SBIR Phase II: Lobster-Eye X-Ray Imaging Sensor

这个小企业创新研究二期项目将开发一种创新的龙虾眼X射线成像传感器(Lexis)，用于观测长期高空气球飞行期间的X射线降水。目前在这类飞行中使用的针孔X射线相机的空间分辨率非常有限，需要显著提高灵敏度。提出的传感器将有一个由长金属微通道制成的大视场X射线透镜。有了这个镜头，Lexis将拥有比针孔相机更高的角度分辨率和更高的灵敏度。第二阶段的工作最终将是制造和测试能够同时聚焦于软和硬X射线的全尺寸Lexis原型。Lexis将为北半球X射线源的调查带来前所未有的分辨率。这项拟议的研究将产生一种新的X射线光学，它克服了目前仪器的局限性和缺点。龙虾眼光学装置将极大地提高安检X光设备的分辨率。它将提高筛查设备的穿透能力，更可靠地检测厚金属容器中的危险或非法材料。将开发的制造龙虾眼光学元件的技术将应用于医用X射线探测器阵列的防散射栅格的制造。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will develop an innovative Lobster Eye X-ray Imaging Sensor (LEXIS) for the observation of x-ray precipitation during long-term high-altitude balloon flights. The pinhole x-ray cameras currently used in such flights have very limited spatial resolution, and need significantly improved sensitivity. The proposed sensor will have a large-field-of-view x-ray lens fabricated of long metal microchannels. With this lens, the LEXIS will have significantly higher angular resolution and higher sensitivity than pinhole cameras. Phase II efforts will culminate in fabrication and testing of a full-scale LEXIS prototype capable of focusing on both soft and hard x-rays. LEXIS will bring unprecedented resolution to the investigation of boreal sources of x-rays. The proposed research will yield a new kind of x-ray optics that overcomes the limitations and shortcomings of current instruments. The lobster eye optics will dramatically improve the resolution of security screening x-ray equipment. It will enhance the penetration capability of screening equipment, more reliably detecting hazardous or illegal materials within thick metal containers. The technology to be developed for fabricating lobster eye optics will be applied to the fabrication of antiscatter grids for medical x-ray detector arrays.