X-ray micro radiography using beam hardening correction

The system presented provides high quality micro radiographs including very low contrast and low absorption objects. An important source of image distortion arises from beam hardening effects. When left uncorrected, distortion blurs low contrast image elements. Using a cooled digital X-ray semiconductor detector together with the proposed beam hardening correction procedure brings high dynamic range and very low noise of the acquired radiographs over the entire X-ray source spectrum. Both soft and hard parts of the object appear with high contrast and spatial resolution in the resulting radiographs. The beam hardening correction procedure is fully automated using a set of the calibrators and appropriate software modules