Ams introduces new high-performance reading ics to drive cost savings and efficiency gains for medical and industrial digital X-ray equipment manufacturers

Ams, a leading global provider of optical solutions, announced the introduction of the AS585xB family of best-in-class reading ics for digital X-ray flat panel detectors (FPD), which offers customers new flexible connector options and reduced cost of integration into their systems.

● The new AS585xB product is compatible with standard connectors in X-ray imaging equipment and easier to assemble;

● Flat panel detector manufacturers can choose from three product options for faster, lower power consumption of the readout IC;

● The ultra-low noise AS5850B is compatible with the latest IGZO detector technology and traditional TFT detector types.

The new AS585xB digital Reader IC is a 16-bit, 256-channel charge-digitizing converter known for its extremely low noise that produces clear, detailed images in static and dynamic digital X-ray scanners, digital radiography, mammography, fluorescence, interventional imaging, and industrial nondestructive testing (NDT) systems.

This new product complements the AS5850A Read IC introduced in June 2020 and expands AMS 'unique portfolio of medical and industrial image sensing solutions that deliver superior accuracy, high acquisition speeds, low noise and ultra-low power consumption.

Jose Vinau, Director of Marketing for AMS 'Medical and Professional Sensors Business line, said: "The AS585xB device, with its ultra-low noise, high bandwidth and low power consumption, enables our customers to generate very high quality X-ray images. These characteristics mean that they are not only suitable for new IGZO detectors with higher performance, but also compatible with existing TFT flat panel technology."

The new standard package design of flexible circuit board chip can reduce the assembly cost of imaging equipment

Like earlier AS5850A devices, the AS585xB products meet the industry's highest performance benchmarks for reading ics used in medical devices. Now, the 'B' series also features a new FPCB chip standard package design with a layer of enhancements on the low-density side to make it compatible with standard connectors. This provides a more flexible option for image device manufacturers, as the AS5850A has a proprietary connector that requires an expensive hetero-conductive film (ACF) bonding process.

With the AS585xB's flexible circuit design, the image device can be assembled by an in-house data acquisition system and a detector based on the AS585xB reading IC (purchased from a third-party FPD manufacturer), simplifying production. The flexible AS585xB board can be manually assembled into the data acquisition system without the need for expensive and complex ACF bonding processes.

The new AS585xB product also now comes with a Built-In Self-Test feature to quickly and accurately verify that the data acquisition system is working properly after assembly. This helps manufacturers quickly identify the source of errors in data acquisition systems or detector systems.

Flexibility to optimize speed and power

The AS585xB series is available in three product models. The AS5850B is optimized for low noise and high speed, enabling FPD to acquire high-quality images in dynamic or high-speed imaging applications, such as surgical X-ray photography, while reducing radiation dose and minimizing patient impact. Also for industrial scanning applications, the AS5850B has an optimized line scan time of 20µs, but can operate at speeds as low as 15µs, a high speed performance that increases the throughput of automated optical inspection equipment.

The AS5852B, also introduced, is optimized for low-power operation, enabling battery-powered portable imaging devices to capture high-quality images while extending battery life. The new AS5851B achieves a balance between power and speed optimization.

All three versions of the AS585xB series feature the same size and pin assignment, so FPD manufacturers can easily build a range of products to meet the needs of different customers or market segments with a single board design and host system interface.

Pierre Laboisse, Executive Vice President Global Sales and Marketing at AMS, said: "Now, with the addition of standard packaging options for flexible circuit board chips, high-performance AMS read ics can be used in the cost-competitive medical imaging segment as well as the broader industrial market, opening up more global markets for more AMS products."