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The present invention provides radiation detectors and methods, including radiation detection devices having beam-oriented scintillators capable of high-performance, high resolution imaging, methods of fabricating scintillators, and methods of radiation detection. A radiation detection device includ

The present invention provides radiation detectors and methods, including radiation detection devices having beam-oriented scintillators capable of high-performance, high resolution imaging, methods of fabricating scintillators, and methods of radiation detection. A radiation detection device includes a beam-oriented pixellated scintillator disposed on a substrate, the scintillator having a first pixel having a first pixel axis and a second pixel having a second pixel axis, wherein the first and second axes are at an angle relative to each other, and wherein each axis is substantially parallel to a predetermined beam direction for illuminating the corresponding pixel.

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What is claimed is: 1. A radiation detection device, comprising: a two-dimensional, beam-oriented monolithic pixellated scintillator, the scintillator having a first pixel having a first pixel axis and a second pixel having a second pixel axis, wherein the first and second axes are at an angle rela

What is claimed is: 1. A radiation detection device, comprising: a two-dimensional, beam-oriented monolithic pixellated scintillator, the scintillator having a first pixel having a first pixel axis and a second pixel having a second pixel axis, wherein the first and second axes are at an angle relative to each other, and wherein each axis is substantially parallel to a predetermined beam direction for illuminating the corresponding pixel. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the scintillator comprises a two-dimensional array of pixels. 3. The device of claim 1, wherein pixels of the scintillator comprise a rectangular, rhomboidal, triangular, or hexagonal shape. 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the pixels are formed by laser micromachining. 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the scintillator comprises inter-pixel grooves. 6. The device of claim 5, wherein the inter-pixel grooves comprise V-shaped grooves. 7. The device of claim 5, wherein the inter-pixel grooves comprise substantially parallel-sided grooves. 8. The device of claim 5, further comprising a heavy element slurry deposited in inter-pixel grooves of the scintillator. 9. The device of claim 5, wherein the pixels comprise a two-dimensional monolithic array. 10. The device of claim 9, wherein the grooves extend no farther through the slab than 200 μm from the uncut surface of the slab. 11. The device of claim 1, wherein the scintillator material comprises CsI(Tl). 12. The device of claim 1, wherein the scintillator material comprises Cerium-doped LaBr3. 13. The device of claim 1, wherein the scintillator is a crystal or a film. 14. The device of claim 1, wherein spacing between pixels comprises about 100 μm to about 1 mm. 15. The device of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the scintillator is about 250 μm to about 1.5 cm. 16. The device of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the target detection efficiency of the scintillator is about 60% to about 90%. 17. The device of claim 1, further comprising a reflective layer coating at least a portion of a pixel. 18. The device of claim 1, further comprising a protective layer coating at least a portion of a pixel. 19. The device of claim 1, wherein the scintillator is disposed on a substantially planar surface of a substrate. 20. The device of claim 19, wherein the substrate comprises a carbon, beryllium, boron, carbide, or aluminum substrate. 21. The device of claim 19, wherein a side of the substrate opposite the scintillator faces a direction from which a radiation beam is directed. 22. The device of claim 19, wherein a side of the substrate opposite the scintillator faces a photodetector and the pixels face a direction from which the radiation beam is directed. 23. The device of claim 1, wherein the scintillator comprises a crystal scintillator glued to a substrate. 24. The device of claim 1, further comprising a photodetector optically coupled to the scintillator. 25. A radiation detection device, comprising: a two-dimensional beam-oriented monolithic pixellated scintillator having an array of pixels, each pixel of the array having a pixel axis oriented to substantially match a predetermined illumination direction of a radiation beam reaching the pixel, at least one of the pixels having an axis that is at an angle relative to another pixel axis of the array. 26. The device of claim 25, further comprising a photodetector optically coupled to the scintillator. 27. The device of claim 26, wherein the photodetector is an EMCCD. 28. The device of claim 25, wherein the scintillator comprises CsI(Tl). 29. The device of claim 25, wherein the pixels comprise a two-dimensional monolithic array. 30. The device of claim 25, further comprising a collimator. 31. The device of claim 30, wherein the collimator comprises a single pinhole, multipinhole, a coded aperture, a convergent multihole collimator, or a divergent multihole collimator. 32. The device of claim 25, the array comprising a region of pixels with each pixel of the region oriented such that the axes of the pixels of the region converge on substantially the same point. 33. A radiation detection device for detecting radiation beams produced by a radiation source and illuminating the detection device at a plurality of different locations, the device comprising a two-dimensional pixellated monolithic scintillator having a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel comprises a pixel axis that is oriented substantially along a predetermined illumination direction of a radiation beam reaching the corresponding pixel, and wherein at least one of the pixels has a pixel axis that is oriented at an angle relative to a pixel axis of another pixel of the plurality; and further comprising a collimator spaced from the scintillator and disposed between the radiation source and the scintillator. 34. The device of claim 33, wherein the radiation source is a radioactive source. 35. The device of claim 33, wherein the radiation sources is an electromechanical device. 36. The device of claim 33, wherein the radiation source is a radiopharmaceutical agent. 37. An X-ray imaging device, comprising: a two-dimensional monolithic imaging plate comprising a beam-oriented pixellated scintillator having an array of pixels, each pixel of the array having a pixel axis oriented to substantially match a predetermined illumination direction of a radiation beam reaching the pixel, at least one of the pixels having an axis that is at an angle relative to another pixel axis of the array; and an X-ray source spaced from the imaging plate. 38. The device of claim 37, wherein the X-ray source and imaging plate are spaced such that a focal point of pixels of the array and a focal point of the X-ray source are substantially coincident. 39. The device of claim 37, further comprising a means for rotating an object for imaging that is placed between the imaging plate and the X-ray source. 40. The device of claim 39, wherein the X-ray source and the imaging plate are rotatable about an imaged object while maintaining substantial coincidence between the focal point of the pixels and the focal point of the X-ray source. 41. The device of claim 37, further comprising a plurality of imaging plates, each imaging plate comprising a beam-oriented pixellated scintillator. 42. A method of fabricating a beam-oriented pixellated scintillator, comprising: forming a plurality of grooves in a slab of scintillator material to form an array of pixels, each pixel of the array having a pixel axis oriented to substantially match a predetermined illumination direction of a radiation beam reaching the pixel, at least one of the pixels having an axis that is at an angle relative to another pixel axis of the array. 43. The method of claim 42, wherein forming comprises laser micromachining. 44. The method of claim 43, wherein laser micromachining a groove comprises a single pass of a laser beam across the slab of scintillator material. 45. The method of claim 44, further comprising blowing a dry gas in a groove while forming that groove by single pass laser micromachining. 46. The method of claim 43, wherein an additional laser beam is used to score an initial cut on a surface of the slab. 47. The method of claim 43, wherein an additional laser beam is used to heal at least one surface of the grooves. 48. The method of claim 42, wherein the grooves comprise V-shaped grooves. 49. The method of claim 42, wherein the grooves comprise substantially parallel-sided grooves. 50. The method of claim 42, wherein the grooves extend partially through the slab of scintillator material. 51. The method of claim 42, wherein the grooves extend no farther through the slab than 200 μm from the uncut surface of the slab. 52. The method of claim 42, wherein the scintillator material comprises CsI(Tl). 53. The method of claim 42, wherein the scintillator material comprises Cerium-doped LaBr3. 54. The method of claim 42, further comprising re-diffusing a dopant into one or more grooves of the scintillator. 55. The method of claim 42, further comprising depositing a reflective layer on at least a portion of a pixel. 56. The method of claim 55, wherein the depositing of the reflective layer comprises pouring paint on the machined scintillator slab, placing the slab in an evacuated chamber, and spinning the slab to remove excess paint. 57. The method of claim 42, further comprising surface polishing the slab to open pixels for light coupling to a photodetector. 58. The method of claim 42, further comprising depositing a protective layer on at least a portion of a pixel. 59. The method of claim 42, where the scintillator is disposed on a substrate. 60. The method of claim 42, further comprising providing a fixed laser beam, and mounting the slab of scintillator material on a goniometer, the goniometer mounted on an x,y table. 61. The method of claim 42, wherein the center to center distance between pixels of the array is between 100 μm and 1 mm. 62. The method of claim 42, wherein the thickness of the scintillator is between 250 μm and 1.5 cm. 63. A method of performing radiation detection, comprising: providing a radiation detector comprising a two-dimensional beam-oriented pixellated monolithic scintillator having an array of pixels, each pixel of the array having a pixel axis oriented to substantially match a predetermined illumination direction of a radiation beam reaching the pixel, at least one of the pixels having an axis that is at an angle relative to another pixel axis of the array; and positioning a target within a field of view of the radiation detector as to detect emissions or absorption from the target.