Apparatus and method for three-dimensional inspection of an object by x-rays

An apparatus for three-dimensional inspection of an object by X-rays, the apparatus comprising:

• an X-ray generator and a rectangular or square digital imaging device facing the X-ray generator,
• wherein the X-ray generator and the imaging device are spaced apart from each other by a distance corresponding to a magnification by 1, the X-ray generator is on an axis orthogonal to a plane of extension of the imaging device passing through a center of the imaging device, and
• wherein the X-ray generator is movable in a plane parallel to the plane of extension of the imaging device, and the imaging device is further movable within an X-ray generator plane of extension,
• the apparatus further comprising a means for controlling the position and the movement of the X-ray generator and of the imaging device and configured so as to move the X-ray generator by unitary movements in a first direction or a second direction respectively parallel to the sides of the imaging device and, at each unitary movement, to hold the relative position of the imaging device in relation to the X-ray generator,
• the control means being configured such that each unitary movement of the X-ray generator and of the imaging device, in the first or in the second direction, corresponds to an integer number fraction of a corresponding side of the imaging device, the integer number fraction is 1/N times the dimension of the side corresponding to the first direction and 1/N times the dimension of the side corresponding to the second direction, where N is a natural number greater than 1, so as to obtain, by successive shots after each unitary movement, a matrix set of sub-images overlapping in the plane of extension of the imaging device,
• wherein each sub-image has a center attributed with coordinates in a plane of magnification equal to N, the coordinates being determined according to the position of the center of the imaging device on taking the sub-image, and the apparatus further comprises an image processing means configured to perform a homothetic magnification of each sub-image, leaving unchanged the coordinates of the center of each sub-image, the image processing means further configured to determine a stretch factor enabling a coincidence of the sub-images representing all or some of a predefined element of interest of the image.