SPADnet Project to Develop CMOS Sensors for Bioimaging Applications

The European Union has funded a collaborative research project called the SPADnet (Fully Networked, Digital Components for Photon-starved Biomedical Imaging Systems). The project comprises seven European experts in photonics, medical imaging, and image sensors. École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) coordinates the project.

The objective of the SPADnet is to develop new large area CMOS-based networked image sensors for use in photon-starved biomedical Imaging. In addition, the sensors can be used to conduct performance analysis tests in the positron emission tomography (PET) evaluation system, and to construct ring-assembly modules for application in PET imaging.

The SPADnet project will create a scalable photonic component suitable for rare-event, large format imaging. The component’s core will be a CMOS SPAD array. By tessellating numerous dies in abutment style, large formats can be obtained with the use of new packaging techniques on the basis of through-silicon vias (TSVs).