Patent ID: 7787591

Claim:
A primary collimator for a multiple inverse fan beam x-ray diffraction imaging (MIFB XDI) system including a multi-focus x-ray source (MFXS) defining a plurality of focus points arranged along a length of the MFXS colinear with a y-axis of the MIFB XDI system, each focus point of the plurality of focus points configured to be activated to emit an x-ray fan beam including a plurality of primary beams each directed to a corresponding convergence point of a plurality of convergence points positioned along a line parallel to the y-axis at a coordinate X=L, said primary collimator comprising: a first diaphragm configured to be positioned with respect to the MFXS, said first diaphragm defining a plurality of first channels through a thickness of said first diaphragm, each first channel of said plurality of first channels aligned with a corresponding focus point of the plurality of focus points and configured to transmit the x-ray fan beam; a second diaphragm positioned with respect to said first diaphragm and defining a plurality of second channels through a thickness of said second diaphragm, each second channel of said plurality of second channels axially aligned with a corresponding first channel of said plurality of first channels; and a plurality of coherent scatter detectors positioned with respect to the plurality of convergence points and configured to detect coherent scatter rays from the plurality of primary beams as the plurality of primary beams propagate through an object.