X-ray Beam Profile Measurement Using Area Detector Decoupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for measuring X-ray beam profiles are cumbersome and inaccurate due to non-uniformity in detector gain and flux intensity variations, leading to artifacts in images and inefficient calibration processes.
Innovation Solution
A technique using an area detector to generate spatially correlated images, mathematically decoupling detector gain profiles from beam profiles, allowing for quick and accurate calibration without prior calibration requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a raster scan with a single point detector is used to measure beam profile, then measurement precision can be improved, but measurement time increases significantly and the process becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the measurement process by dividing the beam profile measurement into multiple one-dimensional scans along different directions (e.g., horizontal and vertical). Each scan measures a row or column of the beam profile, and these segmented measurements are combined to form the complete two-dimensional beam profile map, reducing total measurement time while maintaining precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from one-dimensional single-point scanning to two-dimensional area detector measurement. By utilizing the area detector's ability to capture multiple spatial positions simultaneously, the measurement process gains an additional spatial dimension, allowing parallel measurement of multiple beam profile points at once and dramatically reducing measurement time
2Productivity
If a large area detector is used to measure beam profile, then measurement time is reduced, but detector pixel non-uniformity deteriorates measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and separates the detector gain non-uniformity effect from the beam profile measurement. By performing separate gain calibration measurements and then mathematically decoupling the gain profile from the beam profile, the method removes the detrimental effect of pixel non-uniformity, allowing accurate beam profile measurement using large area detectors
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a mathematical decoupling process as an intermediary step between raw detector measurements and final beam profile results. This intermediary processing separates the contribution of detector gain variations from the actual beam flux distribution, enabling accurate beam profile extraction even with non-uniform detector pixels
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional gain calibration is performed to correct detector non-uniformity, then detector response uniformity is improved, but flux intensity information is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional calibration approach by not removing the flux intensity variations during calibration. Instead, it preserves the original intensity information and separately characterizes the detector gain profile, then mathematically decouples these two effects to recover both the accurate beam profile and detector gain map simultaneously
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 method enables efficient calibration of X-ray detectors, producing artifact-free images by accurately measuring beam profiles and gain profiles, improving image quality and reducing measurement time.
Implementation Method 1
a beam of x-rays or other radiation particles is directed from a radiation source and through a target volume or object. The traversing particles of the beam are collected in an imager or detector
Data Source
AI summary
The claimed subject matter describes a novel technique to measure the beam profile using an area detector. In one embodiment, a set of one-dimensional beam profile measurements is performed by taking two images under the same source conditions but at two different positions of the detector, with each position of the detector shifted by a certain distance in the direction corresponding to the direction of the one-dimensional profile measurement. In further embodiments, a set of two-dimensional beam profile measurements is achieved by determining a second set of one-dimensional profiles from the same sampling points in a second direction and building a two-dimensional map of the beam profile by correlating the first one-dimensional profile measurement with the second one-dimensional profile measurement.