An X-ray fluorescence experimental method for photon-counting detector in computed tomography system

The X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrum of specific elements can be utilized in energy calibration, energy resolution measurement, and analysis of energy response functions for photon-counting detectors (PCDs). The applications can be beneficial for PCD threshold accuracy, performance verification, and optimizing image quality. In previous literature, the experimental configuration for the XRF spectrum typically employed a vertical configuration to avoid the influence of the primary X-ray beam. However, such an experimental configuration is constrained by the fixed position of the X-ray source and detector in the computed tomography (CT) system. Hence, the purpose of this study is to investigate a horizontal configuration for XRF measurements and compare the differences in XRF spectrum with vertical configuration. The results indicate that the spectral characteristics of the horizontal and vertical configurations are similar, suggesting that the horizontal configuration could be applied for energy calibration and spectral analysis in PCD-CT systems.