X-ray system

A method of controlling an x-ray inspection device comprising the steps of:

• viewing a first x-ray image of an object in the device;
• manipulating said first image virtually to best show an area of interest;
• causing said device to move said object with respect to an x-ray source and/or an x-ray image intensifier in a real time to generate a second image corresponding to said area of interest;
• and
• determining a reference distance from an image intensifier to a support for an object to be imaged, comprising the steps of:
• imaging a plurality of pre-defined locations on said support by means of an x-ray beam perpendicular to the plane of the support;
• shifting the image intensifier in a plane parallel to the plane of the support;
• re-imaging said pre-defined locations by means of an x-ray beam non-perpendicular to the plane of the support;
• determining the angle of said beam with respect to said locations;
• and
• calculating said reference distance by means of trigonometry.

A method of controlling an x-ray inspection device comprising the steps of:

• viewing a first x-ray image of an object in the device;
• manipulating said first image virtually to best show an area of interest;
• causing said device to move said object with respect to an x-ray source and/or an x-ray image intensifier in a real time to generate a second image corresponding to said area of interest;
• and
• setting a reference distance from an image intensifier to an object plane of interest, comprising the steps of:
• causing an area of interest to be centered in the field of view;
• imaging the object at a first angle;
• re-centering the area of interest in the field of view;
• imaging the object at a second greater angle;
• re-centering the area of interest in the field of view, and repeating the steps of imaging at a successively greater angle;
• and
• re-centering until the image remains at the center of the field of view of all angles of the x-ray beam.