X-ray beam hardening correction for measuring density in linear accelerator industrial computed tomography

Due to X-ray attenuation being approximately proportional to material density,it is possible to measure the inner density through Industrial Computed Tomography（ICT） images accurately. In practice,however,a number of factors including the non-linear effects of beam hardening and diffuse scattered radiation complicate the quantitative measurement of density variations in materials. This paper is based on the linearization method of beam hardening correction,and uses polynomial fitting coecient which is obtained by the curvature of iron polychromatic beam data to fit other materials. Through theoretical deduction,the paper proves that the density measure error is less than 2% if using pre-filters to make the spectrum of linear accelerator range mainly 0.3 MeV to 3 MeV. Experiment had been set up at an ICT system with a 9 MeV electron linear accelerator. The result is satisfactory. This technique makes the beam hardening correction easy and simple,and it is valuable for measuring the ICT density and making use of the CT images to recognize materials.     

硬化伪影的新型表现形式及其校正

X射线硬化是导致工业CT重建图像质量下降的物理原因之一。硬化伪影通常表现为两种形式,即杯状伪影和带状伪影。描述并证实了硬化伪影的一种新型表现形式,这种伪影与真实结构相关,且分布规则,容易造成伪影与真实结构的混淆。采用线性化校正方法对该伪影进行抑制,提高了重建图像质量,改善了通过CT重建图像进行几何测量的精度。     

Beam Hardening Correction Base on Monte Carlo Simulation Method

For the empirical beam hardening correction in computerized tomography (CT), it is necessary to measure an attenuation curve for the material. The attenuation curve depends on the X ray machine operation parameters and object material, etc. If any measuring condition changes, a new attenuation curve has to be measured. This approach is time consuming and difficult to implement. A new method of beam hardening correction is presented in this paper, which is based on Monte Carlo simulation of the attenuation characteristic. An aluminium object is scanned and the projection data is corrected by the empirical beam hardening correction and by the simulation based correction. The results of the reconstructed images confirm the correctness of the simulation based method. The simulation based correction has been applied successfully to CT projection data of several test samples, with the material of aluminum, steel and copper.     

基于蒙特卡罗模拟的射束硬化校正方法

传统的射束硬化校正方法, 通常需要针对每一种材料测量该材料对射线的吸收曲线. 由于吸收曲线对实验条件有很大的依赖性, 每当改变X光机电压或者被测工件的材料等条件时,需要重新测量吸收曲线才能完成硬化校正过程. 这种方法费事费时. 本文提出了基于蒙特卡罗模拟计算物质吸收曲线的硬化校正方法. 实验中, 分别用本方法和传统的硬化校正方法对铝工件进行硬化校正, 经过比较, 确认本方法是有效的. 然后用该方法对不同材料(铝、铁和铜)的工件进行校正. 实验结果表明, 本方法能有效消除各种材料工件图像中的硬化伪影, 是快速的和切实可行的.     

CT重构中射线硬化的校正研究

在工业CT(ComputedTomography)重构中,由于射束硬化使得重建图像中出现"杯状"伪影。为了消除这种影响,提出了一种校正方法。该方法基于Beer理论,根据多色射束和数据,首先拟合出等效单色射束和数据,然后进行卷积反投影重构。这种方法不仅较好地消除了射线硬化的影响,同时也使重构图像的信息损失不大。     

工业CT图像均匀性校正

在工业CT图像重建过程中,射束硬化使得图像出现“杯状”伪影,阵列探测器响应不一致使得图像出现环状伪影、带状伪影和点伪影,影响图像均匀性.本文分析了射束硬化的原理和探测器响应不一致的数学模型,并通过实验,对探测器响应进行多挡板定标得到校正系数表.利用查表插值的方法对投影数据进行均匀性校正,消除上述伪影.     

Dragon-I Linear Induction Electron Accelerator

Dragon-Ⅰ is a linear induction electron accelerator. This facility consists in a 3.6MeV injector, 38 meter beam transport line and 16MeV induction accelerator powered by high voltage generators, including 8 Marx generators and 48 Blumlein lines. This paper describes the physics design, development and experimental results of Dragon- Ⅰ. The key technology is analyzed in the accelerator development, and the design requirements and operation of the major subsystems are presented. The experimental results show Dragon-Ⅰ generates an 18—20MeV, 2.5kA, 70ns electron beam. The X-ray spot size is about 1.2mm and dose level about 0.103 C/kg at 1 meter.     

A Real-time System For Measuring Spot Size of High Energy Accelerator Using Thick Pinhole Imaging

In order to easily measure the beam spot size of high energy electron accelerators with internal target enclosed,a real–time system, based on thick pinhole imaging technique, is employed. The experimental result on a 15MeV electron linear accelerator is also presented. In this paper the principle of thick pinhole imaging and the processing of data are introduced. The usual "sandwich" method needs to develop X-ray films, while debugging the accelerator parameters it will take a lot of time. On the contrary, X–ray pinhole imaging method can make a real–time measuring: as the accelerator parameters change, we can observe the beam profile's variation on the computer screen. Then when debugging we can have a definite object in view, and adjust the accelerator parameters more efficiently.     

基于重投影的多项式拟合校正射束硬化

在X射线工业CT(ICT)中,射束硬化会导致重建的图像出现伪影,甚至产生变形。为了消除这种影响,提出了一种基于重投影的多项式拟合校正射束硬化的方法。该方法对原始CT图像进行阈值分割二值化,将物体目标区域的像素值设为1;重投影此二值图像以获取X射线贯穿物体的长度集合;利用多项式拟合此长度集合与多色投影间的关系来建立射束硬化校正模型,用该模型对多色投影进行校正。与传统的多项式拟合校正方法相比,该方法不需要楔状模体(用于测量不同厚度下的衰减值,以此来建立射束硬化校正模型)。研究表明,该方法能有效地抑制射束硬化的影响。     

2MeV注入器脉冲电子束时间分辨能谱诊断研究

 介绍了利用磁分析器和电子束产生的契伦科夫辐射光诊断直线感应加速器脉冲电子束时间分辨能谱的原理、方法及诊断系统，对中物院2MeV感应叠加型注入器的2kA强流脉冲电子束时间分辨能谱进行实验诊断，并与二极管电压进行对比分析。测得能量约2.2MeV，60ns内最大能量变化为4%。     

An integrating current transformer for fast extraction from the HIRFL-CSR main ring

For any experiment that uses the beam of an accelerator, monitoring the beam intensity is always an important concern. It is particularly useful if one can continuously measure the beam current without disturbing the beam. We report here on test experiments for an Integrating Current Transformer （ICT） used to measure fast extraction beams from the HIRFL-CSR main ring （CSRm）. The laboratory tests and beam intensity measurement results are presented in this paper. The influence of the kicker noise is also analyzed.     

An integrating current transformer for fast extraction from the HIRFL-CSR main ring

For any experiment that uses the beam of an accelerator, monitoring the beam intensity is always an important concern. It is particularly useful if one can continuously measure the beam current without disturbing the beam. We report here on test experiments for an Integrating Current Transformer (ICT) used to measure fast extraction beams from the HIRFL-CSR main ring (CSRm). The laboratory tests and beam intensity measurement results are presented in this paper. The influence of the kicker noise is also analyzed.     

双脉冲电子束源实验研究

 利用现有2MeV直线感应注入器，通过改造，将其次级功率源和8个感应腔分成2组，使之交替工作，建立了一台双脉冲电子束源。二极管电压脉冲幅度达到1MeV，电子束脉冲持续时间为120ns，脉冲间隔可以根据需要在100~500ns间进行调节。实验结果表明：该双脉冲电子束源可以产生双脉冲电子束，其电压幅度差值小于2%，束流可达3kA，并且工作稳定，利用该装置可以进行多脉冲二极管物理和天鹅绒多脉冲发射特性实验研究。     

乌克兰强流加速器条带靶截面探测器研制

乌克兰哈尔科夫物理技术研究所(KIPT)在建的100 MeV电子直线加速器,束流功率高达100kW,给拦截式条带靶束流截面探测器的电极选材带来巨大的困难。通过ANSYS有限元分析程序对探头与束流的相互作用进行模拟,得到了探头材料在1.2kW束流功率条件下的真空温升和受力、变形结果;通过初步的束流实验,观测了T300碳纤维束在束流作用下的信号情况,最终锁定用T300碳纤维束作为电极材料。这是国际上首次采用碳纤维束作为靶面电极。     

工业CT在工件检测中X射线硬化校正

X射线工业CT中,由于X射线能谱具有多色性,X射线在透射物质时,能量较低的射线优先被吸收,X射线能量越高,衰减系数越低。也即较高能量的X射线的衰减系数比较低能量的X射线的衰减系数小。射线随透射厚度增大,变得更易穿透,也就是发生了能谱硬化现象。由于射线硬化现象使图像重建时出现伪影,因此必须修正。文中对X射线硬化现象进行了分析,探讨了在均匀物质中,X射线射束和与透射厚度的关系。并根据Beer定律和X射线与物质作用的特点,通过获取X射线射束和数据,拟合出射束和与透射厚度的关系式。然后得出在同一透射厚度时,X射线射束和校正为单色等效射束和的关系及其等效方法。最终得出X射线等效单色射线的衰减系数的拟合值。再对此衰减系数拟合值进行卷积反投影重构,即可有效消除X射线射束硬化的影响。     

狭缝法测量X射线斑点大小

 应用狭缝光阑成像法测量X射线斑点大小,通过狭缝成像获得光源的线扩展函数和调制传递函数MTF,而后从MTF为0.5所对应的空间频率之值确定出光源的光斑大小。应用该方法测量得到12 MeV 直线感应加速器(LIA)X射线斑点大小为3.2 mm,及磁透镜在不同焦距下的X射线斑点大小。该项测量为12 MeV LIA电子束聚焦调试实验提供有效判据。     

12MeV直线感应加速器二极管优化设计研究

 本文用MAGIC程序对设计的多种12MV直线感应加速器的二极管结构进行模拟计算,得出了二极管阴极表面电场强度分布,并根据实验研究结果,得到了结构最佳设计的二极管模型;随后利用扫描电镜方法对不同天鹅绒的结构进行了分析与发射性能实验研究。最后得到优化后的二极管产生的电子束束流参数为发射束流I_e=8.50kA,传输束流I₈=3.0kA ,打靶束流I₀=2.30kA。     

基于分段硬化曲线的X射线CT射束硬化校正方法

研究了X射线CT射束硬化的形成机理,分析了射束硬化校正的常用方法,建立了以投影灰度为自变量的射束硬化校正模型,从而降低了射束硬化校正的计算难度。分析了采用多项式拟合射束硬化曲线的优缺点,提出一种基于多项式的分段硬化曲线表达新方法。该方法首先采用过原点的多项式曲线拟合硬化数据,然后通过所得多项式曲线的曲率变化,判断该曲线在拟合区间两端是否出现振荡,并对振荡部分的多项式曲线采用幂函数曲线进行替换,同时保证各段曲线在连接点处C1连续(曲线的C1连续定义为, 两条曲线交于一点且在交点处的一阶导数相等)。计算机CT仿真实验结果表明,该方法对理想CT图像和含噪CT图像的射束硬化校正,均表现出良好的稳定性,并可基本消除射束硬化造成的伪影。     

Beam hardening correction for a cone-beam CT system and its effect on spatial resolution

In this paper, we present a beam hardening correction (BHC) method in three-dimension space for a cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) system in a mono-material case and investigate its effect on the spatial resolution. Due to the polychromatic character of the X-ray spectrum used, cupping and streak artifacts called beam hardening artifacts arise in the reconstructed CT images, causing reduced image quality. In addition, enhanced edges are introduced in the reconstructed CT images because of the beam hardening effect. The spatial resolution of the CBCT system is calculated from the edge response function (ERF) on different planes in space. Thus, in the CT images with beam hardening artifacts, enhanced ERFs will be extracted to calculate the modulation transfer function (MTF), obtaining a better spatial resolution that deviates from the real value. Reasonable spatial resolution can be obtained after reducing the artifacts. The 10% MTF value and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the point spread function with and without BHC are presented.     

NSRL-200MeV直线加速器能谱分析系统的设计

 200MeV直线加速器能谱分析系统用来测量直线加速器的束流能谱，为指导直线加速器的调机和了解机器状态提供实验证据。为了克服非成像系统以及分辨率不高的缺点，在NSRL二期工程中对这个系统进行了重新设计，现已安装和调试。叙述了该系统详细的物理设计以及最新的初步实验结果。