Intraoral tomosynthesis X-ray imaging device, system, and method with interchangeable collimator

An x-ray intraoral tomosynthesis imaging system comprising:

• an x-ray source array comprising one or more spatially distributed x-ray focal spots configured to produce a scanning x-ray beam;
• a voltage power supply and a current source;
• a switching circuit configured to connect the current source to a plurality of cathodes of the x-ray source array, one at a time, to produce a scanning x-ray beam;
• a collimation assembly configured to provide rectangular or circular radiation fields;
• a digital intraoral x-ray detector;
• an input panel configured to allow a user to select one or more of x-ray energy, tube current, exposure time, and imaging mode;
• and
• an image viewer configured to display a stack of reconstructed tomosynthesis slice images,
• wherein the x-ray source array is configured to selectively produce either:
• (a) a scanning x-ray beam illuminating an object from different viewing angles without mechanically moving the x-ray source array for tomosynthesis;
• or (b) a single two dimensional (2D) radiograph;
• and
• wherein the collimation assembly is configured to substantially collimate x-ray radiation from all x-ray focal spots to the digital intraoral x-ray detector.