MINIPIX TPX3 - new detector with Timepix3 chip for particle tracking, spectral imaging and time-of-flight measurements.

Abstract

The MINIPIXTPX3 is miniaturized and low power radiation camera with particle tracking and imaging detector Timepix3 (256 x 256 square pixels with pitch of 55 μm). The MINIPIXTPX3 chip is equipped with semiconductor sensor (standardly 300 μm thick silicon).

The Timepix3 detector is position, energy and time sensitive: For each ionizing particle (e.g. X-ray photon) it digitally registers its position, energy, time of arrival and track shape - basically all information you can want. The other measures can be often calculated from the track shape (particle type, direction of flight, LET, charge …). The information on each detected particle is either read-out immediately (pixel mode) at maximal rate of 2.3 million hit pixels per second or accumulated in pair of images (frame mode) and read-out later at maximal speed of 16 frames per second.

The typical applications of MINIPIXTPX3:
• Spectral X-ray imaging: X-ray fluorescence imaging, X-ray radiography (low flux)
• Energy dispersive XRD, SAXS or WAXS: Monochromatic X-ray source is NOT needed! Even high energy for thick samples is possible (e.g. 100 keV)!
• Spectral gamma ray imaging: scintigraphy or SPECT, radiography with isotopes.
• Radiation monitor1: particle type sorting, spectroscopy, directional sensitivity …
• Gamma camera: special shielded box and collimators available.
• Compton camera: special software module available for image reconstruction.

The MINIPIXTPX3 device is controlled via USB2.0 interface with standard µUSB connector. All major operating systems are supported (MS Windows, Mac OS and LINUX). The complex software PIXET PRO used for detector operation is provided for free. Extra software modules are available for special functions (e.g. coded aperture image reconstruction, Compton camera image and spectrum reconstruction, radiation field decomposition, networking of many devices …).