Patent Number: 048903124
Section: claims

1. A piezoelectric attenuation assembly for slit radiography, which comprises: a carrier assembly having openings defining a passageway for a planar X-ray beam of a predetermined width and height;  a piezoelectric plate member positioned within and mounted at a base portion thereof to said carrier assembly and having a free end portion extending towards said passageway, said piezoelectric plate member formed of a single plate of piezoelectric material with a plurality of elongated attenuation elements beginning at and extending from said base portion to said free end portion. 2. The piezoelectric attenuation assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said elongated attenuation elements are trapezoidally-shaped and defined by a slit formed between adjacent elongated attenuation members. 3. The piezoelectric attenuation assembly as defined in claims 1 or 2 wherein said piezoelectric plate member is formed with grooves in said base portion coincident with said slits and of a thickness of about one-half of a thickness of said piezoelectric plate member. 4. The piezoelectric attenuation assembly as defined in claim 3 and further including a reinforcing member mounted to said base portion of said piezoelectric plate member on a side thereof opposite said grooves. 5. The piezoelectric attenuation assembly as defined in claims 1 or 2 wherein said free ends of said elongated attenuation members are provided with X-ray radiation absorption material. 6. The piezoelectric attenuation assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein a center elongated attenuation member of said piezoelectric plate member is provided with X-ray radiation absorption material extending forward of adjacent elongated attenuation elements. 7. The piezoelectric attenuation member as defined in claim 6 wherein said center elongated attenuation element includes projections of said X-ray radiation absorption material extending forward of adjacent elongated attenuation elements and covering openings between said center elongated element and adjacent elongated attenuation elements. 8. The piezoelectric attenuation assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said base portion of said piezoelectric plate member including said grooves is disposed away from said passageway and further including conductor means for each of said elongated attenuation elements via respective areas thereof between said grooves and a conductor member connected to a side of said piezoelectric plate member opposite said grooves. 9. The piezoelectric attenuation assembly as defined in claim 1 and further including means disposed in said carrier assembly for limiting the dimensions of said passageway for said planar X-ray beam. 10. The piezoelectric attenuation assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein said limiting means includes X-ray radiation absorption material positioned on either side of said piezoelectric plate member to permit adjustment to said width of said planar X-ray beam. 11. The piezoelectric attentuation assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein said limiting means includes X-ray radiation absorption material position parallel to said piezoelectric plate member to permit adjustment to said height of said planar X-ray beam. 12. The piezoelectric attenuation assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said free end portion of said piezoelectric plate member is formed of circular shape and wherein said elongated piezoelectric elements are of equal length radially extending towards said base portion thereof. 13. The piezoelectric attenuation assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein free ends of said elongated attenuation elements are formed in wedge-shaped configuration. 14. The piezoelectric attenuatin assembly as defined in claim 13 wherein said wedge-shaped free ends of said elongated attenuation elements include X-ray radiation absorption material. 15. A piezoelectric member for slit radiography, which comprises: a piezoelectric plate member of a single plate of piezoelectric material having a base portion and a plurality of elongated attenuation elements beginning at and extending from said base portion. 16. The piezoelectric member as defined in claim 15 wherein each of said elongated attenuation elements are trapezoidally-shaped and defined by a slit formed between adjacent elongated attenuation members. 17. The piezoelectric member as defined in claims 15 or 16 wherein said piezoelectric plate member is formed with grooves in said base portion coincident with said slits and of a thickness of about one-half of a thickness of said piezoelectric plate member.