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An imaging radiation detector includes a scintillator coupled to an array of photodiodes operating in Geiger mode. The array is divided into separate detector pixels, each of which is composed of a multiplicity of photodiode cells with their outputs tied together. While each of the cells operates in

An imaging radiation detector includes a scintillator coupled to an array of photodiodes operating in Geiger mode. The array is divided into separate detector pixels, each of which is composed of a multiplicity of photodiode cells with their outputs tied together. While each of the cells operates independently in a binary or digital mode, by tying together the outputs of a multiplicity of adjacent photodiode cells forming a single pixel, the sum of the outputs is proportional to the intensity of generated scintillation photons, similar to the output of a PMT. Appropriate quenching circuitry is provided to rapidly reset the photodiodes after scintillation photon detection.

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What is claimed is: 1. A photon counter, comprising: a first plurality of photodiodes each being reverse-biased above a breakdown voltage thereof; a common output at which individual output signals of said plurality of photodiodes are summed to provide a single cumulative output signal, wherein sai

What is claimed is: 1. A photon counter, comprising: a first plurality of photodiodes each being reverse-biased above a breakdown voltage thereof; a common output at which individual output signals of said plurality of photodiodes are summed to provide a single cumulative output signal, wherein said individual output signals correspond to detection of a single photon, and said cumulative output signal corresponds to an intensity of incident photons striking said plurality of photodiodes. 2. The photon counter of claim 1, wherein said common output comprises an output terminal at which individual outputs of each of said plurality of photodiodes are tied. 3. The photon counter of claim 1, wherein said common output comprises a storage medium that accumulates output signals from each of said plurality of photodiodes. 4. The photon counter of claim 1, further comprising a second plurality of photodiodes, and a second common output at which individual output signals of said second plurality of photodiodes are summed. 5. The photon counter of claim 4, wherein said first and second pluralities of photodiodes each correspond to a respective pixel of a radiation imaging detector. 6. The photon counter of claim 5, wherein said radiation imaging detector corresponds to a PET detector. 7. The photon counter of claim 5, wherein said radiation imaging detector corresponds to a SPECT detector. 8. A radiation detector, comprising: a scintillator; an array of photodiode detector cells optically coupled to said scintillator, each of said photodiode cells being reverse-biased above a breakdown voltage thereof; wherein said photodiode detector cells are divided into a plurality of pixels of said radiation detector, each of said pixels comprising a subset of photodiode detector cells of said array, with individual output signals of photodiodes in each subset being summed to provide a single cumulative output signal, wherein said cumulative output signal corresponds to an intensity of incident photons striking said pixel. 9. The radiation detector of claim 8, wherein said individual output signals of photodiodes in each subset are tied together at a common output terminal. 10. The radiation detector of claim 8, wherein said individual output signals of photodiodes in each subset are accumulated in a storage medium. 11. The radiation detector of claim 8, wherein said radiation detector corresponds to a PET detector. 12. The radiation detector of claim 8, wherein said radiation detector corresponds to a SPECT detector. 13. A scintillation imaging detector having a plurality of pixels, each pixel comprising a plurality of photodiodes each being reverse-biased above a breakdown voltage thereof, and each pixel having a common output at which individual output signals of said plurality of photodiodes are summed to provide a single cumulative output signal. 14. The scintillation imaging detector of claim 13, wherein said common output comprises an output terminal at which individual outputs of each of said plurality of photodiodes are tied. 15. The scintillation imaging detector of claim 13, wherein said common output comprises a storage medium that accumulates output signals from each of said plurality of photodiodes. 16. The scintillation imaging detector of claim 13, wherein said imaging detector corresponds to a PET detector. 17. The scintillation imaging detector of claim 13, wherein said imaging detector corresponds to a SPECT detector.