X-Ray Imaging Apparatus and X-Ray Imaging Method

• US 20110194674A1
• Filed: 11/29/2010
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Noma, Takashi, Watanabe, Masatoshi, Takada, Kazuhiro, Mukaide, Taihei, Fukuda, Kazunori
• Granted Patent: US 8,532,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/62
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/06 Diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/484 involving phase contrast X-ray imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/419 computed tomograph
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/046 using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT]

Abstract

An X-ray imaging apparatus and an X-ray imaging method can alleviate the influence of scattered X-rays relative to the obtained image. A differential phase contrast image or a phase contrast image of a detection object is computed by using a splitting element and an exposure control unit that synchronizes the X-ray scanning speed and the image acquisition speed of a detecting unit.

Claims

1. An X-ray imaging apparatus comprising:

a splitting element that spatially splits X-rays generated by an X-ray generating unit;

a detecting unit that detects each intensity of the split X-rays split by said splitting element and transmitted through a detection object;

a transport unit that moves the X-ray generating unit, said splitting element, the detection object or said detecting unit;

a transport control unit that controls a scanning time of the X-rays irradiated onto the detection object by means of said transport unit;

an exposure control unit that synchronizes the scanning time of the X-rays and an image acquisition time of said detecting unit; and

a computing unit that computes a differential phase contrast image or a phase contrast image of the detection object from the information acquired by said detecting unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detecting unit has a plurality of pixel areas and is so arranged that each of the split X-rays split by said splitting element is discretely irradiated over two or more than two pixel areas of said detecting unit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said splitting element spatially splits the X-ray in a first direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the X-rays and in a second direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the X-rays and the first direction.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said detecting unit comprises a time delay integration type detecting unit.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the X-ray generating unit comprises an X-ray generating unit for generating pulse-shaped X-rays.

6. An X-ray imaging method comprising the steps of:

spatially splitting X-rays generated by an X-ray generating unit by means of a splitting element;

irradiating the spatially split X-rays onto a detection object, detecting the intensity of the X-rays transmitted through the detection object by means of a detecting unit, while synchronizing a scanning time of irradiating X-rays onto the detection object and an image acquisition time of the detecting unit; and

computing a differential phase contrast image or a phase contrast image of the detection object from the information acquired by the detecting unit.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the detecting unit has a plurality of pixel areas and is so arranged that each of the split X-rays split by the splitting element is discretely irradiated over two or more than two pixel areas of the detecting unit.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the splitting element spatially splits the X-rays in a first direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the X-rays and in a second direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the X-rays and the first direction.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the detecting unit is a detecting unit for vertically transferring an electric charge of each of the pixels on a column by column basis and an electric charge transferring speed of the vertical transfer and a scanning speed of the X-rays are synchronized.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the generated X-rays are pulse-shaped X-rays and a cycle period of the pulse of the pulse-shaped X-rays and a cycle period of the electric charge transfer of the detecting unit are synchronized.