Interferometer for quantative phase contrast imaging and tomography with an incoherent polychromatic x-ray source

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

This invention describes a novel X-ray interferometer that allows for quantitative phase contrast imaging and tomography using a standard, polychromatic, and incoherent X-ray source (such as a regular X-ray tube), instead of requiring highly coherent and expensive synchrotron sources. The system uses only one phase grating and one amplitude grating and can be adapted for higher flux sources by forming a source from an array of sub-sources, created for example using a grating near the source. This approach enables phase contrast imaging with higher efficiency, larger field of view, and shorter exposure times, making advanced imaging techniques more accessible for practical and clinical use.

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

• Medical imaging applications such as mammography, bone density scans, and soft tissue imaging, enabling improved contrast between different biological tissues at lower doses.
• Non-destructive testing (NDT) and inspection in material science and engineering for detecting internal features with low absorption contrast, such as cracks, composites, or inclusions.
• Biological research for imaging small animals or biological specimens with enhanced phase sensitivity, improving visualization of soft tissues and cellular structures.
• Microtomography and desktop tomography for high-resolution 3D imaging in laboratory environments, useful for studies in biology, material science, and paleontology.
• Industrial quality control to examine assembled products or electronic components where traditional absorption contrast is insufficient.
• Security screening where low-contrast objects (such as plastics or organic materials) need to be distinguished from metallic objects.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables advanced phase contrast imaging with inexpensive, widely available X-ray sources, eliminating the need for synchrotron or other highly coherent sources.
• Reduces the required X-ray dose for imaging, which is safer for patients in medical contexts and reduces exposure time for all applications.
• Can improve image contrast for structures that are nearly invisible in conventional absorption-based X-ray imaging, particularly useful for soft tissue or low-density materials.
• Allows shorter exposure times due to higher X-ray flux, increasing throughput for both medical and industrial imaging tasks.
• Has flexible configurations to support both full-field imaging and scanning systems, suitable for integration into existing X-ray imaging infrastructure.
• Facilitates quantitative analysis and 3D tomography, offering not just improved qualitative contrast but also quantitative information about material composition or tissue properties.
• Can be scaled for a large field of view, making it suitable for clinical and industrial applications requiring coverage of large objects or tissue areas.

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Patent Abstract

An x-ray interferometer arrangement is disclosed comprising only one phase grating (G1) and one amplitude grating (G2). This interferometer can be used to obtain phase contrast images with a standard x-ray tube. Additionall, the new type of interferometer may use a source consisting of an array of individual sub-sources. Each of the sub-sources is individually coherent but mutually incoherent to the other sub-sources. The array of sub-sources may be generated by placing an array of slits, i.e. an additional amplitude grating (G0) close to the source. Such an arrangement makes it possible to use this type of interferometer with a source that provides no spatial or temporal coherence. The setup can therefore be used with larger sources placed at shorter distance of the detector resulting in higher flux densities and thus shorter exposure times. This is of special importance for tomography which requires to acquire images of an object under many (hundreds) viewing angles.