Inspection equipment using small-angle topography in determining an object's internal structure and composition

• US 6,054,712 A
• Filed: 01/23/1998
• Issued: 04/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Quanta Vision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quanta Vision, Inc.
• Inventors: Lazarev, Pavel I., Lawrence, Albert F., Komardin, Oleg V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Westin, Edward P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HANIG, RICHARD E
• Application Number:
  US09/012,771
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 250/363.06, 250/363.1, 378/88, 378/90
• US Class Current: 250/363.06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4291 the detector being combined with a grid or grating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/483 involving scattered radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/502 for diagnosis of breast, i.e. mammography
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/22 Active interrogation, i.e. by irradiating objects or goods using external radiation sources, e.g. using gamma rays or cosmic rays
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/222 measuring scattered radiation

Abstract

Devices for X-ray topography determine structures and compositions of objects. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a scanning system forms images using small angle scattering. A spatial filter selects radiation an object scatters at small angles and blocks other radiation. A coordinate-sensitive detector behind the filter records the scattered radiation. An object image is constructed based on the small-angle scattering information and the compositions of regions of the object are determined from scattering curves for the regions. One embodiment of the invention includes a source of penetrating radiation, a detector system for radiation transmitted through an analyzed object, a detector system for radiation the object scatters at small angles, and a unit for moving the object during scanning. A three-dimensional absorption factor distribution is determined for the object by X-raying the object at different angles. Small-angle scattering curves are obtained for separate volume elements of the object. The scattering curve for a volume element is compared to a data base of scattering curves for known substances to identify the composition of the element. A three-dimensional image of the object'"'"'s internal structure has the substances composing the object identified. A unit shaping the radiation flux to the object can be two separate sets of collimators. One set forms fan beams for scanning the object and forming an image based on radiation absorption. The other set of collimators forms beams for imaging based on small-angle scattering and includes a series of multislit collimators. The collimators'"'"' axes are at different angles with the object motion direction. Each multislit collimator forms flat weakly diverging fan-shaped beams. Two-dimensional coordinate-sensitive detectors with a spatial filter positioned before each of the detectors record the scattered radiation.

Claims

1. A small-angle topography device comprising:

a source of penetrating radiation;

a collimator that forms scan beams from the penetrating radiation, the collimator being a regular periodic structure consisting of transparent regions alternating with the opaque regions;

a facility for scanning an object through the scan beams to obtain a complete projection of the object;

a spatial filter positioned behind the object, the spatial filter having a regular periodic structure complementary to that of the collimator so that regions of the spatial filter that correspond to the transparent regions of the collimator are opaque to the penetrating radiation the opaque regions of the spatial filter being disposed to block portions of the scan beams that pass through the object without deflection, transparent regions of the spatial filter being disposed to transmit portions of the scan beams that the object deflects at small angles;

a coordinate-sensitive detector positioned to detect radiation that the spatial filter transmits during scanning; and

a processing system that uses measurements from the coordinate-sensitive detector during the scanning, to determine a three-dimensional internal structure of the object.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the collimator comprises a plate opaque to the penetrating radiation, in which transparent channels are made, with axes of the transparent channels converging at the focus of the radiation source.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the spatial filter comprises a transparent plate, and the opaque regions comprise rods shaped regions of opaque material positioned in the transparent plate, to block penetrating radiation from the transparent channels in the collimator.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the collimator comprises a set of plates with the gaps between the plates to form a system of slits that are the transparent regions of the collimator, the slits forming fan-shaped beams that are in planes that cross through a focus of the source.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the transparent regions in the collimator are slit-shaped.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the collimator comprises a set of polished plates that are stacked in contact with each other.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein one or more of the plates has an unpolished portion in an otherwise polished surface.

8. A small-angle topography device comprising:

a source of penetrating radiation forming an incident radiation flux as a plurality of separated beams falling on an object to be analyzed;

a spatial filter for the plurality of separate beams, the spatial filter including a plurality of plates behind the object; and

a plurality of detector elements in slits formed between the plates.

9. The device of claim 8, further comprising a processing system coupled to receive data from the detector elements.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of plates have orientations and dimensions that limit radiation reaching the detector elements to radiation that is scattered at small angles in the object.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein each detector element is smaller than one half of a projection of one of the beams on a plane containing the detector element.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein for each of the separate beams, the plurality of detector elements includes:

a first detector element in an undeflected path of the beam; and

a second detector element in a path of the beam that is deflected at a small angle in the object.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein for each of the separate beams, the plurality of plates have orientations and dimensions that limit radiation reaching the second detector element for the beam, to radiation that is scattered at small angles in the object.

14. The device of claim 12, further comprising a processing system, wherein processing system is coupled to receive data from the detector elements, and the processing system determines an absorption distribution from data received from the first detector elements for the beams and a distribution of small angle scattering from data received from the second detector elements for the beams.

15. A device for determining composition and internal structure of an object, comprising:

a source of penetrating radiation;

a collimation system that shapes radiation flux from the source and directs radiation toward the object;

a scanning system for moving the object relative to the source;

a first detector system that measures undeflected radiation transmitted through the object and identifies a distribution of absorption factor of the object; and

a second detector system that measures radiation scattered at small angles, under 1°

, in the object and identifies a plurality of scattering curves for the object.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the collimation system comprises:

a first set of collimators that forms a first set of primary beams of radiation from the source, the first set of primary beams being directed toward the first detector system; and

a second set of collimators that forms a second set of primary beams of radiation from the source, the second set of primary beams being directed toward the second detector system.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein each primary beam in the first set is a flat fan-shaped beam of radiation from the source.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein:

the second set of collimators comprises a plurality of multislit collimators;

each of the multislit collimators forms a number of flat weakly diverging fan-shaped beams of radiation from the source; and

each of the multislit collimators has a central axis oriented at a different angle relative motion of the object.

19. The device of claim 16, further comprising a processing system coupled to receive data from the second detector system, wherein the processing system determines a scattering curve for each of the primary beams and compares each scattering curve to a data base of known scattering curves to identify composition of the object in a region through which the primary beam passes.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the processing system is coupled to receive data from the first detector system and determines a three-dimensional distribution of absorption factors from data from the first detector system.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the processing system when determining a scattering curve uses the distribution of absorption factors to compensate for effects of absorption.

22. A device for determining composition and internal structure of an object, comprising:

a source of penetrating radiation;

a collimation system that shapes radiation flux from the source and directs radiation toward the object;

a scanning system for moving the object relative to the source;

a first detector system that measures undeflected radiation transmitted through the object and identifies a distribution of absorption factor of the object; and

a second detector system that measures radiation scattered at small angles in the object and identifies a plurality of scattering curves for the object, wherein the second detector system comprises a two-dimensional coordinate sensitive detector and a spatial filter positioned between the detector and the object, the spatial filter having opaque regions positioned to block radiation transmitted through the object without deflection and transparent regions positioned to transmit to the detector radiation that the object deflects at small angles.

23. A device for determining composition and internal structure of an object, comprising:

a source of penetrating radiation;

a unit for shaping a radiation flux directed to the object;

a plurality of plates that form slits behind the object;

a first plurality of detector elements positioned in the slits between the plates to record radiation transmitted undeflected through the object; and

a second plurality of detector elements positioned in the slits between the plates to record radiation scattered at small angles in the object wherein the plurality of plates prevent undeflected radiation from reaching the second plurality of detector elements; and

a processing system coupled to the first and second pluralities of detector elements, wherein the processing system forms an image of the object based on measurements of recorded radiation transmitted undeflected through the object and scattered at small angles in the object.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein each detector element comprises a set of recording elements arranged along a length of a slit containing the detector element.

25. The device of claim 23, wherein the processing system discriminates the radiation scattered at small angles from radiation transmitted through the object without scattering, and determines a scattering curve for a portion of the object.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the processing system identifies a substance in the portion of the object by comparing the scattering curve to a data base of scattering curves for known substances.

27. The device of claim 23, wherein the unit for shaping the radiation flux forms a plurality of beams directed at the object, and a width of each detector element is smaller than half of a projection of a corresponding one of the beams onto a plane containing the detector element.

28. The device of claim 23, wherein the unit forming the flux in the direction of the analyzed object comprises a series of multislit collimators each of which is designed to form a number of flat weakly diverging fan-shaped beams from the single radiation source, the collimators being oriented so that their axes differ as much as possible different from each other.

29. The device of claim 23, further comprising a scanning system for moving the object with respect to the source.

30. The device of claim 23, wherein the small angles are less than 1°

.

31. The device of claim 23, wherein the processing system determines a three-dimensional internal structure of the object.