X-ray apparatus and X-ray measuring method

• US 9,234,856 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2011
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mukaide, Taihei
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnston, Phillip A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsai, Hsien
• Application Number:
  US13/809,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20130108020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: 378/62
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/041 Phase-contrast imaging, e.g. using grating interferometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/083 the radiation being X-rays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/20 by using diffraction of the radiation by the materials, e.g. for investigating crystal structure; by using scattering of the radiation by the materials, e.g. for investigating non-crystalline materials; by using reflection of the radiation by the materials
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 1/06 using diffraction, refraction or reflection, e.g. monochromators G21K1/10, G21K7/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 2201/06 using diffractive, refractive or reflecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 2201/067 Construction details
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 2207/005 Methods and devices obtaining contrast from non-absorbing interaction of the radiation with matter, e.g. phase contrast

Abstract

An apparatus for deriving X-ray absorbing and phase information comprises; a splitting element for splitting spatially an X-ray, a detector for detecting intensities of the X-rays transmitted through an object, the intensity of the X-rays changing according to X-ray phase and also position changes, and an calculating unit for calculating an X-ray transmittance image, and an X-ray differential phase contrast or phase sift contrast image as the phase information. The X-ray is split into two or more X-rays having different widths, and emitted onto the detector unit. And, the calculating unit calculates the X-ray absorbing and phase information based on a difference, between the two or more X-rays, in correlation between the changing of the phase of the X-ray and the changing the intensity of the X-ray in the detector unit.

Claims

1. An X-ray apparatus for deriving X-ray absorbing information and X-ray phase information of an object to be detected comprising:

a splitting element for splitting spatially X-rays generated by an X-ray generator into X-ray beams;

a detector unit for detecting intensities of the X-rays, based on the X-rays split by said splitting element and transmitted through the object, the intensity of the X-rays changing according to an X-ray phase shift during the transmitting of the X-rays through the object, and also changing according to an X-ray position change; and

a calculating unit for calculating an X-ray transmittance image as the X-ray absorbing information, and an X-ray differential phase contrast image or an X-ray phase shift contrast image as the X-ray phase information by using the intensities of the X-rays, wherein

said splitting element forms X-ray beams by splitting the X-rays, and the X-ray beams have two or more widths at said detector unit,

said calculating unit calculates the X-ray absorbing information and the X-ray phase information, based on a changing, in correlation between the changing of the phase of the X-rays and the changing the intensity of the X-rays in said detector unit, the correlation being changed according to the width of X-ray beam,

wherein said splitting element comprises a slit array formed by line and space such that a slit width changes periodically between two or more slit widths, and

wherein said slit array formed by line and space is formed by arranging alternatingly two slits of different widths.

2. The X-ray apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an X-ray optical element arranged between said splitting element and said detector unit, and formed from an element for converting the position change quantity generated by the phase shift through the object into the intensity change of the X-rays.

3. The X-ray apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said element forming the X-ray optical element comprises a plurality of members absorbing or transmitting the X-rays arranged perpendicularly to an X-ray incident direction, and said member is formed into a triangular prism shape to have absorbing capability gradient so that an X-ray absorbing quantity or an X-ray transmitting quantity changes according to an X-ray incident position.

4. The X-ray apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said element forming the X-ray optical element comprises a plurality of shields shielding a part of the X-rays arranged perpendicularly to an X-ray incident direction, so that an area shielded by said shield changes according to an X-ray incident position.

5. The X-ray apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an optical element arranged between said splitting element and said detector unit,

wherein an element forming said optical element comprises a plurality of phosphors sensing the X-rays arranged perpendicularly to an X-ray incident direction, to have a light emitting quantity gradient so that the light emitting quantity of the phosphor changes according to an X-ray incident position.

6. The X-ray apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an optical element arranged between said splitting element and said detector unit,

wherein an element forming the optical element comprises a plurality of optical filters arranged perpendicularly to an X-ray incident direction, so that a light transmittance of said filters changes according to an X-ray incident position.

7. The X-ray apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said calculating unit calculates the X-ray transmittance image and the X-ray phase shift image of the object, under an assumption that the X-rays being transmitted to said elements forming said X-ray optical element and being adjacent to each other contain information of the same position of the object.

8. The X-ray apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an optical element comprising a plurality of elements arranged between said splitting element and said detector unit, wherein

said calculating unit calculates the X-ray transmittance image and the X-ray position change of the object, under an assumption that the X-rays being transmitted to elements forming the X-ray optical element and being adjacent to each other contain information of the same position of the object.

9. An X-ray apparatus for deriving X-ray absorbing information and X-ray phase information of an object to be detected comprising:

a splitting element for splitting spatially X-rays generated by an X-ray generator into X-ray beams;

a detector unit for detecting intensities of the X-rays, based on the X-rays split by said splitting element and transmitted through the object, the intensity of the X-rays changing according to an X-ray phase shift during the transmitting of the X-rays through the object, and also changing according to an X-ray position change;

a calculating unit for calculating an X-ray transmittance image as the X-ray absorbing information, and an X-ray differential phase contrast image or an X-ray phase shift contrast image as the X-ray phase information by using the intensities of the X-rays; and

an X-ray optical element arranged between said splitting element and said detector unit, and formed from an element for converting the position change quantity generated by the phase shift through the object into the intensity change of the X-rays, wherein

said splitting element forms X-ray beams by splitting the X-rays, and the X-ray beams have two or more widths at said detector unit,

said calculating unit calculates the X-ray absorbing information and the X-ray phase information, based on a changing, in correlation between the changing of the phase of the X-rays and the changing the intensity of the X-rays in said detector unit, the correlation being changed according to the width of X-ray beam, and

a plurality of the elements each forming the X-ray optical element include a first element and a second element, and said calculating unit calculates the X-ray transmittance image and the X-ray position change of the object according to following mathematical expressions;

10. An X-ray apparatus for deriving X-ray absorbing information and X-ray phase information of an object to be detected comprising:

a splitting element for splitting spatially X-rays generated by an X-ray generator into X-ray beams;

a detector unit for detecting intensities of the X-rays, based on the X-rays split by said splitting element and transmitted through the object, the intensity of the X-rays changing according to an X-ray phase shift during the transmitting of the X-rays through the object, and also changing according to an X-ray position change;

a calculating unit for calculating an X-ray transmittance image as the X-ray absorbing information, and an X-ray differential phase contrast image or an X-ray phase shift contrast image as the X-ray phase information by using the intensities of the X-rays; and

an optical element arranged between said splitting element and said detector unit, and including a first element and a second element, and wherein said calculating unit calculates the X-ray transmittance image and the X-ray position change of the object according to following mathematical expressions;

11. The X-ray apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said splitting element comprises a slit array formed by line and space such that a slit width changes periodically between two or more slit widths.

12. The X-ray apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said slit array formed by line and space is formed by arranging alternatingly two slits of different widths.