X-Ray CT Substance Mapping Using Multi-Temperature Imaging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing X-ray imaging technologies struggle to accurately divide the inside of an object into regions for each substance due to the use of polychromatic X-rays and the difficulty in distinguishing substances with different densities, especially when the internal structure is unknown.
Innovation Solution
An X-ray imaging device and method that utilizes polychromatic X-rays to acquire cross-sectional images of an object at multiple temperatures, creating a temperature-temperature map (TT map) to identify regions within the object by analyzing the distribution of CT values at varying temperatures, allowing for precise division based on density and volume expansion coefficients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If polychromatic X-rays are used for imaging, then the measurement can be performed in practical time, but substances with different densities cannot be distinguished when they have the same linear absorption coefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the object to be imaged. By measuring at multiple temperatures, the linear absorption coefficients of different substances change differently due to their distinct thermal expansion coefficients and density-temperature relationships. This allows substances that appear identical at one temperature to be distinguished at another temperature, resolving the substance identification problem while maintaining practical measurement speed using polychromatic X-rays
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds the temperature dimension to the traditional single-temperature X-ray imaging. Instead of relying solely on spatial information from a single measurement, the system collects data across multiple temperature points, creating a temperature-temperature map that provides an additional dimension for distinguishing substances with identical linear absorption coefficients at a given temperature
2Measurement precision
If monochromatic X-rays are used to improve substance identification ability, then high identification accuracy is achieved, but very high intensity X-rays are required
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of changing the X-ray energy to monochromatic, the patent changes the object's temperature parameter. This approach maintains the use of polychromatic X-rays with practical intensity levels while achieving high substance identification accuracy through the temperature-dependent changes in linear absorption coefficients
3Measurement precision
If fluorescent X-rays are used for energy analysis, then element identification is possible, but deep portions of the object cannot be measured non-destructively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the energy analysis function from the detection process and replaces it with temperature-dependent absorption coefficient analysis. Instead of relying on fluorescent X-ray emission from deep within the object (which has limited penetration), the system uses transmitted polychromatic X-rays and analyzes how different substances' absorption characteristics change with temperature, enabling deep non-destructive measurement with element identification capability
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
Enables high-accuracy division of the object's interior into regions for each substance, even when the internal structure is unknown, by leveraging temperature-induced changes in linear absorption coefficients and phase shifts, providing detailed substance identification.
Implementation Method 1
The linear absorption coefficient is given by a product of a density and a mass absorption coefficient of the object, and thus two kinds of substances having different densities may also have the same linear absorption coefficient depending on a value of the mass absorption coefficient
Implementation Method 2
acquire a plurality of the cross-sectional images of the object captured at a plurality of different temperatures, and divide an inside of the object into regions for each of substances using a distribution of pixels of each of the cross-sectional images based on CT values obtained at the plurality of temperatures
Data Source
AI summary
An X-ray imaging device emits an X-ray to irradiate an object and includes an object moving mechanism that rotates the object; an X-ray image detector to detect a projection image of the object; an object temperature adjusting mechanism configured to change a temperature of the object; and a processing unit configured to acquire a cross-sectional image of the object by a reconstruction calculation from the projection images detected by the X-ray image detector by rotating the object. The processing unit is acquires a plurality of cross-sectional images and of the object captured at a plurality of different temperatures T1 and T2, and divides an inside of the object into regions for each of substances using a distribution of pixels of each of the cross-sectional images based on CT values obtained at the plurality of temperatures T1 and T2 at which the cross-sectional images of the object are acquired.