X-ray Collimator Aperture Offset for Radiation Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
X-ray laminography systems face challenges in reducing radiation exposure for components during inspection, particularly due to the high radiation doses from cone beams with large aperture angles, which can cause radiation damage to sensitive components.
Innovation Solution
A plate-shaped collimator made of a good X-ray absorber material with a collimator aperture that is designed to block the central beam and limit the useful beam aperture angle, reducing unnecessary radiation exposure to areas outside the inspection region.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a cone beam with large aperture angle is used to inspect circuit boards, then the inspection coverage is improved, but the radiation exposure to components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the X-ray beam into separate functional components by introducing a collimator with multiple apertures. Each aperture creates a distinct beam segment that can be independently controlled, allowing the inspection beam to be separated from the central beam that causes radiation damage to components.
Solution Approach 2:
The collimator apertures are strategically positioned and sized to create localized beam paths. The first aperture is offset from the central axis to create an inspection beam that avoids the central beam's direct path, providing local quality control over where X-ray radiation is applied during inspection.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If filters are used to reduce low-energy radiation components, then the radiation dose to the test object is reduced, but the image quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of filtering out harmful radiation components, the patent extracts and removes the harmful central beam entirely from the inspection path using the collimator's geometric aperture arrangement. This separates the useful inspection beam from the harmful central beam, avoiding the need to filter and thus preserving image quality while reducing radiation dose.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the collimator aperture is positioned to avoid the central beam, then the radiation exposure to components is reduced, but the beam intensity for inspection may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the X-ray tube power and exposure parameters to compensate for the reduced beam intensity from the offset aperture. By coordinating the collimator's geometric positioning with dynamic power adjustment, the system maintains sufficient inspection beam intensity while avoiding the harmful central beam path.
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
The collimator significantly reduces radiation exposure to components not in the inspection area, minimizing the risk of radiation damage while maintaining effective image quality by focusing the X-ray beam only on the relevant inspection area.
Implementation Method 1
a plate-shaped collimator (1) for an X-ray inspection system made of a material that is a good absorber of X-rays
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a collimator for an X-ray inspection system that is plate-shaped with a bottom side and a top side that is made of a material that is a good absorber of X-rays, with a collimator aperture, the collimator aperture having an inlet surface on the bottom side that has a first center of area and an outlet surface on the top side that has a second center of area. According to the present disclosure, either the collimator aperture, when installed in an X-ray laminography system, is not struck by a central beam of a cone beam emitted by an X-ray tube of this X-ray laminography system, or the first center of area and the second center of area form a collimation axis that forms a collimation angle with the normal of the surface of the collimator 1γ not equal to zero.