Feasibility and its characteristics of CO 2 laser micromachining-based PMMA anti-scattering grid estimated by MCNP code simulation

BACKGROUND: Anti-scattering grid has been used to improve the image quality. However, applying a commonly used linear or parallel grid would cause image distortion, and focusing grid also requires a precise fabrication technology, which is expensive. OBJECTIVE: To investigate and analyze whether using CO 2 laser micromachining-based PMMA anti-scattering grid can improve the performance of the grid at a lower cost. Thus, improvement of grid performance would result in improvement of image quality. METHODS: The cross-sectional shape of CO 2 laser machined PMMA is similar to alphabet 'V'. The performance was characterized by contrast improvement factor (CIF) and Bucky. Four types of grid were tested, which include thin parallel, thick parallel, 'V'-type and 'inverse V'-type of grid. RESULTS: For a Bucky factor of 2.1, the CIF of the grid with both the "V" and inverse "V" had a value of 1.53, while the thick and thick parallel types had values of 1.43 and 1.65, respectively. CONCLUSION: The 'V' shape grid manufacture by CO 2 laser micromachining showed higher CIF than parallel one, which had same shielding material channel width. It was thought that the 'V' shape grid would be replacement to the conventional parallel grid if it is hard to fabricate the high-aspect-ratio grid.