Euromedim 2006 :1st European Conference on Molecular Imaging Technology

Crystal growth and potential utilisation of single crystal fibers in medical imaging devices

10 May 2006, 14:00

1h

Palais du Pharo, Marseille

poster • Conversion materials and photodetectors Poster session : detection modules and electronics

Speaker

Mr benoit hautefeuille (Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie des Matériaux Luminescents (LPCML) UMR 5620, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Domaine scientifique de la Doua, 69 622 Villeurbanne, France)

Description

Single crystal fibers have become a research attraction in terms of both their fundamental and technological originality for various applications, such as lasers, non linear optics or scintillators. We will expose the growth of scintillating fibers using the micro pulling down technology. This technology allows the growth of single crystal fibers with diameter ranging from 0.5 to 3 mm and with length up to 1 meter. These shape characteristics are difficult to carry out with traditional machining of bulk crystals. Fibers of standard inorganic scintillators crystals have already been grown with this pulling method. We present here the progress of the growth of YAG:Ce, BGO and LYSO:Ce fibers. Our crystals are analyzed in terms of crystal structure, crystallinity and dopant uniformity. Optical and scintillation properties are studied as well and will be presented and compared with that of bulk single crystals. Light propagation through the fibers will also be discussed, since it is a pertinent parameter in fiber based scintillation devices. Last, we will try to show out how such materials can find application in medical imaging devices.