Performance gains in new digital X-ray readout IC from ams achieve clearer images at lower radiation doses
New AS5850A is a 256-channel digital readout IC for medical flat panel detectors
Premstaetten, Austria (June 29, 2020) -- ams (SIX: AMS), a leading worldwide supplier of high performance sensor solutions, today introduces a new readout integrated circuit (IC) for digital X-ray flat panel detectors (FPDs) that provides clinicians with clearer images while reducing the patient’s exposure to radiation.
The new AS5850A digital readout IC is a 16-bit, 256-channel charge-to-digital converter for use in static and dynamic digital X-ray scanners, digital radiography, mammography, fluoroscopy, and interventional imaging.
Superior performance for safer, clearer images
Innovations by ams in circuit design and the CMOS process used at its wafer fab in Graz, Austria underpin the AS5850A’s best-in-class performance ratings for noise, power consumption and speed. In the medical imaging market, manufacturers continually compete to develop equipment that provides clearer, sharper images. Medical practitioners rely on high quality images to guide interventions, or in mammography to enable earlier and more accurate diagnosis of conditions such as breast cancer. At the same time, improvements in technology are helping to reduce the patient’s exposure to the doses of radiation inherent in the operation of radiography and fluoroscopy equipment.
The AS5850A now provides manufacturers with a new way to improve the performance of medical imaging equipment while making its use safer for patients. Low noise of as little as 500 electrons at 2pC and 30pF enables an FPD to recover clearer image outputs from a lower radiation input.
The AS5850A performance is optimized for dynamic radiography applications, achieving a line time of 20µs which can go as low as 10µs in binned mode by combining the inputs from adjacent channels. The device has a special mode for fluoroscopy applications with relaxed noise requirements which allows reaching a line time of 15µs.
By enabling the development of medical equipment which is safer and which improves patient outcomes, the AS5850A contributes to ams’ strategic mission, to develop “Technology for a better lifestyle”.

Published by ams AG on Jul 13, 2020