Project: A photon-tracing detector with ultra-high resolution

The central component of the photon-counting spectral computed tomography technology is a newly developed photon-counting silicon detector. Already the version of the detector that is currently being evaluated in a computer tomograph means a great improvement compared to previously used detector types, but it’s only a first step towards the full potential of silicon detector technology. In this project, which is a collaboration with Linköping University, we develop a new detector version with micrometer resolution and the ability to not only count but also track the photons as they move in the detector. In addition to significantly higher resolution, this detector technology can provide lower noise and better sensitivity to the spectral composition of X-rays. A potential application is also the ability to take images with phase contrast in an efficient way, an imaging technique that can provide new types of information about imaged tissues.