X-ray interferometer for phase contrast imaging

Simple SummaryContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

This patent describes an advanced x-ray interferometer system designed for quantitative phase contrast imaging, especially with hard x-rays. Unlike traditional x-ray imaging that mainly reveals how much x-rays are absorbed by different tissues or materials, this invention uses a specialized grating setup and advanced data analysis to separately and simultaneously capture absorption, phase contrast, and scattering information from an object. The system can color-code these different signal contributions in a single image, greatly aiding interpretation and analysis. The design also enables scanning objects in continuous motion, which is particularly useful for industrial and security applications.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Medical imaging: enhanced soft tissue visualization and the differentiation of tumors or microcalcifications that may not be visible with standard absorption imaging.
• Non-destructive testing: detecting micro-cracks, internal defects, or structural inconsistencies in materials, components, and food products.
• Security screening: efficient inspection of luggage, parcels, or cargo for explosives, drugs, or concealed items during continuous movement (e.g., on conveyor belts).
• Material science: investigation of composite materials, bone structures, or other objects where internal density variations at the micron or submicron scale are important.
• Research: advanced phase-contrast studies in biological and material samples using standard laboratory x-ray sources.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Simultaneously provides three different types of contrast (absorption, phase, and scattering), offering richer and more informative x-ray images compared to conventional systems.
• Allows the use of standard, polychromatic x-ray sources rather than requiring expensive synchrotron radiation.
• Color-coded output images make it much easier for users to visually interpret differences in tissue, material composition, or internal structure.
• Enables continuous scanning of moving objects, vastly improving throughput and practicality for industrial or security settings.
• Capable of detecting subtle structural variations at microscopic scales, important for early disease diagnosis or high-precision inspections.
• Improves detection sensitivity for features that are otherwise 'invisible' in normal x-ray images, such as fine cracks, small inclusions, or subtle pathological changes in soft tissue.

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Patent Abstract

The present invention relates to an interferometer for x-rays, in particular hard x-rays, for obtaining quantitative x-ray images from an object, comprising: a) an x-ray source, preferably a standard polychromatic x-ray source, b) a diffractive beam splitter grating other than a Bragg crystal, preferably in transmission geometry, c) a position-sensitive detector with spatially modulated detection sensitivity having a number of individual pixels; d) means for recording the images of the detector in a phase-stepping approach; and e) means for evaluating the intensities for each pixel in a series of images in order to identify the characteristic of the object for each individual pixel as an absorption dominated pixel and/or an differential phase contrast dominated pixel and/or an x-ray scattering dominated pixel.