System and method for phase-contrast X-ray imaging

1. A differential phase contrast X-ray imaging system comprising:

an X-ray illumination system;

a beam splitter grating arranged in a radiation path of the X-ray illumination system and operable to receive an incident X-ray beam and provide an interference pattern of X-rays;

a detector system arranged in a radiation path to detect X-rays after passing through the beam splitter grating and in a Talbot-Lau interferometer configuration with the beam splitter grating, wherein the detector system comprises a X-ray detector and an analyzer grating, wherein the analyzer grating comprises a plurality of sub-gratings arranged on a common substrate, the plurality of gratings including an edge sub-grating and a central sub-grating, wherein the edge sub-grating is tilted at an angle to the central sub-grating, wherein the analyzer grating is operable to intercept and block at least a portion of the interference pattern of X-rays before reaching the X-ray detector;

a rotation stage operable to rotate the X-ray illumination system, the beam splitter grating, and the detection system about an object;

wherein the beam splitter grating and the analyzer grating are arranged at a shallow angle relative to a plane characterized by a direction of the incident X-ray beam, wherein the shallow angle is less than 30° and wherein the detector is operable to capture a single image for each angle at which the rotation stage is rotated.

2. The differential phase contrast X-ray imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the analyzer grating has a longitudinal dimension, a lateral dimension that is orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension that is orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension and the lateral dimension, the analyzer grating comprising a pattern of optically dense regions each having a longest dimension along the longitudinal dimension and being spaced substantially parallel to each other in the lateral dimension such that there are optically rare regions between adjacent optically dense regions, wherein each optically dense region has a depth in the transverse dimension that is smaller than a length in the longitudinal dimension, wherein the analyzer grating is arranged with the longitudinal dimension at the shallow angle.

3. The differential phase contrast X-ray imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the beam splitter grating is a transmission grating.

4. The differential phase contrast X-ray imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the analyzer gratings comprises more than one grating tiled on top of each other.

5. The differential phase contrast X-ray imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the analyzer grating has a longitudinal dimension, a lateral dimension that is orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension that is orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension and the lateral dimension, the analyzer grating comprising a pattern of optically dense regions each having a longest dimension along the lateral dimension and being spaced in a divergent geometry from each other such that there are optically rare regions between adjacent optically dense regions, wherein each optically dense region has a depth in the transverse dimension that is smaller than a length in the longitudinal dimension and the lateral dimension, wherein the analyzer grating is arranged with the lateral dimension at the shallow angle.

6. The differential phase contrast X-ray imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the X-ray illumination system comprising:

an X-ray source;

a source grating arranged in a radiation path between the X-ray source and the beam splitter grating, wherein the source grating provides a plurality of substantially coherent X-ray beams.

7. The differential phase contrast X-ray imaging system according to claim 6 , further comprising a vibration resistant mount operable to provide a support to the source grating, the beam-splitter grating, the analyzer grating.

8. The differential phase contrast X-ray imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the beam splitter grating and the analyzer grating have grating patterns determined according Talbot-Lau conditions.

9. The differential phase contrast X-ray imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein a field of view of the detector system is sized to image a human extremity.

10. A differential phase contrast X-ray imaging method comprising:

providing an incident X-ray beam using an X-ray illumination system;

receiving the incident X-Ray beam at a beam splitter grating that is arranged in a radiation path of the X-ray illumination system and providing an interference pattern of X-rays;

rotating a rotation stage that supports the X-ray illumination system, the beam splitter grating, and the detection system about an object;

detecting, using a detecting system arranged in a radiation path, X-rays after passing through the beam splitter grating that is in a Talbot-Lau interferometer configuration with the beam splitter grating, wherein the detector system comprises a X-ray detector and an analyzer grating, wherein the analyzer grating comprises a plurality of sub-gratings arranged on a common substrate, the plurality of gratings including an edge sub-grating and a central sub-grating, wherein the edge sub-grating is tilted at an angle to the central sub-grating, wherein the analyzer grating is operable to intercept and block at least a portion of the interference pattern of X-rays before reaching the X-ray detector; and

capturing a single image for each angle at which the rotation stage is rotated,

wherein the beam splitter grating and the analyzer grating are arranged at a shallow angle relative to a plane characterized by a direction of the incident X-ray beam, wherein the shallow angle is less than 30.

11. The differential phase contrast X-ray imaging method according to claim 10 , wherein the analyzer grating has a longitudinal dimension, a lateral dimension that is orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension that is orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension and the lateral dimension, the analyzer grating comprising a pattern of optically dense regions each having a longest dimension along the longitudinal dimension and being spaced substantially parallel to each other in the lateral dimension such that there are optically rare regions between adjacent optically dense regions, wherein each optically dense region has a depth in the transverse dimension that is smaller than a length in the longitudinal dimension, wherein the analyzer grating is arranged with the longitudinal dimension at the shallow angle.

12. The differential phase contrast X-ray imaging method according to claim 10 , wherein the analyzer grating comprises more than one grating tiled and stacked on top of each other.

13. The differential phase contrast X-ray imaging method according to claim 10 , wherein the analyzer grating has a longitudinal dimension, a lateral dimension that is orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension that is orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension and the lateral dimension, the analyzer grating comprising a pattern of optically dense regions each having a longest dimension along the lateral dimension and being spaced in a divergent geometry from each other such that there are optically rare regions between adjacent optically dense regions, wherein each optically dense region has a depth in the transverse dimension that is smaller than a length in the longitudinal dimension and the lateral dimension, wherein the analyzer grating is arranged with the lateral dimension at the shallow angle.

14. The differential phase contrast X-ray imaging method according to claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving the incident X-ray beam at a source grating that arranged in a radiation path between a X-ray source and the beam splitter grating; and

proving a plurality of substantially coherent X-ray beams to the beam splitter grating.

15. The differential phase contrast X-ray imaging method according to claim 10 , further comprising determining grating patterns for the beam splitter grating and the analyzer grating according to Talbot-Lau conditions.

16. The differential phase contrast X-ray imaging method according to claim 10 , wherein a field of view of the detector system is sized to image a human extremity.