MICROFOCUS X-RAY SOURCES FOR 3D MICROTOMOGRAPHY

An analytic model for the performance of cone beam microtomography is described. The maximum power of a microfocus X-ray source is assumed to be approximately proportional to the focal spot size. Radiation flux penetrating the specimen is predicted by a sem-empirical relation which is valid for X-ray energies less than 20 keV. Good signal to noise ratio is predicted for bone specimens of 0.1 to 10 mm when scanned at the optimal energy. A flux of about 1 X 10(10) photons/mm(2)/s is identified for 0.2 mm specimens. Cone beam volumetric microtomography is found to compare favorably with synchrotron based methods.