USPTO issues patent to Positron’s solid state sensors

Positron Corporation announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has awarded the Company a patent (U.S. No. 8,269,181) for its original semiconductor detector used in high precision measuring of coordinates and detection of ionization particles.  The technology and patent issuance was achieved through collaboration with Dr. Valeri Saveliev of DESY in Hamburg, Germany. Dr. Saveliev's expertise in avalanche pixel sensors and related methods were instrumental in the development of the solid state technology.

The detector structure has two collinear layers of avalanche microcells with high internal amplification and is capable of detecting low energy ionization particles by overcoming a fundamental limitation of the precision coordinate measuring of ionization particles–multiple scattering in material. The detector is not sensitive to photons and completely eliminates the dark rate as background.

Due to a high signal to noise ratio, the detection and coordinate measuring can be achieved on a chip without special on-chip readout electronics and/or additional external electronics, which can significantly reduce the cost of the detection or imaging equipment. The detector is small, robust, and operates at an extremely low voltage.

The detector has a number of potential applications in medical imaging, radiotherapy (photon therapy, electron therapy, hadron therapy), homeland security, experimental physics, and Auger electrons dosimeters.

"Positron's patented technology makes it possible to provide radiotherapy systems at a lower cost with an increased precision of treatment, thus limiting the damage to normal tissue.  This technology will also provide a less expensive, much smaller detector, with an increased capability to localize the source(s) of ionizing radiation, for Homeland Security. This technology may be very valuable in the future for Positron as we continue to add value to our product portfolio.  Positron is proud to have shared in this collaboration and to be associated with such a highly respected scientist as Dr. Saveliev," stated Patrick Rooney , Positron's chief executive officer.