Digital color x-rays are based on the same advanced technology that is used when nuclear physicists look for new elementary particles. The great scientific challenge in constructing a color x-ray camera is to be able to shrink the large-scale detection equipment used by nuclear physicists to the microscopic format.

The readout electronics for each pixel in the cameras picture sensor must be squeezed into an area of 55 x 55 m, and whats more be x-ray safe. The Mid Sweden University researchers have solved these design problems. Furthermore, they have shown that Medipix2 can be used to reduce the radiation dosage in dental x-rays. Industry also expects to be able to use the technology to see the consistency of materials using x-rays.

"With our digital color x-rays it will be possible to cut the radiation risk in half for x-ray examinations," says Brje Norlin.

Using advanced computer simulations of the next generation of x-ray cameras, Mid Sweden University has also developed ways to enhance the quality of color x-rays.

These cameras will have higher resolution and be able to show more colors of higher quality.

In connection with these dissertations, CERN will be holding one of its quarterly meetings in Sundsvall, Sweden, to discuss the further development of color x-ray technology.

The dissertations are:

Xavier Llopart, Design and Characterization of 64K-Pixel Chips Working in Single Photon Processing Mode (Xavier Llopart is stationed at CERN in Geneva.)

Jan Lundgren, Simulating Behavioral Level On-Chip Noise Coupling

Brje Norlin, Characterization and Application of Photon Counting X-ray Detector Systems