SBIR Phase I: Electrostatic Design for Cold-Cathode, Miniature X-ray Sources

SBIR 第一阶段：冷阴极微型 X 射线源的静电设计

• 批准号: 2322146
• 负责人: Winston Chern
• 金额: $ 27.5万
• 依托单位: X-SIGHT INCORPORATED
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-08-01 至 2024-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2322146&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Electrostatic; Design; Cold

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is improved access to 3D x-ray imaging in everyday life. Currently 3D x-ray imaging is used for applications where it is absolutely necessary to non-destructively image an object. One example is in healthcare, known as computed tomography, where imaging is performed 250,000 times per day in the US saving countless lives by enabling doctors to quickly identify and treat disease such as stroke, heart attack, and cancer. Airports are other locations where computed tomography is heavily used to quickly inspect millions of bags per day to catch threats that were once unable to be seen through conventional x-ray systems. The systems capable of 3D x-ray imaging for the applications mentioned above are large, expensive and immobile which prevent their use in more applications. This project enables a new architecture for 3D x-ray imaging which promises to make systems less expensive, smaller and more compact, require less power and demonstrate higher performance. This new architecture will enable access to 3D x-ray imaging for new applications by making it more affordable and available where and when it is needed, outside of key infrastructure locations like hospitals and airports.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the first step in developing the most critical component to a new 3D x-ray imaging architecture: a miniature, high-performance, and inexpensive x-ray source. Modern 3D x-ray imaging systems are large, expensive and immobile due to the method of generating 3D images. A single x-ray source and detector arc pair are rotated at high speeds to generate 2D images at different angles which are used to reconstruct a 3D model. Modern x-ray sources and detectors are very bulky, weighing over 100 pounds each, and necessitate substantial structural reinforcement, resulting in systems that weigh over 1000 pounds. The proposed new architecture uses a stationary ring of x-ray sources and detectors. The x-ray sources are electrically turned on and off mimicking the rotation of modern 3D x-ray imaging systems without spinning, resulting in a system that is inexpensive and smaller, and uses lower power while demonstrating higher performance. For these aspirations to be realized, a miniature x-ray source that is smaller, high-performance and inexpensive must be developed. This project will take the first steps to characterize such an x-ray source by measuring key metrics such as the performance, resolution and reliability. The design will be iterated through simulations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）I期项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力在日常生活中改善了3D X射线成像的访问。当前，3D X射线成像用于绝对不受破坏对象形象的应用程序。一个例子是在医疗保健中，被称为计算机断层扫描，在美国每天进行25万次成像，通过使医生能够快速识别和治疗诸如中风，心脏病和癌症等疾病，以挽救无数的生命。机场是其他位置，这些位置大量使用计算机断层扫描来快速检查数百万袋，以捕获曾经通过传统的X射线系统看不到的威胁。上述应用的3D X射线成像的系统是大型，昂贵且不动的，可防止它们在更多应用中使用。该项目为3D X射线成像提供了新的体系结构，该架构有望使系统较低，更小，更紧凑，需要更少的功率并显示出更高的性能。这种新的体系结构将通过使其更加负担得起，在需要的地方和何时访问3D X射线成像，以外的地方以及在需要医院和机场等关键基础架构之外。这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）I阶段项目是开发新的3D X射线成像体系结构的最关键组成部分的第一步：一定的分配器：一个分配的速度，以及高度的速度，并构成了一个良好的零件。现代3D X射线成像系统由于生成3D图像的方法而大，昂贵且不动。单个X射线源和检测器弧对以高速旋转，以不同角度生成2D图像，该角度用于重建3D模型。现代的X射线源和探测器非常笨重，每个重量超过100磅，需要大量结构加固，从而导致重量超过1000磅的系统。提出的新体系结构使用X射线源和检测器的固定环。 X射线源被电到电源和关闭，模仿现代3D X射线成像系统的旋转而无需旋转，从而产生了廉价且较小的系统，并使用较低的功率，同时表现出更高的性能。为了实现这些愿望，必须开发一个较小，高性能且廉价的微型X射线源。该项目将采取第一步来通过测量诸如性能，分辨率和可靠性之类的关键指标来表征这种X射线源。 该奖项将通过模拟进行迭代。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是值得通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛影响的评论标准来评估值得支持的。