X-ray camera uses VLA CMOS sensors
JUNE 30, 2009--The portable SkiaGraph8 PT camera offers a rugged external housing for field use and supports x-ray energies of 10-160 kVp, appropriate for medical and veterinary applications as well as industrial inspection applications such as the nondestructive evaluation of up to 10 mm of steel or 25 mm of aluminum. The cameras build upon a tiled configuration of RadEye100 very large area (VLA) CMOS image sensors to achieve a total active sensing area of 8 x 8 in. (20 x 20 cm), which is sufficient to capture most objects of interest in a single frame yet small enough to maintain ease-of-use in setup and portability. Real-time imaging occurs at up to 1.4 frames/s (5.3 frames/s in binned mode). Pixel size is 96 µm (5 lp/mm spatial resolution), with more than 4 million pixels overall. A choice of scintillators provides sensitivity as high as 500 ADU/mR. A Gd2O2S (Gadox) integrated direct-contact scintillator converts x-ray photons into visible light that is sensed by the CMOS photodiodes.
Rad-icon Imaging
Santa Clara, CA, USA
www.rad-icon.com
-- Posted by Carrie Meadows, Vision Systems Design, www.vision-systems.com
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PRESS RELEASE
Rad-icon Introduces New Portable X-ray Camera
SkiaGraph8 PT camera offers an active area of 20 x 20 cm, 96µm pixel size, and 10-160kVp energy range ideal for medical/veterinary applications and non-destructive testing
Santa Clara, CA - Rad-icon Imaging Corporation, the leading provider of high-performance CMOS image sensors and cameras for the digital radiography market worldwide, today announced the general availability of the SkiaGraph8 PT, a new addition to its product line of Very Large Area (VLA) CMOS x-ray cameras. The portable SkiaGraph8 PT camera offers a rugged external housing for field use and supports x-ray energies of 10-160 kVp, which is ideal for medical and veterinary applications as well as industrial inspection applications such as the non-destructive evaluation of up to 10mm of steel or 25mm of aluminum. Consistent with the earlier products in Rad-icon's SkiaGraph product line, the new SkiaGraph8 PT features low power consumption and excellent DQE as well as lower noise, higher resolution, and higher sensitivity than competing devices in the market.
Digital radiography is the technology of choice for increasing efficiency and decreasing cost in a variety of applications. Radiologists and industrial inspectors have always faced challenges with the form factor, performance, and cost of their overall imaging solution. Traditional film-based imaging requires the recurring expense of purchasing film and storing the physical images, which quickly drains resources in a time of increased attention to streamlining the medical record-keeping process. For veterinary practitioners, portable imaging for field inspection is especially important in the timely diagnosis of race horses and for traveling veterinary practices. For government applications such as battlefield medicine and homeland security, portable yet powerful digital x-ray imaging solutions are key. CMOS x-ray cameras such as Rad-icon's SkiaGraph8 PT solve the issues of form factor, image output, and storage by delivering high performance, high sensitivity, and superior resolution in a compact form factor at a cost-efficient price.
"The SkiaGraph8 PT extends Rad-icon's product line of large-area, cost-effective digital imaging panels to applications where ease-of-use and portability are indispensable," said Thorsten Achterkirchen, General Manager of Rad-icon Imaging Corporation and Vice President of DALSA Corporation. "Our SkiaGraph8 PT delivers high ROI due to unlimited repeated images, fast setup for onsite inspection, and high quality digital x-ray images anywhere, anytime."
SkiaGraph8 PT cameras build upon a tiled configuration of Rad-icon's RadEye100 Very Large Area (VLA) CMOS image sensors to achieve a total active sensing area of 8" x 8" (20 x 20 cm), which is sufficient to capture most objects of interest in a single frame, yet small enough to maintain ease-of-use in setup and portability. Other features include:
- Unsurpassed x-ray sensitivity and 12-bit digitization for clear, sharp capture of subtle contrast changes in the x-ray image.
- Real-time imaging at up to 1.4 fps (5.3 fps in binned mode).
- 96µm pixel size (5 lp/mm spatial resolution) with over four million pixels overall for superb resolution that captures even the smallest image detail.
- 10-160kVp energy range is ideal for most medical/veterinary applications and enables non-destructive evaluation of up to 10mm of steel or 25mm of aluminum.
- Choice of scintillators that provide impressive sensitivity as high as 500 ADU/mR. A Gd2O2S (Gadox) integrated direct-contact scintillator converts x-ray photons into visible light that is sensed by the CMOS photodiodes.
- Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) interface connects to notebook PC and allows cable lengths up to 100m. Optional sync connector can be used to remotely trigger x-ray source.
- Light weight ( less than 4 kg), ruggedized construction and integrated carrying handle for a truly portable imaging solution.
The SkiaGraph8 PT incorporates a tough carbon-fiber cover with a stainless steel housing to protect the sensor from accidental damage as well as ambient light. Analog signals from the photodiode sensors are digitized in eight parallel A/D channels and then interleaved for maximum transmission speed across the GigE interface. Typical applications include veterinary imaging - especially equine breeders and horse racing facilities; mobile medical radiography for onsite use such as battlefields, remote locations, or nursing homes; non-destructive industrial inspection of pipes, welds, castings, electronics, ceramics, and composites; archaeology and comparative zoology; museum archival & research; and antiquity dealers.
About Rad-icon Imaging Corporation
Rad-icon Imaging Corporation is the leading provider of high-performance CMOS image sensors and cameras for the digital radiography market worldwide. Our products enable medical practitioners, industrial manufacturers, and scientific researchers to create superior image quality, high resolution, and large active area images based on our CMOS active pixel sensor (APS) technology. Rad-icon's products address diverse applications such as tissue biopsy, non-destructive testing, circuit board testing, and crystallography. Our customers are able to implement cost-effective and high-performance digital imaging solutions. Rad-icon Imaging Corporation is a division of DALSA Corporation and based in Santa Clara, CA with integration partners and distributors worldwide. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.rad-icon.com or call (408) 486-0886.
For more information, please contact us:
Rad-icon Imaging Corporation
3193 Belick Street, Unit 1
Santa Clara, CA 95054