System and method for cabinet x-ray systems with stationary x-ray source array

A cabinet x-ray system for obtaining specimen x-ray images, projection x-ray images, and reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images of a specimen, the cabinet x-ray system comprising:

• a cabinet defining an interior chamber;
• a display;
• an x-ray system including:
• a flat panel x-ray detector;
• a plurality of x-ray sources, wherein one of the plurality of x-ray sources is positioned at a standard imaging angle of approximately 0° relative to the flat panel x-ray detector;
• and
• a specimen platform including a magnification tray that is positioned at a distance above the flat panel x-ray detector to facilitate geometric magnification imaging of the specimen in the cabinet;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• energize each of the plurality of x-ray sources separately to emit x-rays through the specimen to the flat panel x-ray detector such that an isocenter of the emitted x-rays of each of the plurality of x-ray sources is located at a surface of the flat panel x-ray detector;
• control the flat panel x-ray detector to collect projection x-ray images of the specimen when each of the plurality of x-ray sources are separately energized to form a collection of x-ray images, wherein one of the projection x-ray images is a two-dimensional x-ray image taken at the standard imaging angle of approximately 0°;
• create a tomosynthetic x-ray image reconstructed from the collection of projection x-ray images;
• process the collection of the projection x-ray images in the controller into one or more reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images representing a volume of the specimen and relating to one or more image planes that are selectively same or different from that of the two-dimensional x-ray image;
• and
• selectively display the two-dimensional x-ray image and the one or more reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images.

A method for obtaining and varying a superimposed image of an x-ray image and an optical image of a specimen in a cabinet x-ray and optical image system, wherein the cabinet x-ray and optical image system comprises:

• a cabinet defining an interior chamber;
• a display;
• an x-ray system including:
• an x-ray detector;
• a plurality of fixed x-ray sources in an array, the plurality of fixed x-ray sources including fixed x-ray sources at end positions of the array, each fixed x-ray source of the fixed x-ray sources at the end positions of the array having a point source line of a beam such that an angle between point source lines of the fixed x-ray sources at the end positions of the array is from about 20° to about 50°, about 30°, or about 20°, wherein one of the plurality of fixed x-ray sources is positioned at a standard imaging angle of approximately 0° relative to the x-ray detector;
• and
• a specimen platform;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• energize each of the plurality of fixed x-ray sources separately to emit x-rays through the specimen to the x-ray detector such that an isocenter of the emitted x-rays of each of the plurality of fixed x-ray sources is located at a surface of the x-ray detector;
• control the x-ray detector to collect projection x-ray images of the specimen when each of the plurality of fixed x-ray sources are separately energized to form a collection of x-ray images, wherein one of the projection x-ray images is a two-dimensional x-ray image taken at the standard imaging angle of approximately 0°;
• create a tomosynthetic x-ray image reconstructed from the collection of projection x-ray images;
• process the collection of the projection x-ray images in the controller into one or more reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images representing a volume of the specimen and relating to one or more image planes that are selectively same or different from that of the two-dimensional x-ray image;
• and
• selectively display the two-dimensional x-ray image and the one or more reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images,
• wherein the method comprises:
• controlling the x-ray detector to collect projection x-ray images of the specimen when each of the plurality of x-ray sources are separately energized to form a collection of x-ray images, wherein one of the projection x-ray images is a two-dimensional x-ray image taken at a standard imaging angle of approximately 0°;
• creating a tomosynthetic x-ray image reconstructed from the collection of projection x-ray images;
• processing the collection of the projection x-ray images in the controller into one or more reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images representing a volume of the specimen and relating to one or more image planes that are selectively same or different from that of the two-dimensional x-ray image;
• and
• selectively displaying the two-dimensional x-ray image and the one or more reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images.