SYRMEP - AN INNOVATIVE DETECTION SYSTEM FOR SOFT X-RAYS

In the field of digital mammography, the SYRMEP (SYnchrotron Radiation for MEdical Physics) collaboration intends to use as a source the 10- 35 keV photons from a monochromatic beam at the synchrotron ELETTRA in Trieste, and as a detector a brick of silicon microstrip detectors wi th the beam impinging along the strip direction. In this way, the abso rption efficiency is maximized and a pixel-like matrix is obtained wit h pixel dimensions given by the detector thickness and the strip pitch . The digital images are obtained using a photon counting technique. W e present here the results obtained with an AC-coupled FOXFET detector with 200 x 300 mu m(2) pixels and a hybrid electronics, both with a s tandard X-ray tube and the monochromatic beam.