Silveray specialise in and develop affordable large-area direct conversion detectors for the X-ray imaging market

Digital X-ray Film (DXF)

Silveray’s semi-disposable DXF has the potential to replace radiographic film and CR plates as a more efficient method for X-ray inspection of pipes. DXF uses Silveray’s patented X-ray sensitive semiconductor ink (NPX) to make a thin and flexible direct conversion digital X-ray detector. This detector is connected to a remote read-out box or laptop via a USB-C connection that collects and processes the data from the detector to produce an instantaneous digital image.

Silveray’s proprietary technology is revolutionising the X-ray imaging market

DXF Applications

DXF detectors are designed to be flexible enough to make them suitable for the X-ray or Gamma ray inspection of almost any curved surface or pipe. These detectors are less than 1mm thick allowing them to be used in space constraint areas, traditionally not accessible with digital X-ray detectors.
Interior of engine spaces on modern advanced technology vessel - dynamic positioning ship

Watercraft

Watercraft in all shapes and sizes have thousands of pipes and welds that have to undergo NDT inspection for weld integrity, corrosion and erosion. DXF detectors can be wrapped around these pipes, even in the most confined spaces to allow for fast and accurate X-ray/Gamma ray inspection.
Large aircraft engine close-up.

Aerospace

In this industry, composite materials allow for more complex and exciting shaped parts to be manufactured. DXF is flexible enough to conform to these curved and complex shapes and even squeeze between turbine blades for in-situ NDT inspection.
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Energy

The Energy sector has millions of miles of pipes for oil, gas, steam and various other chemicals. DXF offers an efficient alternative to film and CR plates for the X-ray/Gamma ray inspection of these pipes for welding defects, corrosion or erosion.
Patient,Radiation,Therapy,Mask,Showing,Laser,Lines,For,Targeting,Cancer

Dosimetry

DXF offers an exciting opportunity to make a soft flexible skull cap that can be worn by patients during radiotherapy treatment to monitor and adjust the treatment plan during treatment. In addition, DXF can be used for beam and treatment plan calibration before treatment commences.

About Silveray

Our vision is to develop affordable large-area direct conversion detectors for the X-ray imaging market.

Our core technology is an X-ray sensitive semi-conductor ink called NPX®, which allows us to create large-area direct conversion X-ray and gamma ray detectors. These detectors can be made very thin and flexible to work over a large range of X-ray and gamma ray energies.

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Technology


Our core technology offers high X-ray imaging performance at a sustainable cost point. The novelty lies in our nanoparticle-based X-ray conversion material which is produced as a semiconductor ink, then deposited onto a pixel backplane. Incoming X-rays are attenuated within the material and directly generate charge carriers, which are then transported to the underlying pixel array where they produce an electrical current response according to the energy of the detected X-ray photon.

High performance

The high X-ray imaging performance comes from the direct conversion capability of the material. Most traditional X-ray detectors use indirect conversion, which trades off resolution (how much detail you can see in an image) against dose efficiency (how many X-rays are needed to create a useable image). Direct conversion detectors are now accepted in the market for delivering best-in-class X-ray image sharpness, higher throughput for in-line inspection, and low dose performance for medical. However, these direct conversion detectors come at a significant cost premium due to their high material & processing costs.

Excellent from low to high X-ray energies

As the nanoparticles that are used to block the incoming X-ray photons are selected to have a high X-ray attenuation (with a high atomic number ‘Z’ in the periodic table of elements), our material is particularly well suited to the inspection of challenging industrial products. Where thick objects (such as steel) need to be inspected at higher X-ray energies to ensure that the X-rays can penetrate the object under test, our material offers a new alternative for non-destructive testing (NDT).

Lower cost

Our X-ray conversion material is based on a semiconductor ink and is therefore printable using common coating techniques. This enables significantly lower production costs compared to other conversion materials (for example CdTe, CZT, and even structured CsI). Our technology enables us to offer a price-competitive alternative for large-area direct conversion detectors.

Relevant publications

High sensitivity organic inorganic hybrid X-ray detectors with direct transduction and broadband response | Nature Communications (2018)

Ultra‐Low Dark Current Organic–Inorganic Hybrid X‐Ray Detectors | Advanced Functional Materials (2021)

Molecular Weight Tuning of Organic Semiconductors for Curved Organic–Inorganic Hybrid X‐Ray Detectors | Advanced Science (2022)

People

DAN CATHIE
DR. STEPHEN WHITELEGG
NORMAN STAPELBERG
JON JACOBS-HEADSPITH
Dr. Lana Beck
DR. RYAN WARR
HASSAN HASSANPOUR
DR. Mahdi Arabnejad
Dr. Andy Berry
Dylan Stapelberg
Dr. Karthieka Raja Rajeswaran

ADVISORY BOARD

PROFESSOR RAVI SILVA CBE

DR. RICHARD PARMEE

DR. FRANZ RICHTER

NEWS

Contact Us

 

Silveray’s operations are based at Pear Mill in Stockport (Greater Manchester, UK) with in-house optoelectronic device fabrication amenities, cleanroom facilities, and electronics lab space, as well as offices and meeting areas.

The company also has a presence at STFC’s facilities in Daresbury Lab, where it maintains close links to the local research community in the North West region of the UK.



Silveray

Unit F8 (5th floor)
Pear Mill Industrial Estate
Stockport Road West
Stockport, SK6 2BP
United Kingdom