NZ724283B2 - X-ray collimator - Google Patents

Abstract

x-ray collimator comprising: a substrate (10) containing a plurality of holes (30), each hole being frustoconical (40) at one end and tubular (50) at the other end for use in an x-ray imaging system, whereby the x-ray collimator is aligned with a two-dimensional array of x-ray sources (70) and a two-dimensional x-ray sensor (130), whereby x-ray photons from the x-ray sources pass through the collimator holes and emerge as a beam of x-ray photons in a narrow angle cone which pass through the subject (110) being imaged, positioned between the output holes of the collimator and the x-ray sensor. This has the advantage that they provide a means to collimate x-rays emanating from a two-dimensional array of micrometer scale x-ray sources. two-dimensional x-ray sensor (130), whereby x-ray photons from the x-ray sources pass through the collimator holes and emerge as a beam of x-ray photons in a narrow angle cone which pass through the subject (110) being imaged, positioned between the output holes of the collimator and the x-ray sensor. This has the advantage that they provide a means to collimate x-rays emanating from a two-dimensional array of micrometer scale x-ray sources.

Description

Description Title of Invention: X-ray Collimator The present invention relates lly to an x—ray collimator and a method of obtaining an x—ray image and finds particular, although not exclusive, y in the col— limation of x—ray Bremsstrahlung radiation, where the x—ray source comprises a plurality of x—ray sources arranged in a two dimensional array.

It is known that collimation of x—rays results in an improvement in the image quality of an x—ray imaging . This is because the collimation of an x—ray source reduces the amount of scattered x—ray photons which reach the x—ray sensor elements, after having passed through the subject matter being imaged. These scattered x—ray photons would ise contribute to the reading from the sensor elements and reduce the overall contrast in the x—ray image because they do not convey the same relevant di— agnostic information as the unscattered x—ray photons that have passed directly from the x—ray source to the sensor element. Scattered photons are responsible for the haze often associated with radiographs.

Generally, prior art x—ray collimators have comprised a two dimensional grid, sometimes also known as an catter grid (ASG), which is positioned directly in front of the sensor and serves to absorb or block photons emanating with a large angle.

These ASGs are often grid structures composed of high y metals whose operation can be considered ous to a venetian blind ating optical photons.

A variety of geometries and fabrication methods have been described in the literature, each with the r goal of reducing the unwanted red photons from impinging upon the sensor.

In addition to anti—scatter s, x—ray lenses have been considered. A wide range of ches has been discussed in an attempt to focus x—rays with more efficiency or better focal properties. Examples of prior art x—ray lenses include, polycapillaries (assembled and fused) and Wolter Optics (a grid of materials) both of which es— sentially work by collectively reflecting a single source of x—ray photons. Refractive lenses have also been described.

In recent years there have been advances in the development of micrometer scale x— ray sources, such that it is now possible to produce a two dimensional array of x-ray sources with a typical distance between the x—ray sources of the order of 100 um to 1cm or more.

An example of such a mensional x—ray source is provided in apparatus for producing x-rays for use in imaging.

Known collimation and lensing methods are not so useful for collimating a two di— mensional array of x-ray sources and it is an aim of embodiments of the present invention to at least partially mitigate the disadvantages of known x—ray collimation s and to provide a means of collimating x—rays emanating from a two— dimensional array of x—ray sources.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a means of collimating x-rays whereby le ating elements or holes receive x—ray photons from a single x— ray source. It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a means of col— limating x—rays whereby each ating element or hole comprises a tapered geometry of high aspect ratio and is aligned with a micrometer scale two—dimensional array of x—ray s, so that the x—ray output angle and distribution is controlled on an emitter by emitter basis in a distributed x—ray source. In this regard, a high aspect ratio may include one which has a height to width ratio of the order of 10:1 to 1000: 1.

In a first aspect the invention provides an x—ray collimator comprising a substrate containing a plurality of holes, wherein at least some of the holes have a d entrance and a following tubular portion along their axial lengths, wherein the tapered entrances are frustoconical, and whereby, in use, with a source of x—rays located at the tapered entrances, each of the at least some of the holes emit a beam of x—ray photons in a narrow angle cone.

In this regard, the term 'narrow angle cone' may mean imately parallel and/or have an angle of deviation from parallel in the range 1 to 20 degrees.

The plurality of holes may be arranged in a two dimensional array. The two— ional array may be in the form of a grid. The gird may be regularly ed such as in regularly spaced columns and rows. Alternatively, the grid may be irregular.

The substrate may comprise silicon or a glass. The glass may be fused silica.

The frustoconical portion may be described by an approximate parabolic shape. The parabolic shape may be defined approximately by a shape known as a 'Winston Cone'.

The tubular portion may be cylindrical.

The distance between the entrance hole of the frustoconical portion and the output hole of the tubular portion may be substantially greater than the diameter of the output hole, this geometry being configured in order to achieve a reduction in the opening angle of the transmitted x—rays compared to the opening angle of the unguided radiation.

The distance between the ce hole of the frustoconical portion and the output hole of the tubular portion may be known as the 'nominal collimator length'.

The nominal collimator length may be at least ten times greater than the diameter of the output hole, this geometry being ured in order to achieve a reduction in the g angle of the transmitted x—rays compared to the opening angle of the unguided radiation.

The ratio of the nominal collimator length to the output er may be described as the collimator's 'aspect ratio'.

The holes running through the ate may be lined on their inner surface with a thin film. The thin film may comprise at least a single layer of either tungsten or iridium. The thin film may se a bi—layer of one of tungsten and aluminium oxide, tungsten and silicon, and en and carbon. The thin film may comprise a bi— layer combination of a high Z number metal and a low Z number/low density spacer material. In this regard the term 'low' may mean having a lower atomic number than the 'high Z number metal'. The 'low Z number material' may have an atomic number only one less than the 'high Z number metal'. A bi—layer may be said to comprise a stack of thin films.

The x—ray collimator may further include a target al sing a first thin sheet of a high atomic number material, the first thin sheet acting as a target material converting a source of electrons from an array of electron emitters into localised sources of x—ray photons, wherein the input of the frustoconical portion may be abutted against the target al.

The first thin sheet may se one or more of tungsten, tungsten alloy, molybdenum or gold. The first thin sheet of the target al may have a thickness of approximately of l to 5 pm.

A second thin sheet of x—ray filter material may be positioned between the target al and the frustoconical hole openings in the substrate. The x—ray filter material may comprise aluminium.

The x—ray filter material may have a thickness of approximately 100 to 500 pm.

In a second aspect, the invention provides an x—ray ator assembly comprising two or more x—ray collimators according to the first aspect, wherein the tubular output holes of one x—ray collimator substrate are aligned with the frustoconical input holes of the adjacent x—ray collimator substrate in order to extend the length of the collimation hole. In other words, the two collimators may be said to be arranged in series.

In a third aspect, the invention provides a method of obtaining an x—ray image of a subject, comprising the steps of providing an x—ray collimator according to the first , aligning said x—ray ator with a two—dimensional x—ray sensor, whereby, in use, x—ray photons from the x—ray sources pass through the collimator holes and emerge in a narrow angle cone of x-ray photons some of which then pass through a subject positioned between the output holes of the ator and the x—ray sensor.

In one embodiment, the invention provides a method of obtaining an x—ray image of a subject, comprising the steps of providing an x—ray collimator in accordance with the first aspect providing an array of x-ray sources, providing an array of x—ray sensing elements and aligning the x—ray collimator input holes with the array of x—ray sources and aligning the x—ray collimator output holes with the array of x—ray sensing elements, whereby x—ray photons from the array of x—ray sources pass h the collimator holes and emerge as an approximately el beam of x—ray photons which pass through a subject positioned between the output holes of the ator and the array of x—ray sensing elements. The array of x—ray sources may be two—dimensional. The array of x—ray sensing elements may be two—dimensional.

Embodiments of the invention have the advantage that they provide a means to collimate x—rays emanating from a two—dimensional array of micrometer scale x—ray sources.

The above and other characteristics, features and advantages of the present invention will become nt from the following detailed ption, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. This description is given for the sake of example only, without limiting the scope of the invention. The reference s quoted below refer to the attached gs.

Figure l is a plan View of an x—ray collimator; Figure 2 is a schematic cross—section of an x—ray ator; Figure 3 is a schematic cross—section of the x—ray collimator of Figure 2 coupled to an x—ray target material and electron source; Figure 4 is a schematic section of the x—ray collimator of Figure 3 including an x—ray filter material; and Figure 5 is a schematic cross—section of two x—ray collimators of Figure 4 in con— junction with a subject matter to be imaged onto nt elements in a two— dimensional x—ray sensor.

The present invention will be described with respect to certain drawings but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. Each drawing may not include all of the features of the invention and therefore should not necessarily be considered to be an em— bodiment of the invention. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn to scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not correspond to actual reductions to practice of the invention.

Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequence, either temporally, spatially, in g or in any other manner.

It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under riate cir— cumstances and that ion is capable in other sequences than described or il- lustrated herein.

Moreover, the terms top, bottom, over, under and the like in the description and the claims are used for ptive purposes and not necessarily for describing relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under ap— propriate circumstances and that operation is capable in other orientations than described or illustrated herein.

It is to be noticed that the term 'comprising', used in the claims, should not be in— terpreted as being restricted to the means listed thereafter; it does not exclude other elements or steps. It is thus to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components as referred to, but does not de the presence or addition of one or more other features, rs, steps or ents, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of the expression 'a device comprising means A and B' should not be limited to devices consisting only of components A and B. It means that with respect to the present invention, the only relevant components of the device are A and B.

Similarly, it is to be noticed that the term 'connected', used in the description, should not be interpreted as being restricted to direct connections only. Thus, the scope of the expression 'a device A connected to a device B' should not be limited to devices or systems wherein an output of device A is ly connected to an input of device B. It means that there exists a path between an output of A and an input of B which may be a path including other devices or means. 'Connected' may mean that two or more elements are either in direct physical or electrical contact, or that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other but yet still co—operate or ct with each other. For instance, wireless tivity is contemplated.

Reference throughout this specification to 'an embodiment' or 'an aspect' means that a particular feature, ure or teristic described in connection with the em— bodiment or aspect is included in at least one embodiment or aspect of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases 'in one ment', 'in an embodiment', or 'in an aspect' in various places hout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment or aspect, but may refer to different ments or aspects. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics of any em— bodiment or aspect of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more em— bodiments or aspects.

Similarly, it should be appreciated that in the description various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or de— scription thereof for the purpose of lining the disclosure and aiding in the under— standing of one or more of the various inventive aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an ion that the d invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Moreover, the de— scription of any individual g or aspect should not necessarily be considered to be an embodiment of the invention. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in fewer than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this ed description, with each claim standing on its own as a te embodiment of this invention.

Furthermore, while some embodiments bed herein include some features included in other embodiments, combinations of es of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention, and form yet further embodiments, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any ation.

In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practised without these specific s. In other instances, well—known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this de- scription.

In the discussion of the invention, unless stated to the contrary, the disclosure of al— ternative values for the upper or lower limit of the permitted range of a parameter, coupled with an indication that one of said values is more highly preferred than the other, is to be construed as an implied statement that each intermediate value of said parameter, lying between the more preferred and the less preferred of said alternatives, is itself preferred to said less preferred value and also to each value lying between said less preferred value and said intermediate value.

The use of the term 'at least one' may mean only one in certain circumstances.

The principles of the ion will now be described by a detailed description of at least one drawing relating to exemplary features of the invention. It is clear that other arrangements can be configured according to the knowledge of persons skilled in the art without departing from the underlying concept or technical teaching of the invention, the ion being d only by the terms of the ed claims.

Figure 1 shows a schematic drawing of a plan view of the top side of an x—ray collimator. The substrate ses a planar rectangular slab having a thickness far less than either of its sides. The substrate 10 may comprise silicon. Alternatively the substrate may be made from other materials such as a glass material, for ce, fused . Other substrate materials are also considered to be useful substitutes.

The substrate 10 al may contain dispersed titial material elements of tungsten although other high atomic number elements such as lead, gold or tantalum may be used.

Arranged across the substrate 10 are a series of collimating holes 30, these may be ed in a two—dimensional array. The array is regular comprising five columns and four rows although other quantities of s and rows are contemplated. This ar— rangement of holes is useful if the x—ray sources are also arranged in a two dimensional grid, such that each collimating hole is d with a source of x—ray photons. Other hole geometries and patterns are also useful.

In one embodiment the holes 30 are approximately 100 pm in diameter and are po— sitioned a distance of lmm to lcm between adjacent holes 30 in the grid.

Figure 2 shows a cross—section of an individual collimating tapered hole 30. The tapered hole 30 comprises a substantially tubular portion. It is substantially closed at the left hand end but includes an entrance 20 through which x—rays may pass into the hole 30. The hole 30 is substantially open at the te end 50 to allow x—rays to pass out. A portion 40 of the side wall of the hole 30 between the entrance 20 and the sub— stantially tubular portion is tapered.

The taper 40 may be parabolic and may be described by that of a Winston Cone shape, although other parabolic shapes are useful.

The tapered holes 30 may be approximately cylindrical at their output end 50, gh other output hole geometries are useful.

The entrance 20 lies on one side of the substrate slab with the output end 50 on the opposite side thereof. The hole therefore passes h the slab from one side to the other and has a bore with a udinal axis which lies approximately perpendicular to the plane of the slab.

The distance between the entrance 20 and output 50 of the hole 30 may be in the range lmm to lcm, although other distances are useful.

In an embodiment the tapered collimating holes 30 may be manufactured by a chemical deep etch method such as Deep Reactive Ion g (DRIE) followed by oxidation and further etching to remove the ridges, gh other means of manu— facturing the tapered geometry with high aspect ratio structures and smooth al walls are possible.

The tapered collimating holes 30 may be lined on their inner surface with a thin film 60 of a material selected from those typically known for their use in 'super mirrors.‘ For instance, the thin film may comprise a single film of tungsten. Alternatively a single film of m may be used. In an alternative embodiment bi—layers of tungsten and silicon or tungsten and carbon may be used. Other 'super mirror' materials comprising a ation of a high atomic (Z) number metal and a low atomic (Z) number / low density spacer materials may also be useful effective.

The thin film 60 may be deposited on the inside of the tapered holes 30 by means of an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, although other thin film tion processes are also contemplated.

Figure 3 shows a schematic cross-section of an individual collimating tapered hole coupled to an x—ray target material 70 such that the ce 20 is substantially adjacent the target material 70. The hole 30 is shown aligned with an adjacent on source 90 which produces electrons which are then accelerated along electric field lines 80 by means of an d electric field causing them to e upon the x-ray target material 70. In this regard, the term 'aligned‘ may mean that the linear/lon— gitudinal axes of the centre of the hole bores are substantially parallel and coincident with the centres of the axes of the electron sources. However, there may be some tolerance such as within a percentage of the diameter of the collimator hole where typically this percentage is between 1% and 50%, although smaller or larger tolerances are contemplated.

In use, the tapered hole is positioned such that its tapered end 40 and entrance 20 are adjacent to an x—ray target material 70, which may be a thin sheet of 1—5pm thick tungsten, although other x—ray target materials such as molybdenum, gold or tungsten alloy may be used.

The tungsten x—ray target material 70 may be segmented by a lower density in— tial material dispersed n adjacent tungsten targets. It is possible that the in— tial material is removed and the tungsten target material is continuous.

The entrance hole 20 may be positioned as closed as possible to the origin (70) of the x—ray photons. In this , the term 'as close as possible' is stated in the light of the fact that some material is typically provided n the target and the end of the hole for holding the target material. M ethods are known to exist to remove all but a thin layer of some lum in thickness, more common methods rely on tens of micrometers with ranges of 50—100um being common.

In use, x—ray photons emanating from the tungsten target material 70 will be in- ternally ed from the thin film 60 of WzAlOZ and emerge at the output end 50 of the d collimating hole 30 in a substantially collimated form .

Figure 4 shows a schematic cross—section of an x—ray collimator 30 coupled to an x— ray target material 70, with an x—ray filter material 100 positioned between the target material 70 and the entrance 20.

The x—ray filter material 100 may comprise a sheet of aluminium of thickness 250um, however other materials and other thicknesses can be used, depending on the x—ray end-point energy, target material and specific application.

The filter material 100 acts to absorb the low energy x—ray photons and unconverted electrons. The energy range of the transmitted x—ray photons passing through the filter material 100 will thus be more m, which will lead to an ement in resulting x—ray image quality as will be understood by the skilled person.

Figure 5 is a schematic cross—section showing an embodiment where, in use, two adjacent electron sources 90, generate x—ray photons at the target material 70, the higher energy x—ray photons pass h the filter material 100, are internally ed along the collimating tapered holes 30 before pas sing through the subject matter 110 being imaged and then arriving on adjacent elements 120 in a two— ional x—ray sensor 130. In this figure there is shown a one to one corre— spondence between the x—ray sources and the collimating holes, however, other ratios are contemplated such as a plurality of x—ray sources to one collimator, and one ator to a plurality of targets (for example four).

The interstitial elements 31 (i.e. the material lying between the holes 30) act to block any x—ray s which pass between nt collimating tapered entrance holes 20.

For ce, the interstitial elements may absorb the x—rays. This results in only x—ray photons which have been guided down the ating holes 30 in the substrate material 10 emerging approximately perpendicular to the collimator plane with a con— sequential improvement in the resulting image quality. In this regard, the ator plane may be an imaginary plane lying perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the holes' 30 bores.

It is possible to add an additional thin layer of x—ray absorbing material at the output of the collimator hole 50, to absorb low energy x—ray photons. This layer allows for 'hardening' or 'stiffening' of the spectrum by absorbing the very low energy x—rays which do not contribute to the image formation but do increase the dose to the patient or target.

It is possible to use two or more of the collimator substrates 10, whereby the sub— stantially cylindrical output holes 30 of one x—ray collimator substrate 10 are aligned with the entrance holes 20 of the adjacent x—ray collimator substrate 10 in order to extend the length of the collimation hole 30.

Other arrangements are also useful and contemplated. For example, it may be useful to have a collimator hole comprising a short tapered region followed by a gap (or a larger diameter tube) which is terminated in a narrower hole. This arrangement may be ively similar to the tapered n plus straight tube section described above, but allow simpler fabrication. However, it may be at the cost of less efficient guiding of the x-rays. Another arrangement that may be contemplated is a stack of several holes with varying diameter such that the overall profile is as previously described, but whose fabrication and construction are different. It may also be useful to replace the frustoconical n with other shapes such as a linear taper (conical), hyperbolic or hemi-spherical section.

Claims (15)

1. An x-ray ator comprising a substrate containing a plurality of collimator holes, wherein at least some of said collimator holes comprise along their axial s, 5 an entrance hole through which x-rays may pass into the collimator hole, a d portion being frustoconical, and a ing tubular portion having an output hole, wherein the x-ray collimator further comprises x-ray target material comprising a first thin sheet of high atomic number material and being arranged to convert, in use, electrons from an array of electron emitters into localised sources of x-ray photons, 10 such that each of said at least some collimator holes emits a beam of x-ray photons emerging from the output hole in a narrow angle cone being approximately parallel or having an angle of ion from parallel in the range 1 to 20 degrees.

2. The x-ray ator according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of holes is arranged 15 in a two dimensional array.

3. The x-ray collimator according to either one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the frustoconical portion is described by an approximate parabolic shape. 20

4. The x-ray collimator according to claim 3, wherein the parabolic shape is defined approximately by a shape known as a "Winston Cone."

5. The x-ray collimator according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tubular portion is cylindrical.

6. The x-ray collimator according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ce between the entrance hole of the frustoconical portion and the output hole of the r portion is greater than the diameter of the output hole, this geometry being configured in order to achieve a reduction in the opening angle of the 30 transmitted x-rays compared to the opening angle of the unguided ion.

7. The x-ray collimator according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the distance between the entrance hole of the conical portion and the output hole of the tubular portion is at least ten times greater than the diameter of the output hole, this geometry being configured in order to achieve a reduction in the opening angle of the transmitted x-rays ed to the opening angle of the unguided radiation. 5

8. The x-ray collimator according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the holes running through the substrate are lined on their inner surface with a thin film.

9. The x-ray collimator according to claim 8, wherein the thin film comprises at least a single layer of either tungsten or iridium, or a bi-layer of one of tungsten and 10 aluminium oxide, tungsten and silicon, and tungsten and carbon.

10. The x-ray collimator according to any one of the preceding claims, n the input of tapered portion is abutted t the x-ray target material. 15

11. The x-ray collimator according to any one of the preceding claims, n the first thin sheet comprises one or more of tungsten, tungsten alloy, molybdenum or gold.

12. The x-ray collimator according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the 20 first thin sheet of the target material has a thickness of approximately of 1 to 5 µm.

13. The x-ray collimator according to any one of claims 1 to 9 and 11 to 12, n a second thin sheet of x-ray filter material is positioned between the x-ray target material and the entrance holes in the substrate.

14. The x-ray collimator ing to claim 13, wherein the x-ray filter material has a thickness of approximately 100 to 500 µm.

15. A method of ing an x-ray image of a subject, comprising the steps of 30 providing an x-ray collimator according to any preceding claim, aligning said x-ray collimator with a two-dimensional x-ray sensor, whereby, in use, x-ray photons from the x-ray source pass h the collimator holes and emerge in a narrow angle cone of x-ray photons some of which then pass through a subject oned between the output holes of the collimator and the x-ray sensor.