Scanning beam x-ray imaging system

An imaging system comprising an x-ray source, an x-ray detector array, a monitor and a scan generator;

• said x-ray source comprising an electron beam generator and an anode;
• said anode comprising a target layer which emits x-ray photons when stimulated by a beam of electrons;
• said scan generator comprising circuitry for positioning said electron beam in a pattern of steps AP.sub.x by AP.sub.y ;
• said x-ray detector array comprising a plurality of detector elements, said detector elements arranged in a DET.sub.x by DET.sub.y array;
• said anode and said x-ray detector array positioned such that said target layer emits x-ray photons which strike a plurality of said detector elements of said x-ray detector array;
• each of said detector elements comprising means for measuring the intensity of each of said x-ray photons which strike said detector elements and generating an electrical signal indicative of said intensity, said electrical signals from each of said detector elements are discretely output from said x-ray detector array;
• a group of discrete electrical outputs is output for each positioning of said electron beam at selected spots on said target layer;
• and
• said monitor comprising processing circuitry which generates an image array based upon said groups of discrete electrical outputs;
• said processing circuitry comprising memory which stores the equivalent of a four dimensional array (PIXEL) of size DET.sub.x by DET.sub.y by AP.sub.x by AP.sub.y containing data for each step of said electron beam;
• said image array comprising the equivalent of a two dimensional array which has the value:
• ##EQU14## where focus is a number between 0.1 and 10.0.