency care, the systems are ideally suited to the diversifying needs of medical care today.
Structure of Portable Type CXDI-50G
