Patent ID: 9557279
Date: 2017-01-31
CPC Classifications: A61B,G01N,G21K,H05G

Claim:
1. A method for performing differential phase contrast X-ray imaging, comprising: providing an X-ray beam for illuminating an object to be imaged; directing said X-ray beam to be incident upon a beam splitter, wherein said beam splitter comprises a splitter grating arranged to intercept said X-ray beam and provide an interference pattern of X-rays therefrom; arranging said object to be imaged to intercept said interference pattern of X-rays from said beam splitter; and detecting at least portions of said interference pattern of X-rays after passing through said object to be imaged, wherein said detecting comprises blocking at least portions of said interference pattern of X-rays after passing through said object using an analyzer grating, wherein said analyzer grating has a longitudinal dimension, a lateral dimension that is orthogonal to said longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension that is orthogonal to said longitudinal and lateral dimensions, said analyzer grating comprising a pattern of optically dense regions each having a longest dimension along said longitudinal dimension and being spaced substantially parallel to each other in said lateral dimension such that there are optically rare regions between adjacent optically dense regions, wherein each optically dense region has a depth in said transverse dimension that is smaller than a length in said longitudinal dimension, wherein said analyzer grating is arranged with said longitudinal dimension at a shallow angle relative to incident X-rays, and wherein said shallow angle is less than 30 degrees.