IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,046,471
Granted Patent B2
US 9,046,471 · App. 13/757,187 · Granted Jun 2, 2015

X-ray measurement apparatus

Inventor: Yoshinori Ueji (Akishima, JP)
Assignee: RIGAKU CORPORATION
G01N23/20008A61B6/58A61B6/547A61B6/586A61B6/587A61B6/5264G06T11/005
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,046,471
App. No.
13/757,187
Granted
Jun 2, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A portable, for example, a hand-held-type, X-ray measurement apparatus, wherein the vibration or hand-shaking of the X-ray measurement apparatus is detected by a vibration-detection sensor such as a distance sensor, a gyro sensor, or the like, and a measurement value for the X-ray intensity obtained using a two-dimensional X-ray detector is corrected on the basis of a variation quantity obtained using the vibration-detection sensor. The correction may be a correction related to an X-ray source, a correction related to an X-ray detector, a correction calculated using the CPU of a computer and a software program, or the like.

Claims (37)

1. An X-ray measurement apparatus having:

an X-ray source for generating an X-ray incident on a measurement object;

X-ray detection means for detecting an X-ray leaving the measurement object; and

a housing containing the X-ray source and the X-ray detection means;

the X-ray measurement apparatus comprising:

a vibration quantity detection sensor for detecting a vibration quantity of the housing; and

a controller for controlling the X-ray source, the X-ray detection means and the vibration quantity detection sensor, wherein the controller:

obtains X-ray intensity at each sampling time by using the X-ray detection means;

integrates the obtained X-ray intensity;

detects the vibration quantity at each sampling time by using the vibration quantity detection sensor;

determines a variation quantity of a position of the housing in relation to the measurement object based on the vibration quantity;

determines measurement condition values based on the variation quantity for compensation for the variation quantity; and

when any one of the measurement condition values has a variation large enough so that compensation is not possible, the corresponding X-ray intensity is not included in the integration.

2. The X-ray measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the vibration quantity detected by the vibration quantity detection sensor is at least one of:

(A) the amount of variation in distance between the vibration quantity detection sensor and the measurement object;

(B) the amount of variation within a plane orthogonal to a line connecting the vibration quantity detection sensor and the measurement object; or

(C) the amount of variation in inclination of the vibration quantity detection sensor relative to the measurement object.

3. The X-ray measurement apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the vibration quantity detection sensor comprises any one or a combination of two or more of a distance sensor for detecting variation in distance, a speed sensor for detecting variation in speed, an acceleration sensor for detecting variation in acceleration, and an angular velocity sensor for detecting variation in angular velocity of the X-ray measurement apparatus.

4. The X-ray measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the vibration quantity detection sensor is secured to the housing.

5. The X-ray measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the process for correcting a measurement value obtained using the X-ray detection means is performed by controlling the position of the X-ray detection means.

6. The X-ray measurement apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein controlling the position of the X-ray detection means causes variation in the distance between the X-ray detection means and the measurement object.

7. The X-ray measurement apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein controlling the position of the X-ray detection means causes movement of the X-ray detection means in a direction at a right angle to the center line of the X-ray leaving the measurement object.

8. The X-ray measurement apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein controlling the position of the X-ray detection means causes variation in the inclination angle of the X-ray detection means in relation to the measurement object.

9. The X-ray measurement apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein controlling the position of the X-ray detection means is a combination of any two or three of the following:

causing variation in the distance between the X-ray detection means and the measurement object;

causing movement of the X-ray detection means in a direction at a right angle to the center line of an X-ray leaving the measurement object; and

causing variation in the inclination angle of the X-ray detection means in relation to the measurement object.

10. The X-ray measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the process for correcting a measurement value obtained using the X-ray detection means is a process for causing the X-ray that leaves the X-ray source and is incident on the measurement object to be incident on the measurement object at a fixed position.

11. The X-ray measurement apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the process for causing the X-ray that leaves the X-ray source and is incident on the measurement object to be incident on the measurement object at a fixed position controls the orientation of the X-ray source in relation to the measurement object.

12. The X-ray measurement apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the process for causing the X-ray that leaves the X-ray source and is incident on the measurement object to be incident on the measurement object at a fixed position controls the direction of advance of the X-ray leaving the X-ray source by controlling the position of at least one of a plurality of X-ray optical elements constituting an incident optical system, the X-ray optical elements including the X-ray source.

13. The X-ray measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the process for correcting a measurement value obtained using the X-ray detection means is a process in which the data obtained by the X-ray detection means is calculated by a software program.

14. The X-ray measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the X-ray detection means is a one-dimensional X-ray detector, a two-dimensional X-ray detector, or a pixel detector.

15. The X-ray measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the housing can be carried manually by a person, and the person performs measurement while manually holding the housing and placing an opening in the housing for outputting an X-ray so that the opening faces the measurement object.

16. The X-ray measurement apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the vibration quantity detection sensor is secured to the housing.

17. The X-ray measurement apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the process for correcting a measurement value obtained using the X-ray detection means is performed by controlling the position of the X-ray detection means.

18. The X-ray measurement apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the process for correcting a measurement value obtained using the X-ray detection means is a process for causing the X-ray that leaves the X-ray source and is incident on the measurement object to be incident on the measurement object at a fixed position.

19. The X-ray measurement apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the process for correcting a measurement value obtained using the X-ray detection means is a process in which the data obtained by the X-ray detection means is calculated by a software program.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 1, 2013
From: UEJI, YOSHINORI
To: RIGAKU CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 029741/0240 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2012-072559 · Mar 27, 2012 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20130259199A1 · Oct 3, 2013