Jan 19 2008
The Medipix2 chip is a revolutionary photon counting X-ray detector, developed by the Medipix Collaboration. This project involves CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) and PANalytical as well as other leading research institutes including Nikhef, the National institute for subatomic physics in the Netherlands.
Medipix2 consists of a 300 μm silicon detector layer, which is attached to a pixel read-out chip with 256×256 55 μm square pixels. Medipix2 has applications ranging from materials analysis to medical imaging. Senior System Architect at PANalytical, Dr. Klaus Bethke, said: “PANalytical’s role in the Medipix2 Collaboration has been to transfer the technology from CERN and develop it into a product. With the introduction of the PIXcel detector we have reached this important milestone”.
The original aim of the Medipix2 collaboration was to develop the system for medical imaging, such as mammography and heart investigations. However, one of the many advantages of the Medipix technology is that it has a very broad industrial relevance, with applications ranging from cement to pharmaceuticals.
PANalytical’s PIXcel is designed for the most advanced X-ray diffraction applications. It delivers new levels of resolution and linearity and an unmatched dynamic range of 13 million counts per second per pixel row.
The company’s work in developing PIXcel was recognized earlier this year, when Dr. Bethke was awarded a gold medal at the 35th International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva, Switzerland. The jury awarded the prize for the pioneering work to develop the PIXcel detector and for the company’s overall contribution to the Medipix2 collaboration.