Patent ID: 8009807

Claim:
A radiation diaphragm operative to narrow an x-ray beam produced by an x-ray tube of an x-ray facility to form a narrowed beam and to mask out regions outside the narrowed beam, the radiation diaphragm comprising: at least two radiation defining devices, wherein the at least two radiation defining devices are mounted on different central axis supports in a displaceable manner in planes perpendicular to the x-ray beam, and each of the at least two radiation defining devices includes a plurality of different diaphragm apertures with different shapes for differently contoured definition of the x-ray beam, wherein the plurality of different diaphragm apertures adjust the contour of the narrowed beam, and wherein each diaphragm aperture of one of the at least two radiation defining devices is disposable within the periphery of at least one diaphragm aperture of another of the at least two radiation defining devices.