OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHY OF SMALL OBJECTS USING PARALLEL RAY ILLUMINATION AND POST-SPECIMEN OPTICAL MAGNIFICATION

摘要

A parallel-beam optical tomography system (4) for imaging an object of interest (1) includes a parallel ray beam radiation source (35) that illuminates the object of interest (1) with a plurality of parallel radiation beams (36). After passing through the object of interest (1) the pattern of transmitted or emitted radiation intensities is magnified by a post specimen optical element or elements. An object containing tube (2) is located within an outer tube (32), wherein the object of interest (1) is held within or flows through the object containing tube (2). A motor (34) may be coupled to rotate and/or translate the object containing tube (2) to present differing views of the object of interest (1). One or more detector arrays are located to receive the emerging radiation (68) from the post specimen magnifying optic. Two- or three-dimensional images may be reconstructed from the magnified parallel projection data.