CdTe PhotonCounting Line SensorIn development
A sensor that applies the same direct-conversion photon counting technology as the CdTe PhotonCounting FPD to a line-shaped detection surface. It images objects while scanning them, and is used for inspections such as measuring pipe wall thickness without removing insulation.
Product Image
*Product image (3D model). Actual appearance may differ.
Specifications
This product is in development; specifications will be published once finalized.
Advantages of CdTe Direct Conversion
X-rays are converted directly into electric charge in CdTe semiconductor pixels, without first being converted into light. Compared with conventional scintillator-based X-ray sensors, this offers advantages in sensitivity, resolution and imaging speed alike.
High Sensitivity
Cadmium telluride (CdTe) semiconductor detectors image X-rays with far higher efficiency than conventional X-ray sensors. Because they can sufficiently absorb even X-ray photons above 100keV, combining them with X-ray sources at high accelerating voltages makes it possible to image thick metal products and other objects that were difficult to inspect with conventional X-ray inspection.
(Left) X-ray image from the CdTe line sensor / (Right) illustrative X-ray image from a conventional sensor
High Resolution
Scintillator-type X-ray detectors convert X-rays into light and then capture it with a camera, so light spreads during conversion and blurs the image. Direct-conversion CdTe detectors convert X-ray photons directly into charge within the pixel, producing sharper X-ray images.
Left: comparison of the scintillator method (left side) and the direct-conversion method (right side). Right: comparison of spatial resolution (MTF: Modulation Transfer Function). Yellow is CdTe; gray is the scintillator.
Video-Rate Imaging
Imaging at 500 frames per second or more. Also suited to high-speed inline inspection in shipping inspection processes.
Target Applications
Inline non-destructive testing, infrastructure inspection and industrial CT (computed tomography).
Inline inspection concept
Case Study: Wall-Thinning Inspection of Plant Piping
With the sensor mounted on a self-propelled robot, we are conducting repeated field trials on piping at operating plants. Remaining pipe wall thickness is measured directly while keeping insulation removal and scaffolding to a minimum.
| Pipe | True value | Measured value | Error rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pipe A | 3.82mm | 3.67mm | -3.9% |
| Pipe B | 4.4mm | 4.52mm | +2.7% |
| Pipe C | 4.75mm | 5.11mm | +7.6% |
Pipe wall thickness measurements from the field trial site. Measurement of thicknesses up to 7mm and detection of blockages inside pipes have also been verified.
Technical Details
Edge Measurement and Scatter Removal
The outer and inner edges of the pipe are determined from the intensity profile of the transmission image, and wall thickness is calculated from the difference. When X-rays pass through thick insulation and piping, scattered radiation reduces contrast, so accuracy is ensured by combining measurement with scatter removal processing.
ANSeeN Inc. / TEL: 053-522-7708 / Contact: https://anseen.com/contact/