X-ray Irradiation Apparatus, Including a Spectrally Shaping X-Ray Optic and a Spectral Filter Aperture Device, X-Ray Fluorescence Imaging Apparatus and Applications Thereof, in Particular in X-Ray Fluorescence Imaging

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This invention describes a compact X-ray irradiation apparatus capable of generating a focused, narrow-bandwidth X-ray beam using conventional X-ray sources, such as clinical X-ray tubes, combined with a polycrystalline reflector and a specialized spectral filter aperture device. This setup allows only a specific energy range of X-rays to reach the sample while blocking unwanted low and high energy components, achieving performance comparable to synchrotron X-ray sources but in a smaller, more accessible form. The system is especially suited for X-ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging, enabling highly sensitive detection and imaging of labeled samples.

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• Preclinical and clinical X-ray fluorescence imaging (XRF) for detecting and tracking labeled cells or molecules in biological samples (such as in drug development, immune cell tracking, or tumor diagnostics).
• High-sensitivity, high-resolution material testing and analysis in pharmaceutical, chemical, or materials science laboratories.
• Medical diagnostics in hospitals or clinics where high-performance XRF imaging is needed without access to synchrotron facilities.
• Phase contrast X-ray imaging for enhanced soft-tissue visualization in medicine or biology.
• X-ray scattering experiments and other analytical X-ray methods requiring pencil-like, narrow-bandwidth beams.
• Industrial non-destructive testing where selective X-ray energy and fine focus are beneficial.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Provides synchrotron-quality, narrow-bandwidth, and high-flux X-ray beams using conventional, readily available X-ray sources (such as clinical tubes), greatly improving accessibility and reducing costs.
• Highly improves signal-to-noise ratio in XRF imaging by blocking irrelevant X-ray energies, leading to better sensitivity and lower detection limits for labeled substances.
• Reduces background radiation and exposure dose to the sample, offering safer procedures especially important in medical and biological applications.
• Enables precise spatial resolution with focused 'pencil-beam' X-ray spots of less than 1.5 mm, facilitating detailed imaging and analysis.
• Compact and cost-effective setup that can be integrated into existing laboratory, clinical, or industrial workflows without the need for large synchrotron facilities.
• Allows for energy tuning and optimization for different applications through adjustable optics and filters, supporting a wide range of imaging and analytical tasks.

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Patent Abstract

An X-ray irradiation apparatus (100) comprises an X-ray source device (110) for creating X-rays (2) with a polychromatic spectrum and an X-ray optic device (120) with a beam axis (3) that is longitudinal, wherein the X-ray optic device (120) comprises a reflector device (121) that is polycrystalline having a reflector geometry, a reflector mosaicity and a reflector thickness and the reflector device (121) is arranged for receiving a portion of the X-rays (2) within an acceptance angle of the reflector device (121) and for creating an X-ray beam (4) by Bragg reflection, which is directed along the beam axis (3) towards a focal position thereof and has a spectral distribution determined by the polychromatic spectrum of the X- rays (2), the reflector geometry, the reflector mosaicity and the reflector thickness, and wherein the X-ray irradiation apparatus (100) further comprises a spectral filter aperture device (122) that is arranged downstream from the reflector device (121) for creating a filter gap (123) transmitting a first spectral portion (4A) of the spectral distribution of the X-ray beam (4) and blocking a second spectral portion (4B) and a third spectral portion (4C) of this spectral distribution, wherein the first spectral portion (4A) has higher energies than the second spectral portion (4B) and lower energies than the third spectral portion (4C), wherein the reflector device (121) has an acceptance solid-angle of at least 100 micro-steradian, and wherein the reflector geometry, the reflector mosaicity, the reflector thickness and the acceptance angle of the reflector device (121) are selected such that simultaneously a radiation flux in the first spectral portion (4A) is at least 1% of an incoming flux of the same spectral portion of the X-rays (2) received by the reflector device (121) with a peak reflectivity of at least 1%, the first spectral portion (4A) has a spectral bandwidth of at most 15%, the second and third spectral portions (4B, 4C) have a flux reduced by at least three orders of magnitude compared with the flux in the first spectral portion (4A), and the X-ray beam (4) has a focal spot size of less than 1.5 mm in both transverse dimensions relative to the longitudinal beam axis. Furthermore, an X- ray fluorescence imaging apparatus (200) and a method of using the X-ray irradiation apparatus (100) are described.