Coded aperture system of imaging with a plurality of detectors in a spaced-apart configuration

1. A coded aperture system for imaging at least one source of radiation, the system comprising:

a mask and a plurality of detectors positioned on a detector plane spaced apart from the mask;

wherein the mask is characterized by a base pattern, the mask being configured to selectively transmit and selectively block the radiation striking the mask based in part on the base pattern;

wherein the mask includes a plurality of tiles each repeating the base pattern;

wherein a number of the plurality of detectors is N and each of the plurality of tiles is divided into N respective portions;

wherein the plurality of detectors is positioned on the detector plane in a spaced apart configuration such that each of the plurality of detectors captures the radiation passing through different ones of the N respective portions of the plurality of tiles; and

wherein the different ones of the N respective portions combine to form the base pattern.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the number of the plurality of detectors is exactly four;

each of the plurality of tiles is divided into four respective portions, including a first respective portion, a second respective portion, a third respective portion and a fourth respective portion;

a first of the plurality of detectors is positioned to capture the radiation passing through the respective first portion of a first one of the plurality of tiles;

a second of the plurality of detectors is positioned to capture the radiation passing through the respective second portion of a second one of the plurality of tiles;

a third of the plurality of detectors is positioned to capture the radiation passing through the respective third portion of a third one of the plurality of tiles; and

a fourth of the plurality of detectors is positioned to capture the radiation passing through the respective fourth portion of a fourth one of the plurality of tiles.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

a combination of the N respective portions of the plurality of tiles is unique for each position of the at least one source.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a controller in communication with the plurality of detectors and having a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which instructions are recorded; and

wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the controller to reconstruct an image of the at least one source.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of detectors have a dissimilar size.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of detectors is configured to be position sensitive.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the base pattern is a modified uniformly redundant array (MURA) pattern.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the detector and the mask are shaped as squares;

a quantity (Q) of the plurality of tiles is a square of an integer and has a minimum value of four; and

the number (N) of the plurality of detectors is a square of an integer and has a minimum value of four.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of detectors defines a detector boundary and the mask defines a mask boundary;

a peripheral region is defined between the detector boundary and the mask boundary, the peripheral region defining first and second peripheral lengths in a first direction;

the base pattern of the mask defines a base pattern length in the first direction;

a magnified base pattern length is obtained by the base pattern length multiplied by a magnification factor, the magnification factor being a ratio of a source-to-detector distance and a source-to-mask distance; and

a first sum of the first and second peripheral lengths is greater than zero and less than the magnified base pattern length.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

the detector boundary is an outer-most rectangle drawn with the plurality of detectors inside and the mask boundary is the outer-most rectangle drawn with the plurality of tiles inside;

the base pattern of the mask defines a base pattern width in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;

the peripheral region defines first and second peripheral widths in the second direction;

a magnified base pattern width is obtained by the base pattern width multiplied by the magnification factor; and

a second sum of the first and second peripheral widths is greater than zero and less than the magnified base pattern width.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

the detector boundary is an outer-most hexagon drawn with the plurality of detectors inside;

the base pattern of the mask defines a base pattern width in a second direction and a base pattern depth in a third direction;

the peripheral region defines first and second peripheral widths in the second direction, the peripheral region defining first and second peripheral depths in the third direction;

a magnified base pattern width is obtained by the base pattern width multiplied by the magnification factor and a magnified base pattern depth is obtained by the base pattern depth multiplied by the magnification factor;

a second sum of the first and second peripheral widths is greater than zero and less than the magnified base pattern width; and

a third sum of the first and second peripheral depths is greater than zero and less than the magnified base pattern depth.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the base pattern of the mask defines a base area;

a magnified base area is obtained by the base area multiplied by a square of a magnification factor, the magnification factor being a ratio of a source-to-detector distance and a source-to-mask distance; and

a sum of respective areas of the plurality of detector is greater than or equal to the magnified base area.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the mask includes at least one partial tile repeating a portion of the base pattern; and

an image of the at least one source includes the radiation passing through the at least one partial tile.

14. A coded aperture method of imaging at least one source of radiation, the method comprising:

placing a mask relative to the source, the mask being characterized by a base pattern such that the mask selectively transmits the radiation and selectively blocks the radiation striking the mask based in part on the base pattern;

positioning a plurality of detectors on a detector plane spaced apart from the mask;

dividing the mask into a plurality of tiles each repeating the base pattern;

wherein a number of the plurality of detectors is N and each of the plurality of tiles is divided into N respective portions; and

positioning the plurality of detectors on the detector plane in a spaced apart configuration such that each of the plurality of detectors captures the radiation passing through different ones of the N respective portions of the plurality of tiles such that the different ones of the N respective portions combine to form the base pattern.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the system includes a controller in communication with the detector and having a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which instructions are recorded, the method further comprising:

reconstructing an image of the at least one source, via the controller.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein:

a combination of the N respective portions of the plurality of tiles is unique for each position of the at least one source.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of detectors defines a detector boundary and the mask defines a mask boundary, the method comprising:

defining a peripheral region between the detector boundary and the mask boundary with first and second peripheral lengths in a first direction;

obtaining a magnified base pattern length as a length of the base pattern in the first direction multiplied by a magnification factor, the magnification factor being a ratio of a source-to-detector distance and a source-to-mask distance; and

configuring the peripheral region such that a first sum of the first and second peripheral lengths is greater than zero and less than the magnified base pattern length.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

defining the detector boundary as an outer-most rectangle drawn with the plurality of detectors inside and the mask boundary as the outer-most rectangle drawn with the plurality of tiles inside;

defining the peripheral region with first and second peripheral widths in the second direction;

obtaining a magnified base pattern width by multiplying a base pattern width by the magnification factor, the base pattern of the mask defining the base pattern width in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and

configuring the peripheral region such that a second sum of the first and second peripheral widths is greater than zero and less than the magnified base pattern width.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

defining the detector boundary as an outer-most hexagon drawn with the plurality of detectors inside;

defining the peripheral region with first and second peripheral widths in the second direction and first and second peripheral depths in the third direction;

wherein the base pattern of the mask defines a base pattern width in a second direction and a base pattern depth in a third direction;

obtaining a magnified base pattern width and a magnified base pattern depth by multiplying the base pattern width and the base pattern depth by the magnification factor, respectively;

configuring the peripheral region such that a second sum of the first and second peripheral widths is greater than zero and less than the magnified base pattern width; and

configuring the peripheral region such that a third sum of the first and second peripheral depths is greater than zero and less than the magnified base pattern depth.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the base pattern of the mask defines a base area, the method comprising:

defining a magnified base area as the base area multiplied by a square of a magnification factor, the magnification factor being a ratio of a source-to-detector distance and a source-to-mask distance; and

configuring the plurality of detectors such that a sum of respective areas of the plurality of detectors is greater than or equal to the magnified base area.