X-ray imaging apparatus, X-ray imaging method and method of controlling X-ray imaging apparatus
A simplified X-ray imaging apparatus is capable of computationally determining effective atomic numbers with small error factors even for light elements. The X-ray imaging apparatus has an X-ray generation unit 101 ( 400 ) for generating X-rays and a detector 105 ( 405 ) for detecting X-rays transmitted through an object of examination 104 ( 403 ). A computing unit 106 ( 406 ) computationally determines a quantity of an X-ray phase attributable to the object of examination and an X-ray transmittance of the object of examination from data detected by the detector. The computing unit also computationally determines an effective atomic number of the object of examination from ρ e t determined from the quantity of the X-ray phase and μt it determined from the X-ray transmittance.
1. An X-ray apparatus comprising:
an X-ray generation unit for generating X-rays;
a detector for detecting X-rays emitted from the X-ray generation unit and transmitted through an object of examination; and
a computing unit for computationally determining a phase of the X-rays transmitted through the object of examination and an X-ray transmittance of the object of examination from data obtained by the detector and further computationally determining a characteristic value of the object of examination from the phase of the X-rays and the X-ray transmittance.
2. The X-ray apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the characteristic value of the object of examination is an effective atomic number.
3. The X-ray apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a dividing unit is provided between the X-ray generation unit and the detector.
4. The X-ray apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a moving mechanism for synchronously moving the X-ray generation unit, the dividing element and the detector.
5. A computation method comprising:
a step of detecting X-rays transmitted through an object of examination; and
a step of computationally determining a phase of the X-rays transmitted through the object of examination and an X-ray transmittance of the object of examination from data obtained in the detecting step and further computationally determining a characteristic value of the object of examination from the phase of the X-rays and the X-ray transmittance.
6. The computation method according to claim 5 , wherein the characteristic value of the object of examination is an effective atomic number.
7. The computation method according to claim 6 , wherein the phase of the X-rays is obtained by using an X-ray dividing element for spatially dividing X-rays.
8. The computation method according to claim 6 , wherein the phase of the X-rays is obtained from a refraction angle of X-ray obtained by using an analyzer crystal.