Specimen radiography with tomosynthesis in a cabinet

A method for obtaining x-ray images of a specimen in a cabinet x-ray system, processing and displaying a two-dimensional x-ray image and projection x-ray images of the specimen, wherein the cabinet x-ray system comprising a cabinet defining an interior chamber;

• an x-ray source, an x-ray detector, a specimen platform which is a protective cover of and in physical contact with the x-ray detector, and a motion control mechanism configured for moving the x-ray source to or along a plurality of positions within the interior chamber relative to the specimen disposed on the specimen platform;
• and a controller configured to selectively energize the x-ray source to emit x-rays through the specimen to the x-ray detector at selected positions of the x-ray source relative to the specimen, wherein the method comprises:
• controlling the x-ray detector to collect projection x-ray images of the specimen when the x-ray source is energized at the selected positions such that the isocenter of the emitted x-rays at the selected positions is located at a surface of the x-ray detector, wherein one of the projection x-ray images is a two-dimensional x-ray image taken at standard imaging angle of approximately 0°;
• creating a tomosynthetic x-ray image reconstructed from a collection of projection x-ray images;
• processing the collection of the projection x-ray images in the controller into one or more reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images representing a volume of the specimen and relating to one or more image planes that are selectively the same or different from that of the two-dimensional x-ray image;
• and
• selectively displaying the two-dimensional x-ray image and the one or more reconstructed tomosynthetic x-ray images.