Applied Scintillation Technologies Upgrades Measurement and QC Equipment for CsI Production Facility

Phosphor and scintillator detector specialist, Applied Scintillation Technologies (AST), has upgraded its measurement and quality assurance equipment for its caesium iodide (CsI) production facility with the addition of a new optical inspection microscope and a new camera system for X-ray inspection. Thallium-doped CsI has become an increasingly popular material for scintillator-based digital X-ray detectors in dental and medical applications. AST uses optimised co-evaporation coating technologies for the deposition of caesium iodide onto fibre optic faceplate (FOP) substrates. However, the product requires a high level of inspection to an exacting imaging specification.

This is achieved with the help of both optical and x-ray imaging tools. The optical inspection has been improved with the purchase of a Hawk 300 non-contact measuring microscope from Vision Engineering. The new microscope is being used to check the dimensions of this structure as well as inspecting for physical defects in the coating layer. The Hawk 300 is the first non-contact measuring microscope to offer the option of either video and/or optical measurement. It can be used for higher volume batch video inspection or measurement, or high accuracy optical measurements on individual components. The x-ray inspection has been improved by the installation of a new camera system within the existing semi-automated inspection facility.

AST Operations Director, Ray Hawkins, said: "As an ISO9001:2000 accredited company, we are always seeking ways of improving our quality procedures and verification of a quality product. The improved inspection capabilities offered by the new microscope augment our other in house performance checks for our flagship x-ray imaging products.