# Semiconductor detector for low-dose, high-resolution dental DR imaging

> **NIH NIH R44** · RADIATION MONITORING DEVICES, INC. · 2024 · $854,588

## Abstract

Research & Related Other Project Information – Project Summary/Abstract
Dental caries is a persistent public health problem that impacts a large fraction of the US population. Nearly all
adults in the United States are considered at risk of developing tooth decay, and for children it is a common
chronic disease. Though widely and routinely used, there are always concerns about patient exposure to X-rays
during radiographic imaging – a concern especially heightened with children.
Radiation Monitoring Devices (RMD) proposes to develop an improved digital X-ray detector for dental
radiography that will retain all the benefits of a current digital technology, while improving sensitivity and
reducing patient dose. The device will involve the integration of two technologies - silicon based imaging arrays
and semiconductor x-ray conversion layers. The silicon capabilities are well understood, with CCD and CMOS
devices well established in dental imaging. The application of a semiconductor conversion layer is the more
innovative and challenging aspect of the concept.
RMD's innovation is to replace the commonly used CsI or amorphous selenium X-ray receptors with the
semiconductor thallium bromide (TlBr). TlBr will provide a much greater dose efficiency and higher image
contrast. The advantage to dental imaging is that dentists will get the high resolution images that they are
accustomed to, but now with a much lower dose to the patient.
During Phase I, RMD will develop the processes to fabricate high quality films of TlBr and compare the
technology to existing detector films to demonstrate the superiority of TlBr. The work plan will encompass film
deposition, investigation of compatible electrode layers to work in conjunction with the TlBr, identification and
mitigation strategies of technical challenges that arise, and completion of a wide range of electrical and physical
tests to gauge X-ray sensitivity and image quality. In Phase II RMD will optimize the processes, fabricate X-ray
imaging detectors on KA Imaging CMOS ROICs and fully characterize a complete detector system. The result of
this research will be a new digital radiography detector with comparable or better image quality and significantly
lower patient dose than currently used detectors.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10929529
- **Project number:** 5R44DE032290-03
- **Recipient organization:** RADIATION MONITORING DEVICES, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** JAMES F CHRISTIAN
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $854,588
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-09-16 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10929529

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10929529, Semiconductor detector for low-dose, high-resolution dental DR imaging (5R44DE032290-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10929529. Licensed CC0.

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