X-ray Diffraction Spectroscopy Spatial Resolution
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing X-ray diffraction spectroscopy methods lack precise spatial information on the composition of objects, failing to accurately segment objects into elementary volumes and identify materials within these volumes.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a collimated beam of ionizing electromagnetic radiation, a detector with multiple pixels, and a second collimator to enhance angular resolution, allowing for the decomposition of objects into elementary volumes and the determination of scattering signatures associated with each volume, using reference materials and dispersion functions to estimate material composition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a relatively large aperture second collimator is used with virtual pixel subdivision, then angular resolution is improved and spectral resolution is enhanced, but precise spatial information on object composition is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The detector is divided into multiple pixels, and each pixel is further subdivided into virtual pixels. This segmentation allows the system to capture spatially resolved scattering spectra, where each virtual pixel corresponds to a specific angular range and spatial position, thereby recovering spatial information that would otherwise be lost with a large aperture collimator.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a spatial dimension to the spectral measurement by associating each virtual pixel with specific spatial coordinates and angular ranges. This transforms the measurement from a single integrated spectrum into a set of spatially-resolved spectra, enabling reconstruction of material composition as a function of position within the object.
2Reliability
If conventional X-ray diffraction spectroscopy is used, then material identification is possible, but spatial resolution and segmentation into elementary volumes is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by determining scattering signatures for each elementary volume separately. Each pixel (and its virtual pixels) measures scattering from specific spatial regions, allowing material identification to be performed locally for each volume element rather than for the entire object as a whole. This enables precise spatial mapping of material composition.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces dispersion functions as an intermediary between the measured scattering spectra and the material composition of elementary volumes. These dispersion functions mathematically relate the scattering signal from each pixel to the contribution from each elementary volume, enabling the reconstruction of spatially-resolved material signatures through computational processing.
3Speed
If a finely collimated beam is used with a first collimator, then beam directionality is improved, but the system complexity and device structure increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses partial collimation with a first collimator to provide sufficient beam directionality without requiring complete or excessive collimation. The collimator aperture is optimized to achieve the necessary spatial resolution while minimizing device complexity and maintaining practical system design.
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 approach provides improved spatial resolution and precise material identification within elementary volumes, enabling more accurate analysis of composite objects and enhancing non-destructive testing and medical diagnostics.
Implementation Method 1
a source of irradiation emitting ionising electromagnetic radiation and irradiating the object using said source, through a first collimator, so as to form a collimated incident beam propagating towards the object along a propagation axis
Implementation Method 2
This technique is based on elastic scattering of ionising electromagnetic radiation, which is also called Rayleigh scattering
Implementation Method 3
determining the energy spectrum of the radiation backscattered by the object at small angles, typically comprised between 1° and 20°, to the path of the x-ray radiation incident on the object
Implementation Method 4
A second collimator is then placed between the analysed object and a detector, the latter being able to acquire an energy spectrum of the radiation backscattered by the object
Implementation Method 5
a detector comprising a plurality of pixels, so that each pixel is able to detect radiation scattered by the object thus irradiated
Implementation Method 6
X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, better known by the acronym EDXRD (energy dispersive x-ray diffraction) is a non-destructive analysis technique used to identify the materials making up an object
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is a method for analysing an object by x-ray diffraction spectroscopy, in which a spectroscopic detector comprising a plurality of adjacent pixels is placed facing an object irradiated by an x-ray beam. Each pixel is able to acquire an energy spectrum of radiation elastically scattered by the object, the radiation propagating in a direction making an acute angle to the propagation direction of the collimated beam. The method allows, on the basis of each measured spectrum, a nature of the materials composing various portions of the object to be determined.