Varian launches amorphous-silicon medical imaging

17 Jun 2002

Varian Associates (Palo Alto, CA) says its new amorphous-silicon-based medical imaging will increase x-ray imaging efficiency while decreasing costs. Unlike crystalline silicon in integrated circuits, amorphous silicon can be made into sensors large enough to use in diagnostic imaging. The technology was developed by Varian and the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center under a three-year Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency contract.

The new silicon imagers are compact, more portable (weighing about 10 lb), and replace both the conventional x-ray image intensifier, a 100-lb component for fluoroscopic imaging, and a TV camera. Dave Gillblom, Varian imaging products general manager, notes the amorphous silicon devices will be more stable and reliable because they use no high voltages, need fewer adjustments, and experience less degradation. Without electron optics, as in current image intensifiers, there is no geometric distortion or susceptibility to stray fields.
Courtesy of Laser Focus World