Tabletop X-ray ghost video of moving objects

TL;DR

This paper introduces a rapid X-ray ghost imaging method using a spinning mask and binary patterns, achieving up to 200 fps for moving objects, significantly advancing real-time X-ray imaging capabilities.

Contribution

The authors develop a fast spatial modulation scheme with a spinning mask, greatly increasing X-ray ghost imaging speed for dynamic objects.

Findings

Achieved imaging rates up to 200 frames per second.

Demonstrated clear visualization of moving objects with 225 um resolution.

Enabled potential applications in inspecting rotating machinery and medical imaging.

Abstract

X-ray imaging is widely employed in clinical medicine, industrial inspection, and various scientific research fields. Unfortunately, most currently used X-ray two-dimensional (2D) detectors suffer from a fundamental trade-off between the number of pixels and readout time, making them unsuitable for fast moving objects imaging, as well as the readout dead time causes frame losses. X-ray ghost imaging (XGI) offers an alternative approach to image an object using only a highly sensitive single-pixel detector. However, a critical limitation of existing XGI methods is the excessive total acquisition time required, rendering it impractical for real applications. In this paper, we propose a rapid spatial modulation scheme based on random binary patterns encoded onto a fast-spinning mask. Clear X-ray visualization of moving objects is demonstrated with imaging rates up to 200 frames per second with a resolution of 225 um. For the first time, our method has greatly improved the XGI imaging speed and paves the way for X-ray imaging application of motion objects, such as the inspection of rotating aero-engines and in vivo medical imaging.