Differential phase contrast X-ray imaging system and components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9823202-B2
Application number	US-201615370280-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2016
Priority date	Jul 29, 2011
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A differential phase contrast X-ray imaging system includes an X-ray illumination system, a beam splitter arranged in an optical path of the X-ray illumination system, and a detection system arranged in an optical path to detect X-rays after passing through the beam splitter.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for X-ray illumination, comprising:
providing a poly-energetic X-ray beam for illuminating an object to be imaged;
reflecting a first portion of said poly-energetic X-ray beam, the first portion comprising X-rays that have energies less than a lower pass-band energy;
transmitting a second portion of said poly-energetic X-ray beam
attenuating said first portion of said poly-energetic X-ray beam;
reflecting a third portion of said second portion of said poly-energetic X-ray beam, said third portion comprising X-rays that have energies less than an upper pass-band energy;
attenuating a fourth portion of said second portion of said poly-energetic X-ray beam, the fourth portion comprising X-rays that are not reflected; and
providing said third portion of said second portion of said poly-energetic X-ray beam to illuminate said object to be imaged, wherein said third portion comprises X-rays having energies between said upper pass-band energy and said lower pass-band energy.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said reflecting said first portion of said poly-energetic X-ray beam and said transmitting said second portion of said poly-energetic X-ray beam further comprises:
directing said poly-energetic X-ray beam to be incident upon a membrane X-ray mirror comprising a reflecting layer that comprises a high-Z material on a support layer that comprises a low-Z material,
wherein Z is an atomic number,
wherein said high-Z material includes atomic elements with Z at least 42, and
wherein said low-Z material includes atomic elements with Z less than 14.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said reflecting said first portion of said poly-energetic X-ray beam and said transmitting said second portion of said poly-energetic X-ray beam further comprises:
directing said poly-energetic X-ray beam to be incident upon a membrane X-ray mirror comprising a reflecting layer that comprises a first material on a support layer that comprises a second material.

4. The method according to claim 3 ,
wherein said first material is a high-Z material,
wherein Z is an atomic number,
wherein said high-Z material includes atomic elements with Z at least 42.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein said first material is at least one of Rh, Pt, or Au.

6. The method according to claim 3 ,
wherein said second material is a low-Z material,
wherein Z is an atomic number,
wherein said low-Z material includes atomic elements with Z less than 14.

7. The method according to claim 3 , wherein said second material is at least one of C, Si, quartz, or glass.

Assignees

• Univ Johns Hopkins

Inventors

• Stutman Daniel
• Finkenthal Michael

Classifications

• G21K2207/005

  Methods and devices obtaining contrast from non-absorbing interaction of the radiation with matter, e.g. phase contrast · CPC title

• G01N2223/206

  sources operating at different energy levels · CPC title

• H05G2/001

  Production of X-ray radiation generated from plasma · CPC title

• G21K1/067

  using surface reflection, e.g. grazing incidence mirrors, gratings (multilayer mirrors G21K1/062) · CPC title

• G01N23/20075

  by measuring interferences of X-rays, e.g. Borrmann effect · CPC title