Single-Mask edge illumination X-ray multimodal imaging: Methodology and parameter impact mechanisms

X-ray multimodal imaging, which extracts absorption, refraction, and scattering signals simultaneously, holds significant potential in biomedical and materials science applications. However, laboratory-based X-ray multimodal imaging remains underdeveloped, with existing techniques constrained by system magnification and detector pixel size. This study employs a single-mask edge illumination (SM EI) configuration and establishes the corresponding single-mask illumination curve (SM IC). Using Geant4 simulations, we validate the feasibility of retrieving all three signals under conventional magnification and large-pixel detectors. Results show accurate extraction of both refraction and scattering signals, with model fitting close to unity. We further explore the impact of key system parameters, including focal spot size, tube voltage, mask thickness, duty cycle, pixel count, and detector operation mode on imaging performance. The simulations reveal that small focal spots and low-energy X-rays enhance contrast, thick masks maintain signal quality at high energy, and low duty cycles and high photon counts improve the contrast-to-noise ratio (<i>CNR</i>). Additionally, the charge summing mode increases refraction <i>CNR</i> by approximately three times compared to standard modes. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the SM EI method, enhancing spatial resolution and providing optimization insights for designing laboratory-based X-ray multimodal imaging systems.