US5418833A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
High performance x-ray anti-scatter grid
Assignee: University of California, San Diego
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Filing: 1994-07-28
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Granted: 1995-05-23
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Expires: 2014-07-28
Abstract
Abstract An x-ray anti-scatter grid for x-ray imaging, particularly for screening mammography, and method for fabricating same, x-rays incident along a direct path pass through a grid composed of a plurality of parallel or crossed openings, microchannels, grooves, or slots etched in a substrate, such as silicon, having the walls of the microchannels or slots coated with a high opacity material, such as gold, while x-rays incident at angels with respect to the slots of the grid, arising from scatter, are blocked. The thickness of the substrate is dependent on the specific application of the grid, whereby a substrate of the grid for mammography would be thinner than one for chest radiology. Instead of coating the walls of the slots, such could be filed with an appropriate liquid, such as mercury.
Inventors
- 👤 Clinton M. Logan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 20:13
CPC Classifications
G; G21; G21K; G21K1/00; G21K1/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
55 words
In an x-ray imaging apparatus, the improvement comprising: an x-ray anti-scatter grid, said grid including a substrate constructed of material substantially transparent to x-rays, said substrate being provided with a plurality of openings therein which extend only partially therethrough, said openings having a coating only on wall surfaces thereof of a high x-ray opacity material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
55 words
In an x-ray imaging apparatus, the improvement comprising: an x-ray anti-scatter grid, said grid including a substrate constructed of material substantially transparent to x-rays, said substrate being provided with a plurality of openings therein which extend only partially therethrough, said openings having a coating only on wall surfaces thereof of a high x-ray opacity material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The improvement of claim 1, wherein said openings in said substrate define a plurality of parallel microchannels.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The improvement of claim 1, wherein the substrate is constructed of silicon, and wherein the coating is composed of gold.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The improvement of claim 3, wherein said openings in said substrate define a plurality of parallel microchannels.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
The improvement of claim 1, wherein said coating of high x-ray opacity material has a density in the range of 10 to 23 g/cm 3 , and an atomic number of 72 to 83, and 92.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
12 words
The improvement of claim 1, wherein said openings have a parallelogram configuration.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
The improvement of claim 6, wherein said said openings in said substrate is silicon, and substrate are coated with material having a density of about 10 to 23 g/cm 3 , and an atomic number of 72 to 83 and 92.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
10 words
The improvement of claim 7, wherein the coating is gold.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
The improvement of claim 1, wherein said substrate is constructed from material selected from the group consisting of silicon, beryllium, carbon, aluminum, and selected polymers.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
An anti-scatter grid for x-rays, comprising: a substrate of material which is substantially transparent to x-rays, said substrate including a plurality of openings therein which extend only partially therethrough, and said openings having a layer of high x-ray opacity material only on the wall surfaces thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
46 words
An anti-scatter grid for x-rays, comprising: a substrate of material which is substantially transparent to x-rays, said substrate including a plurality of openings therein which extend only partially therethrough, and said openings having a layer of high x-ray opacity material only on the wall surfaces thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
12 words
The anti-scatter grid of claim 10, wherein said openings have parallelogram configurations.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
The anti-scatter grid of claim 10, wherein said substrate is selected from material of the group consisting of silicon, beryllium, carbon, aluminum, and selected polymers; and wherein said layer of material is selected from the group of gold, rhenium, platinum, tungsten, and uranium.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The anti-scatter grid of claim 10, wherein said openings are constructed to define a plurality of parallel microchannels.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
The anti-scatter grid of claim 13, wherein said substrate is constructed from material selected from the group consisting of silicon beryllium, carbon, aluminum, and selected polymers.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
The anti-scatter grid of claim 14, wherein said layer of material on said wall surfaces of said microchannels is formed from material selected from the group consisting of gold, tungsten, rhenium, and platinum.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
46 words
A method for fabricating an x-ray anti-scatter grid, comprising the steps of: forming a plurality of openings in a substrate of x-ray transparent material which extend only partially through said substrate, and coating only the wall surfaces of the openings with a high x-ray opacity material.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
46 words
A method for fabricating an x-ray anti-scatter grid, comprising the steps of: forming a plurality of openings in a substrate of x-ray transparent material which extend only partially through said substrate, and coating only the wall surfaces of the openings with a high x-ray opacity material.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 16, additionally including the step of forming the substrate from silicon, and the step of forming the coating from gold.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 16, wherein the step of forming the plurality of openings in the substrate is carried out using a techniques selected from etching and ion beam milling of the substrate to form a plurality of parallel microchannels therein.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 16, wherein the step of forming the plurality of openings in the substrate is carried out by a technique selected from the group of etching and ion beam milling of the substrate to form a plurality of parallelograms in at least one side of the substrate.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 16, wherein the step of coating the wall surfaces of the openings is carried out by evaporation techniques.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2605427A
Cited
US5231654A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-05-22 | 1998-11-21 | 1999-05-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-05-22 | 2002-11-21 | 2003-05-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-05-22 | 2006-11-21 | 2007-05-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |