Flexible X-ray detectors (Flex-Ray)

X-ray analysis is important in many applications, such as medical technology, food safety, materials testing and particle physics.

Today, digital detectors are often used instead of traditional photographic films. But with digital detectors, which are rigid instead of flexible, it is difficult to make a detailed analysis of three-dimensional objects because the geometry is distorted when the measurement does not take place on the surface.

This project developed methods and systems to provide digital X-ray detectors that are flexible. A new type of scintillating optical fiber was combined with shape sensing systems, photomultipliers and ultra-fast electronics to create detector surfaces.

Experts in fiber optics, measurement technology and electronics participated from RISE. Our focus was on scintillating fiber arrays. 

RISE publications from the project

• "Flexible Liquid-Filled Scintillating Fibers for X-Ray Detection", M. Lindblom, M. Patzauer, U. Vogt, S. Wilbur, N. Safari Yazd, K. Hey Tow, W. Margulis, Å. Claesson, S-C. Ebenhag. IEEE SENSORS, Conference proceedings (Nov 2023) DOI. 
• "Flexible X-ray imaging detectors using scintillating fibers", S. Wilbur, C. Anastopoulos, M. Angelmahr, G. Asfis, J. Koch, M. Lindblom, K. Lohwasser, W. Margulis. Journal of Instrumentation, 17 (10) 2022. DOI.

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement 899634. The project runs within the 'Future emerging technologies' program.