X-ray reciprocal space multi-scale imaging system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of material test apparatuses, and in particular to an X-ray reciprocal space multi-scale imaging system. An X-ray collimation and grating integration device is configured to modulate a cone beam X-ray to obtain a fan beam X-ray; a grating device is configured to perform preliminary modulation on an X-ray small-angle scattering signal generated after the fan beam X-ray irradiates a sample under test; a grating and coded aperture integration device is provided with a third grating and coded apertures, and the third grating is configured to modulate the preliminarily modulated X-ray small-angle scattering signal again to obtain a modulated X-ray small-angle scattering signal; the coded apertures are configured to modulate X-ray diffraction signals generated after the fan beam X-ray irradiates said sample to obtain modulated X-ray diffraction signals; and a detector is configured to receive the modulated X-ray small-angle scattering signal and the modulated X-ray diffraction signals. According to the present disclosure, integrated and automated tomography of a sample under test is realized, and the crystal structure and mesoscale information of internal voxels can be efficiently obtained.

Description

An X-ray reciprocal space multi-scale imaging system

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on April 1, 2024, with application number 202410383192.2 and invention name “A X-ray reciprocal space multi-scale imaging system”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of material detection equipment, and in particular to an X-ray reciprocal space multi-scale imaging system. Background Art

[0003] With the rapid development of advanced materials research and radiological diagnostics, the demand for special tomographic imaging tests on various new materials or diseased tissues is increasing day by day. In a large number of specific application scenarios, the imaging system needs to be able to obtain crystal structure information and mesoscopic scale information inside the sample to be tested. For example, when performing tomographic imaging on lithium battery cells, the above indicators can efficiently measure the performance parameters of lithium batteries. However, traditional X-ray tomography technology mainly relies on the physical laws of X-ray attenuation in matter for imaging, and cannot provide internal crystal structure information and mesoscopic scale information of the sample being tested. Therefore, it is of great significance to design an imaging system that can efficiently obtain internal crystal structure information and mesoscopic scale information of objects.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present disclosure proposes an X-ray reciprocal space multi-scale imaging system.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an X-ray reciprocal space multi-scale imaging system is provided, the system comprising: an X-ray source, an X-ray collimation and grating integrated device, a grating device, a grating and coded hole integrated device, and a detector; wherein the X-ray source is used to generate cone-beam X-rays; the X-ray collimation and grating integrated device is configured with a first grating and an X-ray collimator for modulating the cone-beam X-rays to obtain fan-beam X-rays; the grating device is configured with a second grating for preliminarily modulating the X-ray small-angle scattering signal generated after the fan-beam X-rays are irradiated on the sample to be measured; the grating and coded hole integrated device is configured with a third grating and a coded hole, The third grating is used to re-modulate the X-ray small-angle scattering signal preliminarily modulated by the second grating to obtain a modulated X-ray small-angle scattering signal; the coded aperture is used to modulate the X-ray diffraction signal generated after the fan beam X-ray is irradiated on the sample to be tested to obtain a modulated X-ray diffraction signal; the detector is used to receive the modulated X-ray small-angle scattering signal and the modulated X-ray diffraction signal; the modulated X-ray small-angle scattering signal and the modulated X-ray diffraction signal are used to generate a tomographic image of the sample to be tested, and the tomographic image contains the crystal structure and mesoscopic scale information inside the sample to be tested.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the tomographic image of the sample to be tested includes a first tomographic image generated based on the modulated small-angle X-ray scattering signal, and a second tomographic image generated based on the modulated X-ray diffraction signal; wherein, the voxels in the sample to be tested corresponding to the same pixel point in the first tomographic image and the second tomographic image are the same.

[0008] In a possible implementation, the X-ray source is a light source equipped with an X-ray tube.

[0009] In a possible implementation, the grating device is equipped with an electric translation stage for driving the second grating to perform phase stepping.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the coded hole is a light-transmitting hole on a material plate whose X-ray absorption coefficient exceeds a preset value.

[0011] In a possible implementation manner, the third grating and the coded aperture are integrated on the same substrate.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the groove direction of any one of the first grating, the second grating and the third grating is horizontal, vertical or inclined; and / or the type of any one of the first grating, the second grating and the third grating is an absorption grating or a phase grating.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the system further includes a control computer for controlling one or more of the X-ray source, the X-ray collimation and grating integrated device, the grating device, and the grating and coded aperture integrated device.

[0014] In a possible implementation, the system further includes: a radiation shielding device, wherein the X-ray source, the X-ray collimation and grating integration device, the grating device, the grating and coding hole integration device, and the detector are installed in the radiation shielding device.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the system further includes an electric sample displacement stage for driving the sample to be tested to move for performing electronic computed tomography (CT), digital radiography (DR), or spiral CT.

[0016] In the disclosed embodiments, X-ray diffraction imaging and small-angle X-ray scattering imaging are integrated into the same system. This significantly outperforms conventional X-ray imaging technology, enabling the simultaneous acquisition and utilization of diffraction signals from large-angle scattering (i.e., X-ray diffraction signals) and dark-field signals from small-angle scattering (i.e., X-ray small-angle scattering signals). Because the laws of X-ray diffraction and small-angle X-ray scattering are related to the laws of the reciprocal space lattice of the crystal structure of the sample under test, the detector in this system simultaneously receives multi-scale (also known as multi-characteristic or multi-contrast) signals (i.e., modulated small-angle X-ray scattering signals and modulated X-ray diffraction signals), which can be used to generate a tomographic image of the sample under test. This tomographic image contains both the crystal structure and mesoscopic scale information within the sample under test, thereby achieving multi-scale reciprocal space imaging. In this way, the system can realize integrated and automated tomographic imaging of the sample to be tested, and efficiently obtain the crystal structure information and mesoscopic scale information of the voxels inside the sample to be tested. Since different samples have different crystal types and mesoscopic structures, combining these two types of information can help better study the characteristics of the sample; it can meet the needs of special imaging of samples such as new materials and diseased tissues, and greatly promote the development of fields such as materials science and medical diagnostics.

[0017] Further features and aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments, features, and aspects of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

[0019] FIG1 shows a schematic structural diagram of an X-ray reciprocal space multi-scale imaging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG2 is a schematic diagram showing a motorized sample displacement stage and a movement mode of a sample 3 to be tested according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG3 is a schematic diagram showing the groove direction of a grating according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG4 shows a schematic structural diagram of another X-ray reciprocal space multi-scale imaging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG5 shows a schematic structural diagram of an X-ray collimation and grating integration device 2 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG6 shows a schematic structural diagram of a grating device 4 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG7 shows a schematic structural diagram of a grating and coded aperture integrated device 5 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG8 shows a workflow diagram of an X-ray reciprocal space multi-scale imaging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Various exemplary embodiments, features, and aspects of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the accompanying drawings represent elements with the same or similar functions. Although various aspects of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale unless otherwise indicated.

[0028] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" in this specification mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment is included in one or more embodiments of the present application. Thus, phrases such as "exemplary," "in one embodiment," "in some other embodiments," and "in other embodiments" appearing in various places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more but not all embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "including," "comprising," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0029] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: including the existence of A alone, the existence of A and B at the same time, and the existence of B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following items" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, c can be single or multiple.

[0030] In addition, numerous specific details are provided in the following detailed description to better illustrate the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present disclosure can be practiced without certain specific details. In some instances, methods, means, components, and circuits well known to those skilled in the art are not described in detail in order to highlight the main points of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of an X-ray reciprocal space multi-scale imaging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the system may include: an X-ray source 1, an X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2, a grating device 4, a grating and coded aperture integrated device 5, and a detector 6; the system can be used to detect a sample 3 (also referred to as an object to be tested), wherein:

[0032] The X-ray source 1 is used to generate cone-beam X-rays; the propagation direction of the X-rays shown in FIG1 is the transmission direction of the cone-beam X-rays. As an example, the X-ray source 1 can be a light source equipped with an X-ray tube, that is, the X-ray source 1 can use a conventional X-ray light source, such as a liquid target light source, which can emit high-brightness cone-beam X-rays. As another example, the X-ray source 1 can be other light sources such as a synchrotron radiation light source to meet different needs. It should be noted that the X-ray source 1 preferably uses a conventional X-ray source, which can meet the working requirements in most scenarios, so there is no need to use a large scientific device such as a synchrotron radiation light source; in some special scenarios with high requirements on the light source, the X-ray source 1 can be replaced with a synchrotron radiation light source.

[0033] The X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2 is configured with a first grating and an X-ray collimator, and is used to modulate the cone-beam X-rays generated by the X-ray source 1 to obtain fan-beam X-rays. Exemplarily, the X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2 is disposed on the propagation path of the cone-beam X-rays, so that the X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2 can receive the cone-beam X-rays. The cone-beam X-rays can sequentially pass through the X-ray collimator and the first grating. After passing through the X-ray collimator, the cone-beam X-rays are collimated into a fan-beam X-ray. After passing through the first grating, the fan-beam X-rays are modulated into a fan-beam X-ray having a periodic arrangement of light and dark fringes.

[0034] Exemplarily, the system may also be configured with a sample stage 7, which is arranged on the propagation path of the fan beam X-rays, and the sample 3 to be tested may be placed on the sample stage 7 so that the fan beam X-rays irradiate the sample 3 to be tested, and the sample 3 to be tested generates an X-ray diffraction signal and an X-ray small-angle scattering signal after being irradiated by the fan beam X-rays. It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the type, structure and shape of the sample 3 to be tested are not limited. Exemplarily, the type of the sample 3 to be tested may be a new material, a medical sample, etc., the structure of the sample 3 to be tested may be a single crystal sample, a polycrystalline sample, an amorphous sample, etc., and the shape of the sample 3 to be tested may be a regular shape or an irregular shape.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the sample stage 7 can be an electric sample displacement stage. The electric sample displacement stage can be used to move the sample to be tested 3 to perform electronic computed tomography (CT), digital radiography (DR) or spiral CT, etc.; for example, during the operation of the system, the electric sample displacement stage can move the sample to be tested 3 according to the set imaging parameters and requirements, thereby meeting different imaging needs. Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of an electric sample displacement stage and a movement mode of the sample to be tested 3 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the sample to be tested 3 can have four movement modes: movement along the x-direction, movement along the y-direction, movement along the z-direction, and rotation with the z-direction as the axis; wherein the y-direction is the propagation direction of the X-ray, and the z-direction is the vertical upward direction. As an example, taking the imaging mode of the X-ray reciprocal space multi-scale imaging system as tomographic imaging, that is, the X-ray reciprocal space multi-scale imaging system can adopt a spiral scanning mode, and the motorized sample displacement stage can drive the sample 3 to be tested to rotate around the z-axis for one circle to scan the tomographic layer where the fan beam X-ray is located; thereafter, the motorized sample displacement stage drives the sample 3 to be tested to translate up and down, and rotates again to scan another tomographic layer, and repeats this process until all parts of the sample 3 to be tested that need to be imaged are scanned, thereby completing spiral CT. In this way, when testing the sample 3 to be tested, it is only necessary to place the sample 3 to be tested on the motorized sample displacement stage. The motorized sample displacement stage can automatically move the sample 3 to be tested according to the set imaging parameters and requirements. The entire process is fully automated, does not require human intervention, and is easy to use; at the same time, the system can realize multiple forms of scanning such as CT, DR, or spiral CT on the sample 3 to be tested. Compared with equipment with a single scanning mode, this system has higher universality.

[0036] The grating device 4 is configured with a second grating for preliminarily modulating the X-ray small-angle scattering signal generated after the fan beam X-rays are irradiated on the sample to be tested 3; illustratively, the grating device 4 is arranged on the propagation path of the X-ray small-angle scattering signal so that the grating device 4 receives the X-ray small-angle scattering signal; the second grating in the grating device 4 can receive the X-ray small-angle scattering signal generated after the fan beam X-rays are irradiated on the sample to be tested 3, and modulate the X-ray small-angle scattering signal to obtain a modulated X-ray small-angle scattering signal.

[0037] The grating and coded aperture integrated device 5 is configured with a third grating and a coded aperture. The third grating is used to further modulate the small-angle X-ray scattering signal initially modulated by the second grating to obtain a modulated small-angle X-ray scattering signal. The coded aperture is used to modulate the X-ray diffraction signal generated after the fan beam X-rays are irradiated on the sample to be tested 3 to obtain a modulated X-ray diffraction signal. As another example, the coded aperture is a light-transmitting hole in a material plate with strong X-ray absorption capability. For example, it can be a light-transmitting hole in a material plate with an X-ray absorption coefficient exceeding a preset value. The X-ray absorption coefficient can also be referred to as the X-ray absorptivity. The preset value can be set as required, for example, 30%. Exemplarily, the grating and coded aperture integrated device 5 can be disposed on the propagation path of the X-ray diffraction signal and the preliminarily modulated small-angle X-ray scattering signal to receive the small-angle X-ray scattering signal preliminarily modulated by the second grating and the X-ray diffraction signal generated after the fan-beam X-rays irradiate the sample 3 to be tested. The third grating can be disposed on the propagation path of the preliminarily modulated small-angle X-ray scattering signal, and the coded aperture can be disposed on the propagation path of the X-ray diffraction signal generated after the fan-beam X-rays irradiate the sample 3 to be tested. As an example, the third grating and the coded aperture can be integrated on the same substrate. In this way, by integrating the third grating and the coded aperture on the same substrate, the small-angle X-ray scattering signal and the X-ray diffraction signal can be modulated simultaneously.

[0038] It should be noted that the gratings installed in the above-mentioned X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2, the grating device 4, and the grating and coding hole integrated device 5 can be configured according to needs, and there is no limitation on this. In one possible implementation, the groove direction of any grating among the first grating, the second grating and the third grating is horizontal, vertical or inclined; and / or, the type of any grating among the first grating, the second grating and the third grating is an absorption grating or a phase grating or other type of X-ray grating. That is, the groove direction of each grating installed by each component in the system can be in any direction. For example, FIG3 shows a schematic diagram of the groove direction of a grating according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3 , the groove direction of the grating can be: horizontal, vertical, or any inclined direction.

[0039] For example, the types and groove directions of the third and second gratings can be configured as needed so that the third and second gratings can work in conjunction with each other. The small-angle X-ray scattering signal generated by fan-beam X-rays irradiating the sample 3 to be tested is modulated by the second and third gratings in sequence to obtain the desired modulated small-angle X-ray scattering signal. In one possible implementation, the grating device 4 is configured with a motorized translation stage for driving the second grating to perform phase stepping; that is, the grating device 4 can be a stepping grating integrated device. In this way, by phase stepping the second grating and working in conjunction with the fixed third grating, the small-angle X-ray scattering signal generated by fan-beam X-rays irradiating the sample 3 to be tested can be modulated to obtain the desired modulated small-angle X-ray scattering signal.

[0040] The detector 6 is used to receive the modulated small-angle X-ray scattering signal and the modulated X-ray diffraction signal; wherein the modulated small-angle X-ray scattering signal and the modulated X-ray diffraction signal are used to generate a tomographic image of the sample 3 to be tested, and the tomographic image contains the crystal structure and mesoscopic scale information inside the sample 3 to be tested. The type of detector 6 can be selected according to needs and is not limited to this. As an example, the detector 6 can be a photon counting energy spectrum detector. Exemplarily, the detector 6 can be set on the propagation path of the modulated small-angle X-ray scattering signal and the modulated X-ray diffraction signal to detect the modulated small-angle X-ray scattering signal and the modulated X-ray diffraction signal.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the tomographic image of the sample 3 to be tested includes a first tomographic image generated based on the modulated small-angle X-ray scattering signal and a second tomographic image generated based on the modulated X-ray diffraction signal. The same pixel in the first and second tomographic images corresponds to the same voxel in the sample 3 to be tested. Thus, at the same moment, the small-angle X-ray scattering signal and the X-ray diffraction signal generated by the same voxel in the sample 3 to be tested can respectively pass through the third grating and coded aperture configured by the grating and coded aperture integrated device 5. The first tomographic image generated by the small-angle X-ray scattering signal modulated by the third grating and received by the detector 6 can be automatically aligned with the second tomographic image generated by the X-ray diffraction signal modulated by the coded aperture received by the detector 6. That is, the same pixel in the first and second tomographic images corresponds to the same voxel in the sample 3 to be tested. This imaging result is extremely convenient and beneficial for subsequent analysis of the internal characteristics of the sample 3 to be tested.

[0042] The X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2, the grating and coded aperture integrated device 5, and the detector 6 in this system are used for X-ray small scatting imaging (X-ray diffraction imaging). X-ray diffraction imaging is an X-ray imaging technology based on the physical principles of traditional X-ray diffraction and can be applied to fields such as materials science, biomedicine, and the semiconductor industry. It uses fan-beam X-rays to irradiate the sample 3 under test. The irradiated sample 3 generates several X-ray diffraction signals. According to Bragg's law, the X-ray diffraction signals generated by different types of crystals have different emission angles and intensities. Thus, the X-ray diffraction signals generated by the sample 3 under test are modulated by the coded apertures in the grating and coded aperture integrated device 5 and then received by the detector 6. These X-ray diffraction signals reconstruct the spatial structure of the sample 3 under test with spatial resolution. The modulated X-ray diffraction signals received by the detector 6 can then be used to obtain crystal structure information for each voxel of the sample 3 under test.

[0043] Among them, the X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2, the grating device 4, the grating and coded hole integrated device 5 and the detector 6 in the system are used for X-ray small-angle scattering imaging. X-ray small-angle scattering imaging, also known as X-ray dark field imaging, is also an imaging technology based on X-rays. When the fan beam X-rays are irradiated on the sample to be tested 3, small-angle X-ray forward scattering will occur inside the sample to be tested 3, that is, an X-ray small-angle scattering signal is generated. The X-ray small-angle scattering signal is modulated by the second grating in the grating device 4 and the third grating in the grating and coded hole integrated device 5, and then the modulated X-ray small-angle scattering signal received by the detector 6 can be used to obtain the mesoscopic scale information inside the sample to be tested 3, which has unique advantages especially for porous materials such as alveoli.

[0044] In the disclosed embodiments, X-ray diffraction imaging and small-angle X-ray scattering imaging are integrated into the same system. This significantly outperforms conventional X-ray imaging technology, enabling the simultaneous acquisition and utilization of diffraction signals from large-angle scattering (i.e., X-ray diffraction signals) and dark-field signals from small-angle scattering (i.e., X-ray small-angle scattering signals). Because the laws of X-ray diffraction and small-angle X-ray scattering are related to the laws of the reciprocal space lattice of the crystal structure of the sample under test, the detector in this system simultaneously receives multi-scale (also known as multi-characteristic or multi-contrast) signals (i.e., modulated small-angle X-ray scattering signals and modulated X-ray diffraction signals), which can be used to generate a tomographic image of the sample under test. This tomographic image contains both the crystal structure and mesoscopic scale information within the sample under test, thereby achieving multi-scale reciprocal space imaging. This system enables integrated, automated tomographic imaging of samples under test, efficiently obtaining both crystal structure and mesoscopic information from the voxels within the sample. Since different samples have different crystal types and mesoscopic structures, combining these two types of information can help better understand the sample's characteristics. It can also meet the specialized imaging needs of samples such as new materials and diseased tissues, significantly advancing fields such as materials science and medical diagnostics. Furthermore, the system can image a wide variety of samples under test, including samples of various shapes, significantly expanding its scope of application.

[0045] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of another X-ray reciprocal space multiscale imaging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, the system may include: an X-ray source 1, an X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2, a grating device 4, a grating and coded aperture integrated device 5, a detector 6, a sample stage 7, an integrated power supply and control module 8, a control computer 9, an external display 10, and a radiation shielding device 11. This system can be used to inspect a sample 3 (also referred to as an object to be tested).

[0046] Among them, the X-ray source 1, the X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2, the grating device 4, the grating and coded hole integrated device 5, and the detector 6 are the same as the corresponding components in the system shown in Figure 1 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0047] The integrated power supply and control module 8 is connected to the X-ray source 1, the X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2, the sample stage 7, the grating device 4, the grating and coding hole integrated device 5, and can provide power for one or more of the X-ray source 1, the X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2, the sample stage 7, the grating device 4, the grating and coding hole integrated device 5. In addition, it can also send control signals to the corresponding components after receiving instructions from the control computer 9 to control the corresponding components.

[0048] The control computer 9 is used to control one or more of the following components: the X-ray source 1, the X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2, the grating device 4, and the grating and coded aperture integrated device 5. For example, it can be connected to an external display 10 and an integrated power supply control module 8; it can manipulate the integrated power supply control module 8, thereby causing it to generate control signals to control one or more of the following components: the X-ray source 1, the X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2, the sample stage 7, the grating device 4, and the grating and coded aperture integrated device 5. It can also collect the modulated small-angle X-ray scattering signal and the modulated X-ray diffraction signal received by the detector 6, and can generate a tomographic image of the sample 3 based on the modulated small-angle X-ray scattering signal and the modulated X-ray diffraction signal; it can also obtain analysis results of the sample 3 (such as the crystal structure and mesoscopic scale information within the sample 3) based on the tomographic image. For example, the control computer 9 can also connect to Bluetooth and external devices, store data, and customize detection plans through computer programs.

[0049] The external display 10 is used to receive and display information transmitted by the control computer 9, wherein the information may include: the real-time status and parameters of the system, the acquisition signal (such as the modulated X-ray small-angle scattering signal and the modulated X-ray diffraction signal received by the detector 6), the imaging results (such as the tomographic image of the sample 3 to be tested), the analysis results of the sample 3 to be tested (such as the crystal structure and mesoscopic scale information inside the sample 3 to be tested), etc.

[0050] The radiation shielding device 11 is used to shield X-rays, preventing ionizing radiation damage to humans caused by X-ray leakage. In this system, except for the control computer 9 and the external display 10, all other components can be installed in the radiation shielding device 11; that is, the X-ray source 1, the X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2, the grating device 4, the grating and coded aperture integrated device 5, and the detector 6 are all installed in the radiation shielding device 11.

[0051] As an example, the control computer 9 can obtain the crystal structure information of the sample 3 to be tested by analyzing and comparing the modulated X-ray diffraction signal received by the detector 6 in combination with the diffraction pattern database, for example, the crystal type of the sample 3 to be tested can be obtained. For example, before the system is run, relevant background data can be collected as a built-in database of the system. For example, the standard diffraction patterns of common substances can be used as data in the database and stored in the built-in chip of the control computer 9. The modulated X-ray diffraction signal actually detected by the detector 6 can be processed using a machine learning algorithm to obtain the crystal type information of the sample 3 to be tested. As an example, a neural network model can be pre-trained based on the data in the database or other existing data collected. The neural network model can classify different X-ray diffraction signals, thereby obtaining the crystal type information corresponding to different X-ray diffraction signals. Among them, the neural network model can be a conventional classification model, and the neural network model can be trained using existing methods. In this way, during the actual detection process, the control computer 9 can separate the X-ray diffraction signals of each voxel in a certain slice of the sample to be tested 3 from the modulated X-ray diffraction signals actually detected by the detector 6 according to the existing method; then, the X-ray diffraction signals of each voxel in the slice are input into the trained neural network model, thereby automatically obtaining the crystal type information of the sample to be tested 3.

[0052] As another example, the control computer 9 can convert the modulated small-angle X-ray scattering signal collected by the detector 6 into an attenuation signal of the macroscopic displacement curve contrast, thereby performing analysis and image reconstruction to obtain the crystal structure inside the sample 3 to be tested. For example, a background displacement curve and a corresponding displacement curve of the sample 3 to be tested can be obtained, and then the difference between the two displacement curves can be analyzed to extract contrast information such as absorption, phase contrast, and dark field, so that the sample 3 to be tested can be imaged to obtain mesoscopic scale information of the sample 3 to be tested. For example, the background displacement curve and the corresponding object displacement curve can be obtained based on a phase stepping method, or based on a distributed incoherent X-ray source perpendicular to the grating stripe direction to obtain the background displacement curve and the corresponding object displacement curve, or based on a staggered or tilted grating and a distributed incoherent X-ray source parallel to the grating stripe direction to obtain the background displacement curve and the corresponding object displacement curve.

[0053] For example, the above system can be divided into six parts based on functional classification, namely, the radiation source subsystem, the coded aperture diffraction imaging subsystem, the grating small-angle scattering imaging subsystem, the control and power supply subsystem, the analysis and output subsystem, and the radiation shielding subsystem.

[0054] Among them, the ray source subsystem includes an X-ray source 1; the coded hole diffraction imaging subsystem can include an X-ray collimation and grating integration device 2, a grating and coded hole integration device 5 and a detector 6. In this subsystem, the X-ray collimation and grating integration device 2 can modulate the fan beam X-ray into a periodically arranged fan beam X-ray. When the fan beam X-ray is irradiated on the sample to be tested 3, it will diffract and emit an X-ray diffraction signal. The X-ray is encoded by the coded hole part in the grating and coded hole integration device 5, so that the detector 6 can extract the X-ray diffraction signal emitted by each voxel of the sample to be tested 3. In this way, the diffraction information of each voxel in the sample to be tested 3 can be extracted through the coded hole diffraction imaging subsystem. The grating small-angle scattering imaging subsystem may include an X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2, a grating device 4, a grating and coded aperture integrated device 5, and a detector 6. In this subsystem, the X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2 modulates fan beam X-rays into periodically arranged fan beam X-rays. The fan beam X-rays irradiate the sample 3, scattering the sample 3 and emitting small-angle X-ray scattering signals. These signals are then transmitted through the grating device 4 and the grating and coded aperture integrated device 5. The grating components of the grating device 4 and the grating and coded aperture integrated device 5 work in concert, allowing the detector 6 to extract the small-angle X-ray scattering signals emitted by each voxel of the sample 3. Thus, the grating small-angle scattering imaging subsystem can extract small-angle scattering information from each voxel of the sample 3. The control and power supply subsystem may include an integrated power supply control module 8. The analysis and output subsystem may include a control computer 9 and an external display 10. The radiation shielding subsystem may include a radiation shielding device 11. Since the laws of X-ray diffraction and small-angle X-ray scattering are related to the laws of the reciprocal space lattice of the crystal structure, the imaging technologies in the coded aperture diffraction imaging subsystem and the grating small-angle scattering imaging subsystem both belong to reciprocal space imaging technologies.

[0055] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the control computer 9 can control the X-ray source 1 to emit cone-beam X-rays, the X-ray collimation and grating integration device 2 to modulate the cone-beam X-rays into fan-beam X-rays, and the fan-beam X-rays irradiate the sample 3 to be tested, thereby generating X-ray diffraction signals and X-ray small-angle scattering signals. Then, the X-ray small-angle scattering signals modulated by the grating device 4 and the grating portion of the grating and coded hole integration device 5 are received by the detector 6. The control computer 9 can process the X-ray small-angle scattering signals using a specific algorithm (which can be the algorithm involved in the present disclosure or an existing algorithm), thereby imaging and analyzing to obtain mesoscopic scale information of each voxel of the sample 3 to be tested. At the same time, the X-ray diffraction signals modulated by the coded hole portion of the grating and coded hole integration device 5 are received by the detector 6. The control computer 9 can separate the diffraction signals of each voxel under a certain fault in the sample 3 to be tested according to the specific algorithm, and analyze the signals in combination with standard diffraction patterns and / or using machine learning to obtain crystal type information of each voxel in the sample 3 to be tested. Furthermore, the control computer 9 combines and analyzes the obtained mesoscopic scale information of each voxel of the sample to be tested 3 with the crystal type information of each voxel in the sample to be tested 3, and can obtain a tomographic image containing the crystal structure information and mesoscopic scale information inside the sample to be tested 3, which can also be displayed through the external display 10, thereby providing an efficient and complete tomographic imaging system for the crystal structure information and mesoscopic scale information inside the sample to be tested 3.

[0056] The following is an exemplary description of the specific structure of each component in the above-mentioned X-ray reciprocal space multi-scale imaging system.

[0057] FIG5 shows a schematic structural diagram of an X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The left side shows a front view of the X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2, and the right side shows a cross-sectional view of the X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2. As shown in FIG5 , the X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2 may include a frame base 3-1, a fixed frame 3-2, an X-ray fan beam collimator 3-3, a grating holder 3-4, an X-ray fan beam collimator slit 3-5, and a first X-ray grating 3-6.

[0058] The frame base 3-1 and the fixed frame 3-2 serve as fixed parts of the X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2, and can fix other components of the X-ray collimation and grating integrated device 2. As shown in Figure 5, the fixed frame 3-2 is fixedly mounted on the frame base 3-1.

[0059] The X-ray fan beam collimator 3-3 and the X-ray fan beam collimator slit 3-5 serve as the parts of the X-ray collimation and grating integration device 2 responsible for X-ray collimation, wherein the X-ray fan beam collimator 3-3 can be installed on the fixed frame 3-2. For example, the X-ray fan beam collimator 3-3 can be made of heavy metal or other materials with strong X-ray absorption; the X-ray fan beam collimator slit 3-5 is a slit opened on the X-ray fan beam collimator 3-3, and the direction of penetration of the X-ray fan beam collimator slit 3-5 is parallel to the propagation direction of the X-ray (marked in Figure 5), and can collimate the cone beam X-rays generated by the X-ray source 1 into fan beam X-rays.

[0060] The grating holder 3-4 and the first X-ray grating 3-6 serve as the grating part in the X-ray collimation and grating integration device 2, wherein the first X-ray grating 3-6 is mounted on the grating holder 3-4, and the grating holder 3-4 can be mounted on the fixed frame 3-2.

[0061] The first X-ray grating 3-6 is a component of the grating small-angle scattering imaging system. For example, the number of first X-ray gratings 3-6, the orientation of the grooves in the gratings, the type of the gratings, etc. are not limited. For example, the grooves in the gratings can be oriented horizontally, vertically, or in any tilted direction.

[0062] Figure 6 shows a schematic structural diagram of a grating device 4 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, the grating device 4 may include: a first grating fixing fixture 7-1, a second X-ray grating 7-2, a translation stage bracket 7-3, a motorized translation stage 7-4, and a translation stage base 7-5.

[0063] The first grating fixing fixture 7 - 1 and the second X-ray grating 7 - 2 serve as the grating part of the grating device 4 , wherein the second X-ray grating 7 - 2 is mounted on the first grating fixing fixture 7 - 1 .

[0064] The translation stage bracket 7-3 and the translation stage base 7-5 are fixed components of the grating device 4, securing the other components therein. The translation stage bracket 7-3 is used to secure other components that need to be moved. For example, the first grating fixture 7-1 can be fixed (as shown in Figure 6 , using three screws) to the translation stage bracket 7-3, allowing them to move together.

[0065] The motorized translation stage 7-4, the moving component of the grating assembly 4, enables high-precision translation. It is fixed to the translation stage base 7-5. For example, the motorized translation stage 7-4 can be a piezoelectric ceramic translation stage. The translation stage bracket 7-3 is a movable component extending from the top of the motorized translation stage 7-4. The translation stage's direction of movement, i.e., the direction in which the grating can be stepped, is shown in Figure 6. This direction of movement is perpendicular to the direction of X-ray propagation.

[0066] It should be noted that during the actual imaging process, the system controls whether and how the grating device 4 performs phase stepping based on the imaging requirements and parameters set by the user. Specifically, under certain special imaging requirements, the motorized translation stage 7-4 can drive the second X-ray grating 7-2 to perform phase stepping. The motorized translation stage 7-4 is a key component of the small-angle scattering imaging system and controls the stepping movement of the grating.

[0067] Figure 7 shows a schematic structural diagram of a grating and coded aperture integrated device 5 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7, the grating and coded aperture integrated device 5 may include: a grating and coded aperture integrated device support 8-1, a coded aperture holder 8-2, a coded aperture 8-3, a second grating fixing fixture 8-4, and a third X-ray grating 8-5.

[0068] As an example, the coding hole holder 8-2, the coding hole 8-3, the second grating fixing fixture 8-4, and the third X-ray grating 8-5 in the grating and coding hole integration device 5 can be integrated on the same substrate.

[0069] The grating and coded aperture integrated device support 8-1 is the fixed portion of the grating and coded aperture integrated device 5. It can also secure other components of the grating and coded aperture integrated device 5. For example, it can secure the substrate that integrates the coded aperture holder 8-2, the coded aperture 8-3, the second grating fixing fixture 8-4, and the third X-ray grating 8-5. The plane of the substrate is perpendicular to the propagation direction of the X-rays.

[0070] The coding hole holder 8-2 and coding hole 8-3 are the encoding components of the grating and coding hole integrated device 5, used to encode the X-ray diffraction signals emitted by the sample 3 to be tested. For example, a coding hole holder 8-2 and coding hole 8-3 can be respectively arranged at the top and bottom, and a second grating fixing fixture 8-4 and a third X-ray grating 8-5 can be positioned between the coding hole holder 8-2 and coding hole 8-3. For example, the upper and lower coding holes 8-3 can be made of heavy metal or other materials with strong X-ray absorption. The coding holes 8-3 are formed by carving a number of light-transmitting holes into a smooth plate of heavy metal or other materials with strong X-ray absorption. The coding holes 8-3 are mounted on the coding hole holder 8-2, which is screwed to the grating and coding hole integrated device bracket 8-1. Considering that in X-ray diffraction imaging, the X-ray diffraction signal collected by the detector 6 is a superposition of the X-ray diffraction signals from multiple voxels of the sample 3 to be tested, it is difficult to extract the individual X-ray diffraction signals for each voxel. The coded apertures 8-3 configured in the grating and coded aperture integrated device 5 can effectively solve this problem. For example, the coded apertures 8-3 are a number of small holes engraved on a thin plate of heavy metal or other material with strong X-ray absorption, allowing the X-ray diffraction signals to pass through. While a certain pixel of the detector 6 can only receive the X-ray diffraction signal emitted by the voxel on the line connecting the pixel and a certain hole in the coded apertures 8-3, a relevant algorithm can be used to accurately obtain the individual X-ray diffraction signal for each voxel of the sample 3 to be tested.

[0071] The second grating fixing fixture 8-4 and the third X-ray grating 8-5 are the grating parts of the grating and coding hole integrated device 5, wherein the third X-ray grating 8-5 is fixed on the second grating fixing fixture 8-4, and the second grating fixing fixture 8-4 is mounted on the grating and coding hole integrated device bracket 8-1 by screws; illustratively, the second grating fixing fixture 8-4 and the third X-ray grating 8-5 are arranged between the upper and lower coding holes 8-3.

[0072] The following is an illustrative description of the workflow of the above-mentioned X-ray reciprocal space multi-scale imaging system. FIG8 shows a workflow diagram of an X-ray reciprocal space multi-scale imaging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG8 , the user selects the sample to be tested and places it on the electric sample displacement stage. The X-ray reciprocal space multi-scale imaging system is started by the control computer, the imaging parameters and requirements are set on the control computer, the power supply is controlled to start working on the control computer, and the electric sample displacement stage drives the sample to be tested to the initial position according to the set imaging parameters and requirements. Thereafter, the X-ray source emits a cone beam X-ray, which is modulated into a fan beam X-ray after passing through the X-ray collimation and grating integration device and irradiates the sample to be tested. After being irradiated by the fan beam X-ray, the sample to be tested emits an X-ray diffraction signal and an X-ray small-angle scattering signal. The X-ray diffraction signal passes through the coded apertures in the grating and coded aperture assembly and is received by a detector. A control computer uses a specific algorithm to extract the X-ray diffraction signal for each voxel within the sample. Based on this signal, the control computer combines machine learning with standard diffraction patterns to analyze and obtain crystal type information for each voxel in the sample, generating an image. Simultaneously, the small-angle X-ray scattering signal passes through the second grating in the grating assembly and the third grating in the grating and coded aperture assembly and is received by the detector. The control computer analyzes and processes the collected small-angle X-ray scattering signal for each voxel in the sample, reconstructing a small-angle scattering image of the sample and thereby obtaining mesoscopic information for each voxel. The sample stage continuously adjusts the position of the sample according to the set imaging parameters and requirements, imaging different locations or slices of the sample. The control computer stores the crystal structure and mesoscopic information for each voxel within the sample and can display this information and imaging results on an external display. Furthermore, the control computer can copy the data to other devices to meet different needs.

[0073] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the control computer can control the X-ray source to emit cone-beam X-rays, the X-ray collimation and grating integration device modulates the cone-beam X-rays into fan-beam X-rays, and the fan-beam X-rays irradiate the sample to be tested, thereby generating X-ray diffraction signals and X-ray small-angle scattering signals; then, the X-ray small-angle scattering signal modulated by the grating device and the grating part in the grating and coded hole integration device is received by the detector; at the same time, the X-ray diffraction signal modulated by the coded hole part in the grating and coded hole integration device is received by the detector; thereby, the X-ray small-angle scattering signal and the X-ray diffraction signal can be synchronously collected.

[0074] For example, the X-ray small-angle scattering signal can be processed by a specific algorithm, so that the mesoscopic scale information of each voxel of the sample to be tested can be analyzed; the X-ray diffraction signal of each voxel under a certain fault in the sample to be tested can be separated according to the specific algorithm, and the crystal type information of each voxel in the sample to be tested can be obtained by combining the standard diffraction pattern and / or using machine learning and other methods. Furthermore, on the basis of simultaneously obtaining the mesoscopic scale information of each voxel of the sample to be tested and the crystal type information of each voxel in the sample to be tested, these two types of information can be combined and analyzed to obtain a tomographic image containing the crystal structure information and mesoscopic scale information inside the sample to be tested, so as to further study and analyze the characteristics of the sample to be tested. For example, the tomographic image can also be displayed on an external display. In this way, when using this system for detection, it is only necessary to place the sample to be tested on the electric sample displacement stage and set the imaging parameters and requirements. The entire imaging process is fully automated, and the required results can be directly output and saved without manual data processing, which is convenient to use.

[0075] While various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the foregoing description is intended to be illustrative, non-exhaustive, and not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is selected to best explain the principles of the embodiments, their practical applications, or technological improvements in the marketplace, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An X-ray reciprocal space multi-scale imaging system, characterized in that: The system includes: an X-ray source, an X-ray collimation and grating integrated device, a grating device, a grating and coding hole integrated device, and a detector; wherein, The X-ray source is used to generate cone-beam X-rays; The X-ray collimation and grating integrated device is configured with a first grating and an X-ray collimator, and is used to modulate the cone-beam X-rays to obtain fan-beam X-rays; The grating device is configured with a second grating for preliminarily modulating the X-ray small-angle scattering signal generated after the fan beam X-ray irradiates the sample to be measured; The grating and coded aperture integrated device is configured with a third grating and a coded aperture, wherein the third grating is used to re-modulate the X-ray small-angle scattering signal initially modulated by the second grating to obtain a modulated X-ray small-angle scattering signal; and the coded aperture is used to modulate the X-ray diffraction signal generated after the fan beam X-ray irradiates the sample to be tested to obtain a modulated X-ray diffraction signal; The detector is used to receive the modulated small-angle X-ray scattering signal and the modulated X-ray diffraction signal; wherein the modulated small-angle X-ray scattering signal and the modulated X-ray diffraction signal are used to generate a tomographic image of the sample to be tested, and the tomographic image contains the crystal structure and mesoscopic scale information inside the sample to be tested.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The tomographic image of the sample to be tested includes a first tomographic image generated based on the modulated small-angle X-ray scattering signal, and a second tomographic image generated based on the modulated X-ray diffraction signal; wherein, the voxels in the sample to be tested corresponding to the same pixel point in the first tomographic image and the second tomographic image are the same.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The X-ray source is a light source equipped with an X-ray tube.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The grating device is equipped with an electric translation stage for driving the second grating to perform phase stepping.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The coded holes are light-transmitting holes on a material plate whose X-ray absorption coefficient exceeds a preset value.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The third grating and the coding hole are integrated on the same substrate.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The groove direction of any one of the first grating, the second grating and the third grating is horizontal, vertical or inclined; and / or the type of any one of the first grating, the second grating and the third grating is absorption grating or phase grating.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The system further includes a control computer for controlling one or more of the X-ray source, the X-ray collimation and grating integrated device, the grating device, and the grating and coded aperture integrated device.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The system further comprises a radiation shielding device, wherein the X-ray source, the X-ray collimation and grating integrated device, the grating device, the grating and coded hole integrated device, and the detector are installed in the radiation shielding device.

10. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that The system further comprises an electric sample displacement stage for driving the sample to be tested to move so as to perform electronic computed tomography (CT), digital X-ray (DR) or spiral CT.

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