Simplified conditions and configurations for phase-contrast imaging with hard x-rays
OwnerStephen William Wilkinsinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of obtaining an image of a boundary of an object, the boundary representing a refractive index variation, the method including irradiating the boundary with penetrating radiation having high lateral spatial coherence and a propagation component transverse to the refraction index variation, and receiving at least a portion of the radiation on an image plane so as to form the image, the radiation having been refracted by the boundary such that the boundary is represented on the image by a corresponding intensity variation. Additionally, the method may also include processing the image to resolve weaker variations.
Claims35
A method of obtaining an image of a boundary of an object, said boundary representing a refractive index variation, said method comprising:
- irradiating said boundary with a propagated wavefront of x-rays having high lateral spatial coherence and a propagation component transverse to said refractive index variation;
- detecting intensity of at least a portion of said wavefront of said x-rays passing through said boundary so as to form said image, said x-rays having been refracted by said boundary such that said boundary is represented on said image by a corresponding variation in the detected intensity of said wavefront in said image;
- and
- processing said image so as to derive from the image said corresponding variation in the detected intensity of said wavefront in said image and so identify the representation of the boundary.
An apparatus for obtaining an image of a boundary of an object, said boundary representing a refractive index variation, said apparatus comprising:
- a source for irradiating said boundary with a propagated wavefront of x-rays having high lateral spatial coherence and a propagation component transverse to said refractive index variation;
- a detector for detecting intensity of at least a portion of said wavefront of said x-rays so as to form said image, said x-rays having been refracted by said boundary such that said boundary is represented on said image by a corresponding variation in the detected intensity of said wavefront in said image;
- and
- means for processing said image so as to derive from the image said corresponding variation in the detected intensity of said wavefront in said image and so identify the representation of the boundary.
A method of deriving a phase-contrast record of an internal boundary representing a sharp refractive index variation comprising:
- irradiating the boundary with a propagated wavefront of x-rays having a propagation direction such that there is a significant component of the propagation vector transverse to the direction of said refractive index variation, and further having a lateral spatial coherence sufficiently high for the variation in refractive index to cause a detectable change in the local direction of propagation of the wavefront of x-rays at the boundary;
- detecting and recording intensity of at least a portion of said wavefront of x-rays after it has traversed said boundary in a manner whereby an effect of said change in the local direction of propagation is observable to form a record of a local diminution or rapid variation of intensity of the x-rays which thereby substantially detects the boundary;
- and
- processing said record so as to derive from the record said corresponding variation in the detected intensity of said wavefront in said record and so identify the representation of the boundary.
An apparatus for deriving a phase-contrast record of an internal boundary representing a sharp refractive index variation, comprising:
- means to irradiate the boundary with a propagated wavefront of x-rays having a propagation direction such that there is a significant component of the propagation vector transverse to the direction of said refractive index variation, and further having a lateral spatial coherence sufficiently high for the variation in refractive index to cause a detectable change in the local direction of propagation of the wavefront of x-rays at the boundary;
- and
- means for detecting and recording intensity of at least a portion of said wavefront of x-rays after it has traversed said boundary in a manner, whereby an effect of said change in the local direction of propagation is observable to form a record of a local diminution or rapid variation of intensity of the wavefront of x-rays which thereby substantially detects the boundary;
- and
- means for processing said record so as to derive from the record said corresponding variation in the detected intensity of said wavefront in said record and so identify the representation of the boundary.
A method of obtaining an image of a boundary of an object, said boundary representing a refractive index variation, said method comprising:
- irradiating said boundary with a propagated wavefront of x-rays having high lateral spatial coherence and a propagation component transverse to said refractive index variation;
- detecting intensity of at least a portion of said wavefront of said x-rays so as to form said image, said x-rays having been Fresnel diffracted by said boundary such that said boundary is represented on said image by a corresponding variation in the detected intensity of said wavefront in said image;
- and
- processing said image so as to derive from the image said corresponding variation in the detected intensity of said wavefront in said image and so identify the representation of the boundary.
An apparatus for obtaining an image of a boundary of a object, said boundary representing a refractive index variation, said apparatus comprising:
- a source for irradiating said boundary with a wavefront of x-rays having high lateral spatial coherence and a propagation component transverse to said refractive index variation;
- and
- a detector for receiving at least a portion of said wavefront of said x-rays passing through said boundary so as to form said image, said x-rays having been Fresnel diffracted by said boundary such that said boundary is represented on said image by a corresponding variation in the detected intensity of said wavefront in said image;
- and
- means for processing said image so as to derive from the image said corresponding variation in the detected intensity of said wavefront in said image and so identify the representation of the boundary.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.