Multiplexed X-Ray Tube Origins for Single-Exposure Phase Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing x-ray imaging technologies face limitations in generating multiple localized origins of high-intensity hard x-rays, leading to issues such as motion artifacts, reduced image resolution, and inefficiencies in heat dissipation, which hinder the simultaneous acquisition of phase contrast and dark-field images without multiple exposures and restrict the use of rotating anode x-ray tubes.
Innovation Solution
A rotating and/or slewing cylindrical anode x-ray tube with a cathode that produces multiple small columns of pulsed electrons, allowing each column to impact either an x-ray producing metal or a non-x-ray producing material, enabling simultaneous acquisition of phase-shifted and scattered x-ray images through multiplexing and efficient heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a rotating anode x-ray tube is used to produce multiple localized origins of high-intensity hard x-rays, then image resolution and imaging speed are improved, but heat dissipation becomes insufficient and tube lifetime is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The anode surface is segmented into multiple localized regions, each serving as a separate x-ray origin. The cathode emits multiple pulsed electron columns that strike different segments of the rotating anode sequentially. This segmentation allows heat to be distributed across multiple anode regions rather than concentrated at a single point, enabling high-intensity x-ray production while managing thermal load through the rotation and segmentation of the anode structure.
2Measurement precision
If multiple exposures are used to acquire phase contrast and dark-field images, then image quality is improved, but motion artifacts increase and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs continuous multiplexed imaging by sequentially activating different electron columns to produce x-rays at different localized origins during a single rotating anode cycle. Multiple x-ray images are acquired continuously in succession from different origins without interrupting the rotation or requiring separate exposure sequences. This continuous multiplexed operation eliminates motion artifacts between exposures while maintaining high imaging speed and productivity.
3Productivity
If multiple localized origins of x-rays are generated simultaneously, then imaging speed and productivity are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple x-ray imaging functions into a single rotating anode x-ray tube system. Multiple electron columns and multiple localized x-ray origins are integrated within one tube, sharing common structural components such as the rotating anode assembly, vacuum envelope, and control systems. This consolidation achieves simultaneous multi-origin imaging while avoiding the complexity of multiple separate x-ray tube systems, as the rotating mechanism naturally sequences the activation of different origins.
4Device complexity
If traditional x-ray tube design is used, then device complexity is reduced, but motion artifacts increase and image resolution decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces dynamic operation to the x-ray tube by rotating the anode and sequentially activating multiple electron columns during rotation. This dynamic approach allows the system to generate multiple localized x-ray origins in succession, improving image resolution and eliminating motion artifacts through continuous imaging. The rotating anode mechanism transforms a static single-origin design into a dynamic multi-origin system that maintains simplicity while achieving superior imaging performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for the simultaneous acquisition of phase contrast and dark-field images with reduced motion artifacts and increased imaging speed, while extending the lifetime of the x-ray tube source and enabling efficient heat management, thus overcoming the limitations of traditional x-ray tube designs.
Implementation Method 1
a rotating and/or slewing cylindrical anode x-ray tube with a cathode that produces multiple small columns of pulsed electrons, allowing each column to impact either an x-ray producing metal
Implementation Method 2
A rotating and/or slewing cylindrical anode x-ray tube with a cathode that produces multiple small columns of pulsed electrons... enabling simultaneous acquisition of phase-shifted and scattered x-ray images through multiplexing and efficient heat dissipation
Implementation Method 3
For hard x-rays, the cross section for absorption, which generates the contrast in conventional radiography, is usually much smaller than that for elastic scattering. The elastic scattering causes a phase shift of the wave passing through matter.
Implementation Method 4
Phase disturbances occur at interfaces between soft-tissue planes that have slightly different refractive indices and thicknesses. Within soft-tissues, incident radiation is refracted by spatially oriented molecular and atomic planes, thereby experiencing a significant shift in phase
Data Source
AI summary
An x-ray tube source is disclosed that allows differential phase shift, attenuation, and x-ray scattering features of an object to be acquired in a single exposure. Such multiplexed x-ray tube source includes multiple x-ray spot origins controlled in such a way that each slightly separated spot is temporally modulated “ON and OFF” at differing frequencies. In an x-ray interferometer system, such x-ray tube source forms multiple illumination beams of a single angular view of an object's feature but each with different interference fringe locations. A composite image can be acquired with a high frame-rate digital detector as a component element in such x-ray interferometer system. Such composite image can be subsequently de-multipexed and separately presented according to each spot-source illumination beam. Such isolated images of an object's feature, each having different fringe locations, allows for post-acquisition “fringe-mapping” analysis of the feature's full interaction with x-rays, including refraction, scattering, and absorption.