1. A pivoting accessory mount for use with a firearm, comprising:
a base member having a front edge, a rear edge, a longitudinal axis extending between said front edge and said rear edge, a bottom surface and a top surface, said bottom surface configured to be mounted on an upper receiver of said firearm wherein said longitudinal axis of said mounting base is in substantial alignment with a barrel of said firearm, said top surface having at least one support element extending upwardly therefrom;
a mounting shaft supported by and extending through said at least one support element, said mounting shaft having a central axis that is substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis;
an accessory clamp having an upper section and a lower section, said upper section including an interface for receiving and retaining a firearm accessory, said lower section configured to received about said mounting shaft, wherein said accessory clamp can be pivoted about said mounting shaft between a first, inactive position adjacent the firearm and a second, active position protruding substantially vertically from said firearm.
2. The pivoting accessory mount of claim 1, wherein said mounting shaft is linearly displaceable along said central axis between a latched position and a released position, wherein said mounting shaft in said latched position engages said at least one mounting element and said accessory clamp thereby preventing said accessory clamp from pivoting relative to said base member.
3. The pivoting accessory mount of claim 2, wherein said mounting shaft is spring biased toward said latched position and selectively depressible toward said released position.
4. The pivoting accessory mount of claim 1, further comprising:
a first support element extending upwardly from the front edge of the base member and a second support element extending upwardly from the rear edge of the base member, wherein said mounting shaft extends between and is supported by said first and second support elements, wherein said lower section of said accessory clamp is received about said mounting shaft and is positioned between said first and second support elements.
5. The pivoting accessory mount of claim 4, wherein said mounting shaft is linearly displaceable along said central axis between a latched position and a released position, wherein said mounting shaft in said latched position engages at least one of said first and second mounting elements and said accessory clamp thereby preventing said accessory clamp from pivoting relative to said base member.
6. The pivoting accessory mount of claim 5, wherein said mounting shaft is spring biased toward said latched position and selectively depressible toward said released position.
7. The pivoting accessory mount of claim 1, wherein said bottom surface of said base member is a clamping device configured to interface with a Weaver type interface rail.
8. The pivoting accessory mount of claim 1, wherein said base member includes clamping means to interface directly with the upper receiver of said firearm.
9. The pivoting accessory mount of claim 1, wherein said base member includes claiming means to interface with a supplemental rail system mounted on said firearm.
10. The pivoting accessory mount of claim 1, wherein said firearm accessory is a primary sighting device.
11. The pivoting accessory mount of claim 1, wherein said firearm accessory is a secondary sighting device configured for use in conjunction with a primary sighting device also mounted on said firearm.
12. A pivoting aiming sight mount for use with a firearm, said sight mount protruding generally vertically from the firearm when being used and adjacent the side of the firearm when not in use, said pivoting aiming sight comprising:
a base member having a front edge, a rear edge, a longitudinal axis extending between said front edge and said rear edge, a bottom surface and a top surface, said bottom surface configured to be mounted on an upper receiver of said firearm wherein said longitudinal axis of said mounting base is in substantial alignment with a barrel of said firearm, said top surface having at least one support element extending outwardly therefrom;
a mounting shaft supported by and extending through said at least one support element, said mounting shaft having a central axis that is substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis;
a sight receiver having an upper section and a lower section, said upper section including an interface for receiving and retaining a sighting device, said lower section configured to received about said mounting shaft, wherein said sight receiver can be pivoted about said mounting shaft between a first, inactive position adjacent the firearm and a second, active position protruding substantially vertically from said firearm.
13. The pivoting aiming sight mount of claim 12, wherein said at least one support element extends upwardly from said from said mounting base.
14. The pivoting aiming sight mount of claim 13, wherein said mounting shaft is linearly displaceable along said central axis between a latched position and a released position, wherein said mounting shaft in said latched position engages said at least one mounting element and said sight receiver thereby preventing said sight receiver from pivoting relative to said base member.
15. The pivoting aiming sight mount of claim 15, wherein said mounting shaft is spring biased toward said latched position and selectively depressible toward said released position.
16. The pivoting aiming sight mount of claim 13, further comprising:
a first support element extending upwardly from the front edge of the base member and a second support element extending upwardly from the rear edge of the base member, wherein said mounting shaft extends between and is supported by said first and second support elements, wherein said lower section of said sight receiver is received about said mounting shaft and is positioned between said first and second support elements.
17. The pivoting aiming sight mount of claim 12, wherein said at least one support element extends outwardly to a first side of said mounting base.
18. The pivoting aiming sight mount of claim 17, further comprising:
latching means disposed on a second side of said mounting base opposite said first side, said latching means configured to selectively engage said sight receiver and prevent rotation of said sight receiver relative to said mounting base.
19. The pivoting aiming sight mount of claim 12, further comprising:
a first support element extending outwardly from a first side of the base member adjacent the front edge and a second support element extending outwardly from said first side of the base member adjacent the rear edge, wherein said mounting shaft extends between and is supported by said first and second support elements, wherein said lower section of said sight receiver is received about said mounting shaft and is positioned between said first and second support elements.
20. The pivoting aiming sight mount of claim 19, further comprising:
latching means disposed on a second side of said mounting base opposite said first side, said latching means configured to selectively engage said sight receiver and prevent rotation of said sight receiver relative to said mounting base.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A reduced optical cross talk micro pixellated scintillator for x-ray imaging comprising:
a scintillation substrate; and
a micro columnar scintillation film in contact with said scintillation substrate said microcolumnar scintillation film formed from scintillator material, said scintillator material comprising host material and dopant, wherein said microcolumnar scintillator film is subdivided into arrays of substantially optically independent pixels having wedge shaped interpixel gaps, whereby said optically independent pixels channel detectable light to a detector element.
2. The micro pixellated micro columnar scintillator film according to claim 1, wherein said scintillator material comprises a process labile dopant wherein said dopant has a vapor pressures about equal to or lower than said host material.
3. The micro pixellated micro columnar scintillator film according to claim 1, wherein said scintillation material is selected from a group consisting of CsI:Na, NaI:Tl, CsBr:Eu, LiI:Eu and CsI:TI.
4. The micro pixellated micro columnar scintillator film according to claim 1, wherein said scintillation material is selected from a group consisting of CsI, LiI, KI, CsBr, CsCL, CsF, RbF, LiF, CaF2, BaF2 and CdF2.
5. The micro pixellated micro columnar scintillator film according to claim 1, wherein said scintillation substrate is selected from a group consisting of fiberoptic substrates, graphite substrates, carbon fiber composite substrates, polytetrafluroethylene, polyester, aluminized polyester, polyimide, glass, metals, silicon, quartz, charged coupled device silicon detectors, amorphous Si sensors, CMOS imagers, and charged injection devices.
6. The micro pixellated microcolumnar scintillator film according to claim 1, wherein said pixels range in size from about 35\xd735 to 500\xd7500 \u03bcm.
7. The micro pixellated micro columnar scintillator film according to claim 1, wherein said interpixel gaps range in size from about 1 to 50 \u03bcm in width.
8. The micro pixellated micro columnar scintillator film according to claim 1, wherein said detectable light is substantially matched to a spectral sensitivity of a digital readout sensor.
9. The micro pixilated micro columnar scintillator film according to claim 1, wherein said interpixel gaps are filled with a reflective coating that reduces optical cross talk between said pixels.
10. The micro pixellated micro columnar scintillator film according to claim 1, wherein said subdivision into pixels reduces lateral spread of said detectable light thereby enhancing spatial and contrast resolution.
11. The micro pixellated micro columnar scintillator film according to claim 1, wherein said interpixel gaps are filled with a low refractive index coating.
12. The micro pixellated micro columnar scintillator film according to claim 1, wherein said pixels are configured of varying geometric forms said geometric forms selected from the group consisting of round, square, rectangular, octagonal, oblong and triangular.
13. The micro pixelated micro columnar scintillator film according to claim 1, having interpixel gaps bounded by surfaces wherein said surfaces of said interpixel gaps are coated with a reflective coating that reduces optical cross talk between said pixels.
14. A micro pixelated micro columnar scintillator film according to claim 1, having interpixel gaps bounded by surfaces, wherein said surfaces of said interpixel gaps are coated with a low refractive index coating.
15. A reduced optical cross talk micro pixellated scintillator for x-ray imaging comprising:
a scintillation substrate; and
a micro columnar scintillation film in contact with said scintillation substrate said microcolumnar scintillation film formed from scintillator material, said scintillator material comprising host material and dopant, wherein said microcolumnar scintillator film is subdivided into arrays of substantially optically independent pixels having interpixel gaps, whereby said optically independent pixels channel detectable light to a detector element wherein said interpixel gaps are substantially wedge shape, wherein said wedge shape produces light channeling enhancing the fraction of detectable photons.
16. A method of making a micro pixilated scintillator film for x-ray imaging comprising the steps of:
a) providing a scintillation substrate;
b) providing an activator doped scintillator material, wherein said activator doped scintillator material can be used to form a micro columnar scintillator film;
c) vapor depositing said micro columnar scintillator film upon said scintillation substrate;
d) pixelating said micro columnar scintillator film into multiple scintillator pixels, wherein said scintillator pixels are separated by interpixel gaps;
e) redoping said micro columnar scintillator film; and
f) filling said interpixel gaps with an optical coating.
17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said pixilation is performed by multi-beam laser micro-machining.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said laser micro-machining is performed using an excimer laser such as KrF (248) laser beam.
19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said pixelating is performed in a high pressure environment thereby decreasing the vaporization of the dopant.
20. The method according to claim 16, wherein said pixelating is performed by plasma etching.
21. The method according to claim 16 further comprising the step of densifying the micro columnar scintillation film material, wherein said densifying involves cold pressing said activator doped scintillation film and then heating said micro columnar scintillation film to a temperature sufficient to allow the cold pressed micro columnar scintillation film material to sinter together and the pores to diffuse out.
22. The method according to claim 16 further comprising the step of densifying the micro columnar scintillation film material, wherein said densifying is performed by hot pressing said micro columnar scintillation film by the application of external mechanical pressure to said micro columnar scintillation film.
23. The method according to claim 16, wherein said micro columnar scintillation film material is selected form the group consisting of CsI:Na, NaI:Tl, CsBr:Eu, LiI:Eu and CsI:Tl.
24. The method according to claim 16, wherein said interpixel gaps are substantially wedge shape.
25. The method according to claim 16, wherein said interpixel gaps are substantially parallel slanted walls.
26. The method according to claim 16, wherein said interpixel gaps between said pixels are filled with a reflector dielectric material to reduce interpixel crosstalk.
27. The method according to claim 16, wherein said pixels are square and range in size from about 35\xd735 to about 500\xd7500 \u03bcm.
28. The method according to claim 16, wherein said interpixel gaps are about 1 to 50 \u03bcm in width.
29. The method according to claim 16, wherein said interpixel gaps are substantially wedge shape, wherein said wedge shape produces better light channeling.
30. The method according to claim 16, wherein said interpixel gaps are wedge shape and allow for uniform application of an optical coating.
31. The method according to claim 16, wherein said subdivision into pixels reduces lateral spread of said detectable light thereby enhancing spatial and contrast resolution.
32. The method according to claim 16, wherein said micro columnar scintillation film material has a density of 4.2 gcm3.
33. The method according to claim 16, wherein said scintillation substrate is selected for the group consisting of fiberoptic substrates, graphite substrates, carbon fiber composite substrates, polytetrafluroethylene polyester, aluminized , polyimide, glass, metals, silicon, quartz, charged coupled device silicon detectors, amorphous Si sensors and CMOS imagers.
34. The method according to claim 16, wherein said pixels are configured of varying geometric forms said geometric forms selected from the group consisting of round, square, rectangular, oblong and triangular.
35. The method according to claim 16, wherein said re-doping is with a dopant that is vapor deposited on the pixilated micro columnar scintillation film material allowing for a uniform concentration of said dopant.
36. A micro pixellated scintillator for x-ray imaging comprising;
a scintillation substrate, wherein said scintillation substrate is a fiber optic substrate;
a micro columnar scintillation film material formed by the vapor deposition of CsI:Tl, wherein said micro columnar scintillation film material is subdivided into pixels by excimer laser micro-machining forming optically independent pixels and interpixel gaps said interpixel gaps being substantially wedge shaped wherein said interpixel gaps are filled with a reflective coating that prevents optical cross talk between said pixels and allows for detectable light to be channeled to a detector whereby said channeling of said detectable light prevents lateral spread of said detectable light thereby enhancing spatial and contrast resolution of an x-ray image.