Patent ID: 7564947

Claim:
A tomographic energy dispersive diffraction apparatus comprising: a radiation source arranged to direct a planar or fan shaped beam of radiation having a thin rectangular cross section, the beam of radiation being received at a direction of incidence at a sample; and a detector configured to detect radiation transmitted through the sample at a respective angle to the direction of incidence of the radiation, the detector comprising, a two-dimensional array of energy dispersive detectors and a two-dimensional array of collimators, the array of collimators being located between the sample and the array of energy dispersive detectors, the array of collimators being aligned with respect to the array of energy dispersive detectors, such that each collimator in the array of collimators is aligned with a corresponding one of the energy dispersive detectors, wherein each collimator of the array of collimators comprises a plurality of aligned collimator apertures formed in respective collimator plates or foils spaced apart along a direction of the transmitted radiation.