{"search_session":{},"preferences":{"l":"en","queryLanguage":"en"},"patentId":"US_8121249_B2","frontPageModel":{"patentViewModel":{"ref":{"entityRefId":"139-843-421-279-713","entityRefType":"PATENT"},"entityMetadata":{"linkedIds":{"empty":true},"tags":[],"collections":[{"id":11879,"type":"PATENT","title":"Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University: Patent Portfolio","description":"","access":"OPEN_ACCESS","displayAvatar":true,"attested":false,"itemCount":5682,"tags":[],"user":{"id":91044780,"username":"Cambialens","firstName":"","lastName":"","created":"2015-05-04T00:55:26.000Z","displayName":"Cambialens","preferences":"{\"usage\":\"public\",\"beta\":false}","accountType":"PERSONAL","isOauthOnly":false},"notes":[{"id":8482,"type":"COLLECTION","user":{"id":91044780,"username":"Cambialens","firstName":"","lastName":"","created":"2015-05-04T00:55:26.000Z","displayName":"Cambialens","preferences":"{\"usage\":\"public\",\"beta\":false}","accountType":"PERSONAL","isOauthOnly":false},"text":"
providing at least one first dataset of primary x-ray signals as a majority of its data capable of being presented as a first image of an object subjected to x-ray imaging;\n
providing at least one second dataset comprising dark-field x-ray signals and primary x-ray signals as a majority of its data capable of being presented as a second image of the object;\n
combining the first dataset and the second dataset using a computer comprising a computer readable medium embedded with processing means for obtaining a target dataset having more dark-field (small-angle scattering) x-ray signals than the first or second dataset alone for producing a target image of the object which has higher contrast quality than the images based on the first or second dataset alone."],"number":1,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["The method of claim 1 comprising providing the first and second datasets using collimator-and-detector assemblies or configurations that differ with respect to collimator height, collimator aperture, imaging geometry, or distance between an object subjected to the imaging and the collimator-and-detector assembly."],"number":2,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["The method of claim 1, wherein the computer readable medium embedded with processing means is based on:\n
a) Radon transform data with respect to a small-angle scattering coefficient distribution derived from the principle of photon energy conservation:\n\nln[1+Ts(r+Rθ)Ta(r+Rθ)]=∫0Rμs(r+sθ)ⅆs(9.1)\n
where\n\nTa(r+Rθ)=Φa(r+Rθ)Φ0andTs(r+Rθ)=Φs(r+Rθ)Φ0\nare photon transmission and small-angle scattering transference relative to intensity of incident x-ray Φ0 respectively; Φa(r0+Rθ) is intensity of transmission photons, and Φs(r0+Rθ) is intensity of small-angle scattering photons, each of which is measured on a detector at distance R along projection angle θ from x-ray source position r0; μs is the small-angle scattering coefficient; and r is a position after an object; or\n
b) another governing equation derived from the radiative transfer equation (RTE); or\n
c) another approximation to the radiative transfer equation (RTE)."],"number":3,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["The method of claim 3 further comprising a computer readable medium embedded with processing means for performing x-ray dark-field tomography (XDT) from the extracted dark-field x-ray data."],"number":4,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["The method of claim 3, wherein the target image based on the extracted dark-field x-ray data is produced in a radiographic/2D mode."],"number":5,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["The method of claim 3, wherein the target image based on the extracted dark-field x-ray data is produced in a tomographic or stereographical or tomosynthesis mode."],"number":6,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["The method of claim 3 further comprising performing x-ray dark-field tomography (XDT) from the extracted dark-field data to characterize small-angle scattering properties in terms of one or more parameters, or to characterize small-angle scattering properties in terms of Rayleigh scattering coefficient, or to characterize Rayleigh scattering phase function."],"number":7,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["A system for x-ray imaging comprising:\n
a first collimator-and-detector assembly having a first operable configuration to provide at least one first dataset comprising primary x-ray signals as a majority of its data capable of being presented as a first image of an object subjected to x-ray imaging;\n
a second collimator-and-detector assembly having a second operable configuration or wherein the first collimator-and-detector assembly is adjustable to a second configuration to provide at least one second dataset comprising primary and dark-field x-ray signals as a majority of its data capable of being presented as a second image of the object;\n
a computer operably coupled with the collimator-and-detector assemblies comprising a computer readable medium embedded with processing means for combining the first dataset and the second dataset to extract the dark-field x-ray signals and produce a target image having higher contrast quality than the images based on the first or second dataset alone."],"number":8,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["The system of claim 8, wherein at least two of the collimator-and-detector assemblies or configurations differ with respect to collimator height, collimator aperture, imaging geometry, or distance between an object subjected to the imaging and the collimator-and-detector assembly."],"number":9,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["The system of claim 8, wherein the computer readable medium embedded with processing means is based on:\n
a) Radon transform data with respect to a small-angle scattering coefficient distribution derived from the principle of photon energy conservation:\n\nln[1+Ts(r+Rθ)Ta(r+Rθ)]=∫0Rμs(r+sθ)ⅆs(9.1)\n
where\n\nTa(r+Rθ)=Φa(r+Rθ)Φ0andTs(r+Rθ)=Φs(r+Rθ)Φ0\nare photon transmission and small-angle scattering transference relative to intensity of incident x-ray Φ0, respectively; Φa(r0+Rθ) is intensity of transmission photons, and Φs(r0+Rθ) is intensity of small-angle scattering photons, each of which is measured on a detector located at distance R along projection angle e from x-ray source position r0; μs is the small-angle scattering coefficient; and r is a position after an object; or\n
b) another governing equation derived from the radiative transfer equation (RTE); or\n
c) another approximation to the radiative transfer equation (RTE)."],"number":10,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["The system of claim 10 further comprising a computer readable medium embedded with processing means for performing x-ray dark-field tomography (XDT) from the extracted dark-field x-ray data."],"number":11,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["A method of x-ray imaging comprising:\n
collecting x-ray data with a collimator-and-detector assembly configured to provide at least one first dataset comprising primary x-ray signals as a majority of its data;\n
adjusting the collimator-and-detector assembly to a second configuration for collecting at least one second dataset comprising primary and dark-field x-ray signals as a majority of its data or collecting the second dataset with a second collimator-and-detector assembly configuration;\n
computing the first and second datasets with a computer operably coupled with the collimator-and-detector assembly and comprising a computer readable medium embedded with processing means for extracting the dark-field x-ray signals for producing a target image having a higher contrast quality than an image based on the first or second dataset alone."],"number":12,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["The method of claim 12 further comprising collecting x-ray data with additional collimator-and-detector assemblies or additional collimator-and-detector adjustments and computing two or more of the datasets to extract the dark-field signals for producing an image."],"number":13,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["The method of claim 12, wherein at least two of the collimator-and-detector assemblies or adjustments differ with respect to collimator height, collimator aperture, imaging geometry, or distance between an object subjected to the imaging and the collimator-and-detector assembly."],"number":14,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["The method of claim 12, wherein the collecting data comprises detecting x-ray photons in a spectrally resolving fashion, or at least one collimator-and-detector assembly or adjustment is configured to detect Compton scattering photons in a spectrally resolving fashion."],"number":15,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["The method according to claim 15 further comprising performing x-ray dark-field tomography (XDT) and Compton scattering imaging from the extracted spectral x-ray data."],"number":16,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["The method of claim 12, wherein at least one collimator-and-detector assembly or adjustment is configured to allow fan-beam or cone-beam scanning along a general trajectory."],"number":17,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["The method of claim 17, wherein the trajectory is circular or spiral loci."],"number":18,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["The method of claim 12, wherein the computer readable medium embedded with processing means is based on:\n
a) Radon transform data with respect to a small-angle scattering coefficient distribution derived from the principle of photon energy conservation:\n\nln[1+Ts(r+Rθ)Ta(r+Rθ)]=∫0Rμs(r+sθ)ⅆs(9.1)\n
where\n\nTa(r+Rθ)=Φa(r+Rθ)Φ0andTs(r+Rθ)=Φs(r+Rθ)Φ0\nare photon transmission and small-angle scattering transference relative to intensity of incident x-ray Φ0, respectively; Φa(r0+Rθ) is intensity of transmission photons and Φs(r0+Rθ) is intensity of small-angle scattering photons each of which is measured on a detector located at distance R along projection angle θ from x-ray source position r0; μs is the small-angle scattering coefficient; and r is a position after an object; or\n
b) another governing equation derived from the radiative transfer equation (RTE); or\n
c) another approximation to the radiative transfer equation (RTE)."],"number":19,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["The method of claim 12, wherein the target image based on the extracted dark-field x-ray data is produced in a radiographic/2D mode."],"number":20,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["The method of claim 12, wherein the target image based on the extracted dark-field x-ray data is produced in a tomographic or stereographical or tomosynthesis mode."],"number":21,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false},{"lines":["The method of claim 12 further comprising performing x-ray dark-field tomography (XDT) from the extracted dark-field data to characterize small-angle scattering properties in terms of one or more parameters, or to characterize small-angle scattering properties in terms of Rayleigh scattering coefficient, or to characterize Rayleigh scattering phase function."],"number":22,"annotation":false,"claim":true,"title":false}]}},"filters":{"npl":[],"notNpl":[],"applicant":[],"notApplicant":[],"inventor":[],"notInventor":[],"owner":[],"notOwner":[],"tags":[],"dates":[],"types":[],"notTypes":[],"j":[],"notJ":[],"fj":[],"notFj":[],"classIpcr":[],"notClassIpcr":[],"classNat":[],"notClassNat":[],"classCpc":[],"notClassCpc":[],"so":[],"notSo":[],"sat":[]},"sequenceFilters":{"s":"SEQIDNO","d":"ASCENDING","p":0,"n":10,"sp":[],"si":[],"len":[],"t":[],"loc":[]}}