X-ray imaging device and associated imaging method

An X-ray imaging device, in particular in phase contrast, characterised in that said imaging device comprises:

• an X-ray source,
• a spatial intensity modulator, having a maximum thickness and a minimum thickness, capable of being passed through by an X-ray beam from the X-ray source, and of forming an X-ray beam which is spatially intensity modulated, the spatial intensity modulator comprising an element selected from copper, titanium, nickel, silver, tin, gold, and the mixtures thereof,
• a support of sample (E), capable of supporting a sample (E), said sample (E) being intended to be passed through by at least one portion of said spatially intensity modulated X-ray beam and transmitting a refracted spatially intensity modulated X-ray beam, the sample (E), when it is on said support, being located at a distance d from the X-ray source,
• an X-ray detection system, located at a distance D from the X-ray source, and comprising a two-dimensional X-ray sensor provided with a plurality of photo-detector elements, each having the same given size, said detection system being capable, in a first configuration of the device in which the device does not comprise a sample (E), of detecting a first X-ray beam F directly from the spatial intensity modulator, said first X-ray beam directly from the spatial intensity modulator having a first intensity modulation, and of transforming said first beam into a first electrical signal (Selec_ref), and, in a second configuration of the device in which a sample (E) is disposed on the support of sample (E), of detecting a second X-ray beam F′, passing through the spatial intensity modulator then the sample (E), said second X-ray beam refracted by the sample (E) having a second intensity modulation, and of transforming said second beam into a second electrical signal (Selec_sample),
• an electronic processing unit, capable of receiving the first electrical signal (Selec_ref) and of processing it so as to generate a first image (Iref(x, y)) comprising a plurality of pixels, each having the same given size, and of receiving the second electrical signal (Selec_sample) and of processing it so as to generate a second image (Isample(x, y)), and capable of generating, from said first image (Iref(x, y)) and from said second image (Isample(x, y)), at least one characteristic image of said sample (E), said imaging device being characterised in that the difference between the maximum thickness and the minimum thickness of the spatial intensity modulator (3), called average roughness, is comprised between two and twenty times the size of the pixels of the first image Iref(x, y), said size being equal to the product of the size of the photo-detector elements by the ratio d/D.