Tomographic imaging system

A tomographic imaging system, the tomographic imaging comprising:

• a plurality of modules, each module including:
• a plurality of x-ray sources, each x-ray source including:
• an illumination source which produces photons;
• a vacuum manifold including:
• a quartz window through which said photons pass into said vacuum manifold;
• a photoemission element which interacts with said photons and produces electrons via a photoelectric effect;
• an electron multiplier which includes a set of wound spiral capillaries, said electron multiplier which receives said electrons from said photoemission element and amplifies said electrons into an electron beam which is accelerated through a voltage;
• and
• a target which receives said electron beam from said electron multiplier on a surface of said target, and emits x-rays;
• a modular housing;
• wherein a plurality of said illumination sources are disposed outside of said modular housing and each of said plurality of illumination sources illuminates each of said plurality of x-ray sources;
• a plurality of windows disposed in said modular housing, and corresponding to each of said plurality of illumination sources, and through which said plurality of said illumination sources illuminate said plurality of x-ray sources;
• and
• a plurality of ports disposed in said modular housing to accommodate a vacuum pump and a plurality of voltage lines,
• said plurality of modules being interconnected with one another and disposed in a plurality of geometries, including at least one of a 360-degree ring, a U-shaped geometry, a linear shape, or a polygonal geometry;
• wherein each of said plurality of x-ray sources is modulated in time and/or frequency domains using a programmable controller;
• and
• wherein said plurality of interconnected modules are synchronized with said programmable controller.

A tomographic imaging system, the tomographic imaging system comprising:

• a plurality of modules containing a plurality of x-ray sources in each of said plurality of modules, said plurality of modules being arranged in a plurality of geometric shapes;
• wherein each of said plurality of modules includes at least one illumination source which emits photons;
• wherein each of said plurality of modules includes a metallic photocathode having non-thermionic electron generation in each of said plurality of x-ray sources;
• an electron multiplier which amplifies electrons generated from said metallic photocathode;
• a metallic anode target which receives said amplified electrons and generates x-rays;
• and
• a plurality of detectors which detect said x-rays emitted from each of said plurality of x-ray sources;
• wherein said plurality of x-ray sources are modulated in time and/or frequency domains by a programmable controller;
• and
• wherein an algorithmic scheme determines from which of said x-ray sources a detected photon originates.

A method of operating a tomographic imaging system, the method of operating a tomographic imaging system comprising:

• generating a plurality of x-rays from a plurality of x-ray sources disposed in a plurality of modules arranged in a plurality of geometric shapes, by:
• emitting photons from a plurality of illumination sources disposed in each of said plurality of modules;
• generating electrons from each of a plurality of metallic photocathodes having non-thermionic electron generation;
• wherein each of said plurality of metallic photocathodes are disposed in each of said plurality of x-ray sources, and each of said plurality of metallic photocathodes which emit said electrons are amplified by one of a plurality of electron multipliers disposed in each of said plurality of x-ray sources;
• generating x-rays from each of a plurality of metallic anode targets disposed in each of said plurality of x-ray sources, each of said plurality of metallic anode targets which receive said amplified electrons from a corresponding one of a plurality of electron multipliers;
• detecting said x-rays emitted from each of said plurality of x-ray sources in said plurality of x-ray modules, using a plurality of detectors disposed adjacent to said plurality of modules;
• modulating each of said plurality of x-ray sources in time and/or frequency domains using a programmable controller;
• and
• implementing an algorithmic scheme to determine which of said x-rays sources from which a detected photon originates, when said plurality of x-ray sources are turned on at said same time.