Giant light extraction enhancement of medical imaging scintillation materials using biologically inspired integrated nanostructures

We have utilized biologically inspired (bio-inspired), moth-eye nanostructures and further improved this biomimetic structure to enhance the scintillator materials external quantum efficiency significantly. As a proof of concept, we have demonstrated very high light output efficiency enhancement for Lu2SiO5:Ce3+ (LSO:Ce) film in large area, the X-ray mammographic instrument was employed to demonstrate the light output enhancement of the Lu2SiO5:Ce thin film with biologically inspired (bio-inspired) moth-eye-like nanophotonic structures. Our work could be extended to other thin film scintillator materials and is promising to achieve lower patient dose, higher resolution images of human organs and even smaller scale medical imaging. (c) 2012 Optical Society of America