X-ray optics, especially for phase contrast imaging

A method of imaging of an object, which method includes irradiating the object with radiation from a source so that in the object the radiation is substantially or highly laterally coherent or nearly so, and detecting one or more sub-beams of said radiation after they have passed through the object, wherein the transverse location of said sub-beam(s) of said radiation is detected at said detector and said radiation is intercepted by one or more means each defining one or more apertures which from said sub-beam(s), which apertures are sufficiently small with respect to the relative location of said source and detector for said transverse location to be sensitive to refractive angular deviation of the radiation by the object, whereby to provide information about a constituent of the object causing said deviation.

Apparatus for imaging of an object, including:

• a source of radiation,
• a detector for the radiation sufficiently spaced from the source for radiation from the source to be substantially or highly laterally coherent or nearly so in an object when such is disposed for irradiation by the radiation and detection thereafter by the detector;
• wherein the detector is configured for detection of the transverse location a plurality of sub-beams of the radiation, and there is further provided one or more means each defining a plurality of apertures for forming said sub-beams, which apertures are sufficiently small with respect to the relative location in use of said source and detector for said detected sub-beams to be sufficiently resolved and contrasted with respect to background to provide information about a constituent of the object causing partial or complete absorption of one or more of the sub-beams.

A method of imaging of an object, which method includes irradiating the object with radiation from a source so that in the object the radiation is substantially or highly laterally coherent or nearly so, and detecting a plurality of sub-beams of said radiation after they have passed through the object, wherein the transverse location of said sub-beams of said radiation is detected at said detector and said radiation is intercepted by means each defining a plurality of apertures which form said sub-beams, which apertures are sufficiently small with respect to the relative location of said source and detector for said detected sub-beams to be sufficiently resolved and contrasted with respect to background to provide information about a constituent of the object causing partial or complete absorption of one or more of the sub-beams.