System and method for three-dimensional printing of collimator

1 . A method for forming a metallic grid structure, comprising:

utilizing three-dimensional (3D) printing for:

printing a first layer of a first wall section of the metallic grid structure in a first direction along a first vector, wherein the first vector is offset from a first center line of the first wall section by half of a first distance of a first width of the first wall section; and

printing a second layer of the first wall section directly on the first layer in a second direction along a second vector, wherein the second vector is offset from the first center line of the first wall section by half of the first distance of the first width of the first wall section, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction, the second direction is parallel with the first direction, both the first vector and the second vector are offset from the first center line in a first transverse direction that is orthogonal to the first center line, the first width extends in the first transverse direction, and the first vector and the second vector are disposed on opposite sides of the first center line.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising alternating printing layers of the first wall section in the first direction along the first vector and the second direction along the second vector until a desired height of the first wall section is reached.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising alternating printing respective layers of a plurality of walls of the metallic grid structure in the first direction along the first vector and the second direction along the second vector until the desired height of each wall of the plurality of walls is reached, wherein the first vector and the second vector utilized in printing each wall are offset in the first transverse direction from a respective first center line of each wall and are disposed on opposite sides of the respective first center line of each wall.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising utilizing 3D printing for:

printing the first layer of a second wall section of the metallic grid structure in a third direction along a third vector, wherein the third vector is offset from a second center line of the second wall section by half of a second distance of a second width of the second wall section; and

printing the second layer of the second wall section directly on the first layer in a fourth direction along a fourth vector, wherein the fourth vector is offset from the second center line of the second wall section by half of the second distance of the second width of the second wall section, wherein the fourth direction is opposite the third direction, the fourth direction is parallel the third direction, both the third vector and the fourth vector are offset from the second center line in a second transverse direction that is orthogonal to the second center line, the second width extends in the second transverse direction, the third vector and the fourth vector are disposed on opposite sides of the second center line, and both the third direction and the fourth direction are orthogonal to both the first direction and the second direction.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising alternating printing layers of the second wall section in the third direction along the third vector and the fourth direction along the fourth vector until a desired height of the second wall section is reached.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein at the first wall section and the second wall section are joined at an intersection.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising utilizing 3D printing for:

printing the first layer of a second wall section of the metallic grid structure in second direction along the second vector; and

printing the second layer of the second wall section directly on the first layer in the first direction along the first vector, wherein the first wall section and the second wall section are adjacent each other and are aligned along the first direction.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first vector and the second vector comprise the only vectors along the first direction and the second direction, respectively, for printing the first wall section.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metallic grid structure comprises an anti-scatter grid or collimator configured for use with an X-ray detector of an X-ray imaging system.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the metallic grid structure comprises tungsten.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the 3D printing comprises laser powder bed fusion.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first distance of the first width of the first wall section is greater than 100 micrometers.