Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. An apparatus for spatially modulating an x-ray beam propagating in a beam direction and exhibiting a 2D radiation field, comprising:a carrier;a plurality of planar attenuation elements for x-ray radiation disposed in a 2D grid on said carrier substantially perpendicular to the beam direction and within said 2D radiation field each of said attenuation elements being a piezoelectric flex transducer having one end thereof fastened in said carrier;at least one piezoelectric actuator in mechanical engagement with each attenuation element for piezoelectrically displacing that attenuation element independently of all others of said attenuation elements to attenuate a portion of said x-ray beam in said 2D radiation field, the mechanically engaged attenuation element and piezoelectric actuator forming an element/actuator combination, and each of said attenuation elements and each of said actuators having a piezoelectrically influenced region exhibiting a piezoelectrically-caused change selected from the group consisting of a length change, a width change and a position change; andat each element/actuator combination, a sensor in mechanical contact with one of the piezoelectrically influenced regions of that element/actuator combination for detecting said piezoelectrically caused change and generating an electrical signal corresponding thereto. 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said carrier is a substrate composed of material that is transparent to x-ray radiation. 3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said carrier comprises a substrate penetrated by a plurality of non-intersecting passage channels, with one element/actuator combination being disposed in each of said passage channels. 4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said passage channels are disposed parallel to each other in said carrier. 5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said x-ray radiation emanates from a focus, and wherein said passage channels are aligned in said carrier to said focus. 6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said attenuation elements are mounted in the respective passage channels so that a maximum of said piezoelectrically-caused position change causes the actuation element to completely close the passage channel in which it is disposed. 7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein each of said passage channels has an inner wall, and wherein each of said attenuation elements has first and second oppositely disposed, substantially parallel primary surfaces, and wherein each element/actuator combination comprises one attenuation element and two piezoelectric actuators respectively disposed between said first and second primary surfaces and the inner wall of the passage channel in which the actuator/element combination is disposed, said two piezoelectric actuators being offset from each other for tilting the attenuation element around a central axis. 8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein each of said piezoelectric actuators is a piezo-stack actuator. 9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each sensor is a tensiometer strip. 10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said attenuation elements is plate-shaped. 11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each attenuation element is comprised of a metallic material that strongly absorbs x-ray radiation. 12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each attenuation element comprises an element body coated with a metallic material that strongly absorbs x-ray radiation. 13. An apparatus for spatially modulating an x-ray beam propagating in a beam direction and exhibiting a 2D radiation field, comprising:a carrier;a plurality of planar attenuation elements for x-ray radiation disposed in a 2D grid on said carrier substantially perpendicular to the beam direction and within said 2D radiation field;at least one piezoelectric actuator in mechanical engagement with each attenuation element for piezoelectrically displacing that attenuation element independently of all others of said attenuation elements to attenuate a portion of said x-ray beam in said 2D radiation field, the mechanically engaged attenuation element and piezoelectric actuator forming an element/actuator combination, and each of said attenuation elements and each of said actuators having a piezoelectrically influenced region exhibiting a piezoelectrically-mused change selected from the group consisting of a length change, a width change and a position change;each of said attenuation elements being a self-supporting element and each of said piezoelectric actuators being a piezoelectric flex transducer, fastened at a first end thereof on said carrier and having an opposite second free end to which the attenuation element in the element/actuator combination is attached substantially parallel to the flex transducer; andat each element/actuator combination, a sensor in mechanical contact with one of the piezoelectrically influenced regions of that element/actuator combination for detecting said piezoelectrically caused change and generating an electrical signal corresponding thereto. 14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein said carrier is a substrate composed of material that is transparent to x-ray radiation. 15. An apparatus for spatially modulating an x-ray beam propagating in a beam direction and exhibiting a 2D radiation field, comprising:a carrier;a plurality of planar attenuation elements for x-ray radiation disposed in a 2D grid on said carrier substantially perpendicular to the beam direction and within said 2D radiation field;at least one piezoelectric actuator in mechanical encasement with each attenuation element for piezoelectrically displacing that attenuation element independently of all others of said attenuation elements to attenuate a portion of said x-ray beam in said 2D radiation field, the mechanically engaged attenuation element and piezoelectric actuator forming an element/actuator combination, and each of said attenuation elements and each of said actuators having a piezoelectrically influenced region exhibiting a piezoelectrically-caused change selected from the group consisting of a length change, a width change and a position change;at each element/actuator combination, a sensor in mechanical contact with one of the piezoelectrically influenced regions of that element/actuator combination for detecting said piezoelectrically caused chance and generating an electrical signal corresponding thereto; andeach element/actuator combination being formed as a flex transducer and each sensor comprising a piezoelectric layer integrated into the flex transducer. 16. An x-ray imaging system comprising:an x-ray source that emits an x-ray beam propagating in a beam direction and exhibiting a 2D radiation field;a laminar x-ray detector disposed in a path of said x-ray beam, said x-ray source and said x-ray detector defining an examination volume therebetween, said laminar x-ray detector emitting electrical signals dependent on said 2D radiation field incident thereon, collectively representing an x-ray image;a spatial modulator disposed in said x-ray beam at an x-ray source-proximate side of said examination volume, said spatial modulator comprising a carrier, a plurality of planar attenuation elements for x-ray radiation disposed in a 2D grid on said carrier substantially perpendicular to the beam direction and within said 2D radiation field, at least one piezoelectric actuator in mechanical engagement with each attenuation element for piezoelectrically displacing that attenuation element independently of all others of said attenuation elements to attenuate a portion of said x-ray beam in said 2D radiation field, the mechanically engaged attenuation element and piezoelectric actuator forming an element/actuator combination, and each of said attenuation elements and each of said actuators having a piezoelectrically influenced region exhibiting a piezoelectrically-caused change selected from the group consisting of a length change, a width change and a position change, and at each element/actuator combination, a sensor in mechanical contact with one of the piezoelectrically influenced regions of that element/actuator combination for detecting said piezoelectrically-caused change and generating an electrical signal corresponding thereto;a controller connected to each of said actuators for selectively displacing said attenuation elements independently of each other; andan image processing device supplied with the electrical signals from said laminar x-ray detector and the electrical signals from said sensors, said image processing device normalizing said x-ray image dependent on said signals from said sensors. 17. An x-ray imaging system as claimed in claim 16 comprising a control loop in which said controller is connected with the respective sensors and the respective actuators of each element/actuator combination, said controller using the electrical signal from the sensor for that element/actuator combination as a representation of an actual position of the attenuation element thereof, and controlling the piezoelectric actuator of that element/actuator combination to set the attenuation element thereof at a selected position. 18. An x-ray imaging system as claimed in claim 16 wherein said laminar x-ray detector emits electrical signals dependent on the x-ray radiation incident thereon, and wherein said controller is connected to said x-ray detector and receives the electrical signals therefrom, and controls actuation of the respective actuation elements dependent on the electrical signals from said laminar x-ray detector. 19. An x-ray imaging system as claimed in claim 18 wherein the electrical signals from said laminar x-ray detector collectively represent an x-ray image, and wherein said controller controls said actuators dependent on said electrical signals from said laminar x-ray detector to produce a maximum number of distinguishable grey scale values in said x-ray image. 20. An apparatus for spatially modulating an x-ray beam, comprising:a carrier comprising a substrate penetrated by a plurality of non-intersecting passage channels, each of said passage channels having an inner wall;a plurality of planar attenuation elements for x-ray radiation disposed in a 2D grid on said carrier, each of said attenuation elements having first and second oppositely disposed, substantially parallel primary surfaces;two piezoelectric actuators in mechanical engagement with each attenuation element for piezoelectrically displacing that attenuation element independently of all others of said attenuation elements, the mechanically engaged attenuation element and piezoelectric actuators forming an element/actuator combination, with one element/actuator combination being disposed in each of said passage channels of said carrier with the two piezoelectric actuators engaged therewith being respectively disposed between said first and second primary surfaces and the inner wall of the passage channel in which the actuator/element combination is disposed, said two piezoelectric actuators being offset from each other for tilting the attenuation element around a central axis; andat each element/actuator combination, a sensor in mechanical contact with one of the piezoelectrically influenced regions of that element/actuator combination for detecting said piezoelectrically caused change and generating an electrical signal corresponding thereto. 21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein each of said piezoelectric actuators is a piezo-stack actuator. 22. An x-ray imaging system comprising:an x-ray source that emits x-ray radiation;a laminar x-ray detector disposed in a path of said x-ray radiation and emitting electrical signals dependent on said x-ray radiation incident thereon, said x-ray source and said x-ray detector defining an examination volume therebetween;a spatial modulator disposed in said x-ray radiation at an x-ray source-proximate side of said examination volume, said spatial modulator comprising a carrier, a plurality of planar attenuation elements for x-ray radiation disposed in a grid on said carrier, at least one piezoelectric actuator in mechanical engagement with each attenuation element for piezoelectrically displacing that attenuation element independently of all others of said attenuation elements, the mechanically engaged attenuation element and piezoelectric actuator forming an element/actuator combination, and each of said attenuation elements and each of said actuators having a piezoelectrically influenced region exhibiting a piezoelectrically-caused change selected from the group consisting of a length change, a width change and a position change, and at each element/actuator combination, a sensor in mechanical contact with one of the piezoelectrically influenced regions of that element/actuator combination for detecting said piezoelectrically-caused change and generating an electrical signal corresponding thereto;a controller connected to each of said actuators for selectively displacing said attenuation elements independently of each other; andan image processing device supplied with the electrical signals from said laminar x-ray detector and the electrical signals from said sensors, said image processing device normalizing said x-ray image dependent on said signals from said sensors.