TECHNOLOGY

The patented Terapede Systems 3D CMOS structure

The Terapede medical X-ray detector is the first fully integrated crystalline semiconductor ultra-high resolution device that includes a complete path of X-ray to digital image conversion. The patented Terapede Systems 3D CMOS structure imparts unique advantages in several areas. At each stage of X-ray image capture, some advantage such as no scintillator blur, extremely low electronic noise or greater sensitivity enables a superior diagnostic image at a lower dosage than all other solutions today.

We completely integrate the X-ray detector at the nano level which dramatically increases sensitivity by capturing over 90% of the X-rays that form the diagnostic image. The nano-integrated scintillator eliminates the cross talk that blurs all images taken with existing X-ray detectors. The increased sensitivity and reduced blur enable a much lower dosage protecting the patient and the surgeon.

Benefit of our technology

Pixel size is of great interest in the flat-panel detector design because of its potential impact on image quality. In the particular case of angiographic X-ray fluoroscopy, small pixels are required in order to adequately visualize interventional devices, during surgery, such as guide wires and stents which have wire diameters as small as 200 and 50 micron, respectively. High resolution is also important in applications such as mammography where microcalcifications on the order of tenths of a mm provide an early indication of cancer. However, improvement in spatial resolution comes at the expense of signal to noise ratio (SNR) and as SNR degrades so does image quality. At Terapede Systems we can build smaller pixels without degrading the SNR potentially revealing disease that cannot be seen today or enabling the implant of stents in the chest or smaller blood vessels of the brain. The diagram below illustrates the benefit of smaller pixels with the image on the right.