阅读说明：本技术 成像设备和成像方法 (Image forming apparatus and image forming method ) 是由 马塞尔·坎特 马尔特·辰切尔 于 2020-09-29 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明实现一种X射线成像方法以及一种X射线成像设备。成像设备构成具有：用于发出X射线辐射的X射线光源；用于待借助X射线辐射扫描的对象的容纳区域；转换装置,用于将已经经过容纳区域的X射线辐射空间分辨地转换成可见光；探测器装置,所述探测器装置构成用于基于通过探测器装置检测到的来自转换装置的可见光来输出探测器信号；图案生成器装置,借助于所述图案生成器装置,通过作用于已经经过容纳区域的X射线辐射和/或由转换装置产生的可见光可时间错开地实现多个光影图案,LSM,使得基于相应的LSM产生每个探测器信号；以及评估装置,所述评估装置设计用于,基于探测器信号以及基于关于LSM的预确定的信息来生成对象的图像。(The invention realizes an X-ray imaging method and an X-ray imaging device. The image forming apparatus is constituted with: an X-ray source for emitting X-ray radiation; a receiving area for an object to be scanned by means of X-ray radiation; a conversion device for spatially resolved converting the X-ray radiation that has passed through the accommodation area into visible light; a detector arrangement configured to output a detector signal based on visible light from the conversion arrangement detected by the detector arrangement; a pattern generator device, by means of which a plurality of light and shadow patterns, LSMs, are realized in a time-staggered manner by acting on the X-ray radiation that has passed through the receiving region and/or on the visible light generated by the conversion device, such that each detector signal is generated on the basis of the respective LSM; and an evaluation device, which is designed to generate an image of the object on the basis of the detector signals and on the basis of predetermined information about the LSM.)

1. An imaging device (100) for creating an image (5) of an object (1) by irradiating the object (1) with X-ray radiation (2), the imaging device comprising:

an X-ray source (10) for emitting X-ray radiation (2);

a receiving region (30) for an object (1) to be scanned by means of the X-ray radiation (2);

-conversion means (40) for spatially resolved converting (S30) the X-ray radiation (2) that has passed through the accommodation region (30) into visible light;

a detector arrangement (60) configured to output a detector signal (61) based on visible light from the conversion arrangement (40) detected by the detector arrangement (60);

a pattern generator device (50) by means of which a plurality of light and shadow patterns LSM (51) can be realized with a temporal offset by acting on the visible light produced by the conversion device (40) such that each detector signal (61) is produced on the basis of the respective LSM (51); and

an evaluation device (60) which is designed to generate an image (5) of the object (1) on the basis of the detector signal (61) and on the basis of predetermined information about the LSM (51),

wherein the pattern generator device (50) is arranged between the conversion device (40) and the detector device (60), and the plurality of light and shadow patterns LSM (51) is generated by locally shading visible light from the conversion device (40) and/or by overshooting.

2. The imaging device (100) of claim 1,

wherein the detector arrangement (60) has a resolution of five detector pixels or more and one hundred detector pixels or less.

3. The imaging device (100) according to claim 1 or 2,

wherein a plurality of detector pixels are combined into a read-out unit during the evaluation.

4. The imaging device (100) of any of claims 1 to 3,

wherein the detector arrangement (60) is configured as a single-detector pixel detector.

5. The imaging device (100) of any of claims 1 to 4,

wherein a resolution of the light and shadow pattern LSM (51) is larger than a resolution of the detector arrangement (60).

6. The imaging device (100) of any of claims 1 to 5,

wherein a temporal integration or summation of the detector signals (61) is performed in the detector arrangement (60).

7. The imaging device (100) of any of claims 1 to 6,

wherein the pattern generator device (50) is configured such that the light and shadow patterns LSM (51) of the plurality of light and shadow patterns LSM (51) are linearly independent.

8. The imaging device (100) of any of claims 1 to 7,

wherein the pattern generator means (50) are configured for continuously implementing the light and shadow pattern LSM (51).

9. An imaging method for creating an image (5) of an object (1) by irradiating the object (1) with X-ray radiation (2), the imaging method comprising the steps of:

arranging (S10) an object (1) to be scanned in the accommodation area (30);

emitting (S20) X-ray radiation (2) into the accommodation region (30) by means of an X-ray light source (10) to illuminate the object (1) to be scanned;

spatially resolved converting (S30) the X-ray radiation (2) that has passed through the accommodation region (30) into visible light;

generating (S50) a detector signal (61) based on the visible light detected by the detector arrangement (60);

generating (S40) a plurality of light and shadow patterns LSM (51) temporally offset by locally shading visible light from the conversion means (40) and/or by overshooting by acting on the visible light generated by the conversion means (40), such that each detector signal (61) is generated based on the respective LSM (51); and

generating (S60) an image (5) of the object (1) based on the detector signal (61) and based on predetermined information about the LSM (51).

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an X-ray imaging apparatus and an X-ray imaging method, particularly for performing Ghost-imaging (english: "Ghost-imaging").

Background

In conventional (projection) X-ray techniques, the image quality is proportional to the photon flux density used, which in turn is related to the corresponding radiation load (radiation dose) of the object. Therefore, reducing the radiation dose as much as possible while maintaining an acceptable image quality is an important challenge for medical X-ray imaging. Furthermore, in the case of high-resolution recordings, there are challenges in current X-ray imaging due to image artifacts, which impose stringent requirements with regard to the homogeneity of the ray path.

The feasibility for reducing the radiation dose to the object during imaging is provided by what is known as ghost imaging (sometimes also referred to as "diagnosis imaging").

Ghost imaging or two-photon imaging or correlated photon imaging relates to imaging methods based on the correlation of two electromagnetic ray paths. In the first of the two ray paths, there is usually an object which should be imaged (i.e. an object which should be scanned). In the first beam path, a single-pixel detector (in english: "bucket detector") is arranged behind the object, which is capable of detecting the light beam incident thereon. In the second ray path, a high resolution detector, e.g. a camera with a grid of detector pixels, is present, but no object is present. Single pixel detectors and high resolution detectors typically have the same effective detector area. Electromagnetic rays (or simply: light rays, wherein the light rays do not have to be in the visible spectrum) are then directed such that, if no object is present, the electromagnetic rays are incident simultaneously on the single-pixel detector and the high-resolution detector, respectively, at the same location, i.e. both are incident simultaneously on the upper left corner, etc. The light beam is directed through the active detector area (scanning), so that it is incident on the entire active detector area.

The analysis device records: when one of the detector pixels of the high resolution detector detects light incidence and at the same time the single pixel detector also detects light incidence.

If the object is now arranged in the first beam path, the light beam continues to pass through the active detector area in the second beam path. In contrast, in the first ray path, the light beam is sometimes absorbed by the object and therefore does not impinge on the single-pixel detector. The evaluation device then recognizes that no synchronous detection has taken place and at the same time makes clear, by means of the registration pixels of the high-resolution detector, at which position in the first ray path this has taken place. By means of the high-resolution detector in the second beam path, therefore, a clean silhouette of the object can be generated without detecting the light beam interacting with the object.

The technique has a plurality of applications and in particular increases the degree of freedom in design, since, for example, different types of light rays can be used in different ray paths, provided that the spatial synchronization of the light rays, i.e. the associated spatial scanning of the effective detector area, is given. For example, a relatively weak light ray (i.e., having a low power or low photon flux) that can be detected by the single-pixel detector can be used in the first ray path, while a relatively strong light ray can be used in the second ray path. The photosensitive object can therefore be protected and a less sensitive and therefore generally less expensive detector can be used for this purpose in the second beam path. Thus, in X-ray imaging, X-ray radiation with a relatively low photon flux density can be used in the first ray path.

A disadvantage in the described method is that high-energy X-ray radiation often makes pattern generation difficult and that ray optics for detecting the intensity distribution of the light and shadow pattern alone are often not available.

An improvement of ghost imaging consists in using only one unique ray path and instead emitting imaging light (e.g. X-ray radiation) from a light source in the form of a different light and shadow pattern or converting this light and shadow pattern by a pattern generator before impinging on the object. For this purpose, the intensity distribution I is first detected for each shadow pattern I by means of a spatially high-resolution detector_i. The intensity distribution I_iCan be stored in memory.

Then, in order to scan the object, the object is arranged in front of a low-resolution detector, for example a single-pixel detector ("bucket detector"), which detects the associated intensity S in each case, and is illuminated by means of the respective shadow pattern i_i。

Spatially 2-dimensionally resolved intensity distribution I_i(x, y) the ghost image G (x, y) can be recorded with an intensity S in/by the shadow pattern, respectively_iBy using the relevance to calculate as:

wherein the number of light and shadow patterns is added from i-1.. N, and wherein S describes the integrated detected intensity.

Applications of the method, also called computer ghost imaging (english "computerized ghost imaging") are for example described in the scientific literature by Zhang, He et al: "tablet x-ray ghost imaging with ultra-low radiation", Optica, volume 5, phase 4, 4 months 2018, page 374-.

In US 2002/075990 a1 a method is described in which a mask and a complementary counter mask are used in order to provide a pattern for the X-ray radiation before it strikes the scintillation detector.

EP 2581733 a1 describes a polychromatic digital X-ray detector with a patterned mask for energy-sensitive X-ray imaging by means of a single exposure.

However, even in the described method, there are still great challenges for generating reliable ray optics for high-energy X-ray radiation, for switching between individual shadow patterns and for reproducibility of the results.

Disclosure of Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved imaging apparatus and an improved imaging method, which overcome, inter alia, the above-mentioned challenges.

The object is achieved by way of example, advantageous refinements, embodiments and variants being described in the following.

Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention provides an imaging apparatus having the features of the embodiments.

The basic idea of the invention is therefore to change the known computer-ghost imaging method such that the light-shadow pattern LSM is realized not in the vicinity of the light source but in the vicinity of the detector. In this way, light source independent X-ray ghost imaging is achieved.

The conversion device can in particular comprise or consist of a scintillation detector. The term "spatially resolved conversion of X-ray radiation" is to be understood in particular to mean that X-ray radiation received from the receiving region and thus guided through the object in the receiving region is converted at the conversion device in such a way that spatial information of the X-ray radiation (partially absorbed at the object) is not lost as a result.

The pattern generator device can be implemented in accordance with a number of variants which are explained in detail below. The pattern generator device interacts only with visible light, in particular light generated by the conversion device, in order to circumvent the challenges when dealing with high-energy X-ray radiation.

The pattern generator device is designed to apply a light and shadow pattern to the visible light, so that costly ray optics for pattern generation in/at the X-ray radiation can be eliminated. The pattern generation by the pattern generator device can be performed, for example, by overshooting (turning a pixel white, regardless of whether the pixel is initially black, gray, or white) and/or by shading (turning a pixel black, regardless of whether the pixel is initially black, gray, or white).

For example, to cause each detector signal to be generated based on a corresponding light and shadow pattern such that, by the light and shadow pattern LSM, visible light impinging on the detector signal is modified by being overshadowed and/or shaded.

Furthermore, the pattern generator device is advantageously designed such that the light and shadow patterns realized in time offset (i.e. in succession) are linearly independent. In this way, the information from each scanning process contributes new spatial information to the rendered object. Furthermore, the pattern generator means can be configured for discretely implementing the light and shadow pattern LSM or for continuously implementing the light and shadow pattern LSM.

The predetermined information about the light and shadow pattern LSM is preferably stored in a non-volatile computer-readable data memory of the evaluation device. The predetermined information about the light and shadow patterns LSM preferably comprises predetermined information about each individual light and shadow pattern LSM, which is particularly advantageous if: i.e. the time is precisely known, which light and shadow pattern LSM is exactly realized by the pattern generator means during the detection of visible light by the detector means.

It should be noted that the speed of light is currently ignored in all considerations, so that events occurring staggered from each other only due to the speed of light are said to be simultaneous.

The predetermined information about the respective light and shadow pattern LSM is preferably a respective intensity distribution I_i(x, y) which is determined and stored spatially resolved for each shadow pattern LSM by means of a spatially resolved detector, as already explained above.

Alternatively, the predetermined information can also be only the spatial configuration of the respective light and shadow pattern itself, in particular if the light and shadow pattern is a known and clearly defined pattern, the light intensity of which can be calculated without measurement in the absence of an object.

Furthermore, it can alternatively be provided that the light intensities received by the detector device (for example already via the detector device itself) are integrated (or summed). In this case, it may also be sufficient if predetermined information about the entirety of the light and shadow pattern LSM causing the integrated/summed light intensity is known.

The detector signal can in particular comprise or describe one measured light intensity (for example in the case of a single-pixel detector as detector arrangement) or a plurality of measured light intensities (in the case of a low-resolution detector with several detector pixels as detector arrangement).

The described imaging device has, for example, the following advantages: by using a pattern generator device that is independent of the X-ray light source, the requirements on the reproducibility of the X-ray light source are also reduced. Furthermore, the light and shadow pattern LSM can be matched to the desired resolution of spatial frequencies, which allows for a greater degree of freedom in imaging.

In some embodiments, refinements or variants of embodiments, the pattern generator device generates the shadow pattern by local shading and/or overshooting of visible light. In this way, a plurality of known pattern generator devices are available, for example grating light valves (raster light valves) or the like, which leads to a high degree of design freedom.

In an exemplary imaging device, the pattern generator means and the conversion means are integrated with each other such that the conversion means convert only X-ray radiation impinging on an area of the conversion means determined according to the respective LSM into visible light. In this way, a light and shadow pattern has been imparted to the visible light as it is generated. Furthermore, this arrangement can be realized in a particularly space-saving manner.

The pattern generator device and the conversion device can also be integrated with each other in other ways and methods. For example, an imaging plate can be provided which stores the excitation by the X-ray radiation and can be read spatially resolved by visible light. Thus, the light and shadow pattern LSM is realized by targeted spatial reading of the image plate.

In an exemplary imaging device, the pattern generator device and the detector device are integrated with each other such that the shadow pattern is generated directly on the detector device. This arrangement can also be realized in a particularly space-saving manner.

In some embodiments, refinements and variants of embodiments, the detector arrangement has a resolution of five or more detector pixels and one hundred or less detector pixels, preferably five or more detector pixels and fifty or less detector pixels, particularly preferably five or more detector pixels and twenty or less detector pixels. Such a sensor can be realized with relatively little technical effort and can be configured to have a higher sensitivity, while the technical effort as a whole remains unchanged. This in turn enables the use of X-ray radiation with a lower sensitivity during scanning, whereby the object to be scanned (i.e. the object to be irradiated by X-rays) is advantageously loaded with a smaller radiation dose.

In some embodiments, refinements and variants of embodiments, a plurality of detector pixels are combined ("binning") into a read-out unit for evaluation. In this way, the sensitivity of the existing detector can be further improved. Since the spatial information is substantially in the light and shadow pattern LSM and in the intensity distribution I known for said light and shadow pattern LSM_iIs encoded, in the present invention, a trade-off is made between the number of pixels of the detector arrangement on the one hand and the sensitivity of the detector arrangement on the other hand, whereby a compromise in spatial resolution is not necessarily necessary.

In some embodiments, further developments and variants of embodiments, the detector arrangement is designed as a single detector pixel detector (in the english term "bucket detector"). In this extreme case, high sensitivity is present while the technical outlay of the detector arrangement is low, on the other hand a comparatively large number of light and shadow patterns LSM must be used in order to sufficiently obtain information for generating an image of the object, i.e. for reconstruction. A larger number of light and shadow patterns LSM means that the exposure time and thus the radiation load of the object is higher without changing other conditions, in particular without changing the exposure time per light and shadow pattern LSM. Thus, also the number of detector pixels of the detector arrangement can be individually adjusted depending on the desired application and the sensitivity of the object with respect to the X-ray radiation. The invention therefore offers developers a multiplicity of construction possibilities and adjustment screws in order to be able to set up an optimum configuration for each application.

In some embodiments, refinements and variants of embodiments, the resolution of the light and shadow pattern LSM is greater than the resolution of the detector device. This also enables spatial information to be encoded substantially in the light and shadow pattern LSM and the associated intensity distribution, as a result of which the resolution of the detector arrangement can be kept low cost-effectively.

In some embodiments, further developments and variants of embodiments, the imaging device is designed such that the total number of the shading patterns LSM traversed in succession for a single imaging is smaller than the total number of pixels of the intensity distribution I (x, y) for the shading patterns LSM, or at least smaller than the total number of pixels of the intensity distribution I (x, y) for the shading patterns LSM multiplied by the number of detector pixels of the detector arrangement. In this way, the amount of data to be transmitted is reduced with respect to conventional scanning of the object and the use of high-resolution detectors, since for each light and shadow pattern LSM, if a previously measured intensity distribution I (x, y) of the evaluation device already exists, only the intensity values measured at each detector pixel of the detector device have to be transmitted to the evaluation device separately. The data storage capacity and/or the data transmission capacity of the detector arrangement can therefore be selected to be lower, which in turn can reduce the technical outlay and the costs of the imaging device.

In some embodiments, refinements and variants of embodiments, the temporal integration or summation of the detector signals is carried out in the detector arrangement. In this way, the amount of data that has to be transmitted from the detector device to the evaluation device, for example, can be reduced.

The imaging device can also be designed and arranged such that the object is continuously irradiated by means of X-ray radiation and a continuous pattern change of the light-shadow pattern LSM is carried out and the light intensity detected by the detector arrangement is integrated. In this way the problem of the necessary fast detector reading is avoided. Furthermore, by means of the correlation method on which the invention is based, the automatically occurring system artifacts are eliminated by using the correlation between the known light intensity of the light and shadow pattern and the light intensity measured after scanning the object. Thus, for example, inhomogeneities caused by system impurities in the beam path are reduced or even eliminated.

The invention also provides an imaging method for creating an image of an object by irradiating the object with X-ray radiation having the features of the embodiments.

The above-described embodiments and modifications can be combined with one another as desired, if appropriate. Other possible designs, modifications and implementations of the invention also include combinations of features of the invention not explicitly mentioned above or below with respect to the exemplary embodiments. The person skilled in the art will also add individual aspects here, in particular, as an improvement or supplement to the corresponding basic form of the invention.

Further advantageous developments and embodiments are explained below with reference to the figures and the associated figure descriptions.

Drawings

The invention is explained in detail below on the basis of the examples given in the schematic drawings. Shown here are:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram illustrating an imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention; and

fig. 2 shows a schematic flow diagram for illustrating an imaging method according to another embodiment of the invention.

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of embodiments of the invention. The drawings illustrate embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles and concepts of the invention. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale relative to each other. Directional terms such as, for example, "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "above", "below", "horizontal", "vertical", "front", "rear" and the like are used for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit generality to the particular design shown in the figures.

In the drawings, identical, functionally identical and identically acting elements, features and components, unless stated otherwise, are provided with the same reference symbols, respectively.

The marking of method steps is used for a better overview; the numbering of the method steps, while capable of implying a temporal order, does not necessarily imply a temporal order, so long as it does not explicitly state or clearly imply an opposite. In particular, several method steps can also partially or completely overlap, i.e., in particular can also be carried out simultaneously.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a schematic block diagram for illustrating an imaging apparatus 100 for creating an image 5 of an object 1 by irradiating the object 1 with X-ray radiation 2 according to an embodiment of the invention.

The imaging device 100 comprises an X-ray light source 10 for emitting X-ray radiation 2 and a receiving region 30 for an object 1 to be scanned by means of the X-ray radiation 2. The object 1 to be scanned can be, for example, a workpiece, but also a living being, for example, a human patient.

The receiving area 30 can comprise, for example, a table for placing the object 1, a lockable cavity for receiving the object 1, or the like. Between the receiving region 30 and the X-ray source 10, an optical device 20, for example an aperture (apertura), can be provided.

In the beam path behind the receiving region 30, a conversion device 40 of the imaging device 100 is arranged, which is designed and arranged to convert X-ray radiation that has passed through the receiving region 30 into visible light with spatial resolution. Thus, at said moment, all spatial information about the object 1 can still be extracted from the converted visible light. However, as mentioned above, a strong photon flux density is required for this, which may be detrimental for a plurality of objects 1. The conversion device 40 can be, for example, a scintillation detector.

The imaging device 100 further comprises a detector arrangement 60 configured to output a detector signal 61 based on visible light detected by the detector unit 60, wherein the visible light preferably comes from the conversion arrangement 40. In other variants, other conversions of the generated visible light can take place during this. The imaging device 100 is designed such that the X-ray radiation 2 which has passed through the receiving region 30 impinges on the conversion means 40, such that the visible light produced by the conversion means (by conversion) impinges on the detector arrangement 60 after passing through the pattern generator arrangement 50. This is advantageously carried out such that, in the case of a completely empty light shadow pattern LSM51, through which all radiation can constantly pass, the entire X-ray radiation 2 from the receiving region 30 also impinges on the detector arrangement 60.

As already explained in detail above, the imaging device 100 can in particular have (or consist of) a single-detector pixel detector or a detector with a relatively low resolution, wherein significant advantages can be achieved if the resolution of the detector arrangement 60 (i.e. the number of detector pixels) is lower than the resolution (i.e. the number of pixels) of the shadow pattern LSM 51. Furthermore, pixel binning can also be used in order to increase the sensitivity of the detector arrangement 60, thereby reducing the required exposure time (or exposure time) of the object 1 with X-ray radiation 2 per light and shadow pattern LSM 51.

Furthermore, the imaging device 100 comprises a pattern generator device 50, by means of which a plurality of light and shadow patterns LSM51 can be realized time-staggered by acting on the X-ray radiation 2 that has passed the receiving region 30 and/or by acting on the visible light produced by the conversion device 40, such that each detector signal 61 is produced on the basis of the respective light and shadow pattern LSM 51.

The pattern generator device 50 advantageously acts on visible light, so that it can be implemented with low effort. The pattern generation by the pattern generator device 50 can be performed, for example, by overshooting (turning a pixel white, regardless of whether the pixel is initially black, gray, or white) and/or by shading (turning a pixel black, regardless of whether the pixel is initially black, gray, or white).

Furthermore, the pattern generator device 50 is advantageously designed such that the light and shadow patterns LSM51 implemented with time offsets (i.e. in sequence) are linearly independent. In this way, the information from each scanning process contributes new spatial information to the rendered object. Furthermore, the pattern generator means can be configured to implement the light and shadow pattern LSM51 discretely, or the pattern generator means can be configured to implement the light and shadow pattern LSM51 continuously.

Finally, the imaging device 100 comprises an evaluation apparatus 70, which is designed to generate an image 5 of the object 1 on the basis of the detector signal 61 and on the basis of predetermined information about the light and shadow pattern LSM51, preferably about the respective light and shadow pattern LSM51 belonging to the detector signal 61. As mentioned above, this can be done in particular by means of computer ghost imaging.

For each light and shadow pattern LSM51, in particular, the associated intensity distribution I (x, y) can be predetermined in a manner recorded by means of a high-resolution detector and stored in a data memory of evaluation device 70. Thus, the image 5 of the object 1 can be generated according to a known algorithm, using the correlation between said intensity distributions I (x, y), the intensities respectively measured by the detector arrangement 60 and information of which light and shadow pattern LSM51 produced which intensity at the detector arrangement 60.

In fig. 1, the imaging apparatus 100 is exemplarily shown such that the conversion device 40, the pattern generator device 50 and the detector device 60 are depicted as separate blocks from each other, respectively.

However, as set forth above, application-dependent can be advantageous to integrate a plurality of or even all of the functional blocks with one another.

For example, the pattern generator device 50 and the conversion device 40 can be integrated with each other such that the conversion device 40 converts only X-ray radiation 2 impinging on an area of the conversion device 40 determined according to the respective light and shadow pattern LSM51 into visible light. Furthermore, an imaging plate can be provided which stores the excitation by the X-ray radiation 2 and can be read spatially resolved by visible light. Thus, the light and shadow pattern LSM51 can be realized by targeted spatial reading of the image plate. Alternatively again, the pattern generator device 50 and the detector device 60 can be integrated with each other such that the corresponding light and shadow pattern LSM51 is produced directly on the detector device 60.

The imaging device 100 schematically shown in fig. 1 can thus be modified according to a number of the variants and alternatives described above.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic flow diagram for illustrating an imaging method for creating an image 5 of an object 1 by irradiating the object 1 with X-ray radiation 2 according to another embodiment of the invention. The method according to fig. 2 can be carried out in particular by means of the imaging device 100 according to fig. 1. The method according to fig. 2 can therefore also be adapted to all alternatives, variants and improvements described in relation to the imaging device 100 and vice versa.

In step S10, the object 1 to be scanned is set in the accommodation area 30.

In step S20, X-ray radiation 2 is emitted by the X-ray light source 10 to irradiate the accommodation area 30, thereby also irradiating the object 1. Optionally, the X-ray radiation can be shaped, e.g. focused, by the optical device 20 before entering the receiving region 30.

In step S30, the X-ray radiation 2 which has passed through the receiving region 30 (i.e. has not been absorbed by the object 1 or has been scattered completely out of the ray path) is converted, for example spatially resolved, by the conversion means 40, into visible light, as has already been explained in detail above.

In step S40, a plurality of light and shadow patterns LSM51 are realized with a temporal offset by acting on the X-ray radiation 2 that has passed through the receiving region 30 and/or on the visible light generated by the conversion, so that the detector signal 61 generated by the detector arrangement 60 in step S50 is generated on the basis of the visible light impinging on the detector arrangement 60 after the conversion and on the basis of the respective light and shadow pattern LSM 51. As described, a single detector signal 61 can be generated for each shadow pattern LSM 51; alternatively, after integration/summation, the detector signal 16 can also be based on a plurality of light and shadow patterns LSM 51.

For example, generating S40 shadow pattern LSM51 can include: the light from the conversion device 40 is locally dimmed and/or overshot. Alternatively or additionally, generating S50 shadow pattern LSM51 can also include: the conversion of the X-ray radiation 2 by the conversion device 40 is suppressed spatially resolved and specifically. Again alternatively or additionally, generating S50 shadow pattern LSM51 can also include: the detection of visible light by the detector arrangement 60 is suppressed spatially resolved and specifically. In each of these cases, "spatially resolved" refers to a sequence of patterns preset by the corresponding shading pattern LSM51, for example, white and black pixels, respectively. Each of these variants has in common the following: the detector signal 61 ultimately generated by the detector arrangement 60 is not only related to the scanned object 1, but also to the respectively applied/generated light and shadow pattern LSM 51.

In step S60, an image 5 of the object 1 is generated based on the detector signal 61 and based on predetermined information about the light and shadow pattern LSM 51. As already described in detail above, this can be done by means of known computer-aided imaging methods ("computerized ghost imaging"), in particular with a predetermined intensity distribution I (x, y) for each of the light-shadow patterns LSM 51.

In the above detailed description, different features for improving the stringency of the display have been summarized. It should be clear here, however, that the above description is illustrative only and not restrictive in any way. The description is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents of the various features and embodiments. Numerous other examples will be immediately and directly apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the above description, based on the technical knowledge of the person skilled in the art.

The embodiments were chosen and described in order to be able to show the principle on which the invention is based and its feasibility of application in practice as good as possible. Thus, those skilled in the art will be able to best modify and use the invention and its various embodiments for its intended purposes.