# US 2016/0252467 A1 · X-ray CT microscopy system and method utilizing lattice sampling > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0252467 A1 - Document ID: US20160252467A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/054,194 - Filed: 2016-02-26 - Published: 2016-09-01 - Earliest claimed: 2015-02-27 - Assignees: Carl Zeiss X-ray Microscopy, Inc. - Applicants: Carl Zeiss X-ray Microscopy, Inc. - Inventors: William Thompson; Zhifeng Huang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160252467A1 ## CPC - G01N 23/046: using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT] - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract X-ray microscopy tomography scanning systems are not constrained by continuous scanning trajectories like in medical scanners. In fact, the source and detector can be held stationary during subsequent image capture producing a discrete sampling pattern. For such systems, a method of producing an optimized, even illumination of the object by choosing source/detector locations on a surface of an imaginary cylinder surrounding the object is disclosed. The locations, in one example, form a regular lattice with even coverage on the surface of that cylinder, rather than at locations along a continuous curve such as a helix. Using this method, the effective pitch may be increased beyond the theoretical limit imposed by helical scanning, allowing a greater range of y-axis coverage for the same number of projection angles, corresponding to an increase in throughput. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for sampling an object in an x-ray microscopy system, comprising: obtaining projections of an object at sampling points by irradiating the object with the x-ray beam and detecting the x-ray beam after passing through the object; and rotating the object around a rotation axis that is orthogonal to an optical axis of the x-ray beam and translating the object along the rotation axis between projections so that the sampling points form a two dimensional regular or irregular lattice pattern on an imaginary cylinder surrounding the object. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sampling points of the lattice pattern are spaced to maximize a distance between the sampling points with respect to each other for a fixed number of sampling points per unit area. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sampling points of the lattice pattern are spaced so that distances between any sampling point and its 4, 5 or 6 nearest neighbors are approximately equal or differ by no greater than 50%. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lattice pattern is hexagonal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lattice pattern is a hexagonal pattern with quasi-equidistant spacing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lattice pattern is rhombic, square, rectangular, or parallelogrammic. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lattice pattern is random or pseudo random. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising a single x-ray source and a pixelated two dimensional detector system for detecting the x-rays from the x-ray source. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lattice is rotationally and translationally symmetric. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lattice pattern as viewed from the perspective of a source point is the same regardless of the source point chosen. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lattice is distorted having a higher density of sampling points in the directions in which the object is elongated or has weaker transmission. ### Claim 12 An X-ray CT microscopy system, comprising: an x-ray source for generating an x-ray beam; a detector system for detecting the x-ray beam after transmission through an object; an object stage for holding the object in the x-ray beam and rotating the object around a rotation axis and translating the object along the rotation axis; and a computer system controls the object stage to rotate the object and translate the object to access sampling points arranged in a two dimensional regular or irregular lattice pattern on an imaginary cylinder surrounding the object. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein a computer system activates the x-ray source to irradiate the object and the computer system reads out two dimensional projection images captured by the detector system for the sampling points of the lattice pattern. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the computer system performs tomographic reconstruction of the object based on the projection images. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the sampling points of the lattice pattern are spaced to maximize a distance between the sampling points with respect to each other for a fixed number of sampling points per unit area. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the sampling points of the lattice pattern are spaced so that distances between any sampling point and its 4, 5 or 6 nearest neighbors are approximately equal or differ by no greater than 50%. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the lattice pattern is hexagonal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the lattice pattern is a hexagonal pattern with quasi-equidistant spacing. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the lattice pattern is rhombic, square, rectangular, or parallelogrammic. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the lattice pattern is random or pseudo random. ### Claim 21 (depends on 12) A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the lattice pattern is rotationally and translationally symmetric. ### Claim 22 (depends on 12) A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the lattice pattern as viewed from the perspective of a source point is the same regardless of the source point chosen. ### Claim 23 (depends on 12) A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the lattice is distorted having a higher density of sampling points in the directions the object is elongated or has weaker transmission.