Abstract
We report on a setup for differential x-ray phase-contrast imaging and tomography, that measures the full 2D phase-gradient information. The setup uses a simple one-dimensional x-ray grating interferometer, in which the grating structures of the interferometer are oriented at a tilt angle with respect to the sample rotation axis. In such a configuration, the differential phase images from opposing tomography projections can be combined to yield both components of the gradient vector. We show how the refractive index distribution as well as its x, y, and z gradient components can be reconstructed directly from the recorded projection data. The method can equally well be applied at conventional x-ray tube sources, to analyzer based x-ray imaging or neutron imaging. It is demonstrated with measurements of an x-ray phantom and a rat brain using synchrotron radiation.
Highlights
Hard x-ray phase-contrast imaging in combination with tomographic reconstruction is a powerful tool for 3D investigations, especially of weakly absorbing biological specimens where it can provide better contrast than absorption tomography [1,2]
The grating interferometer based differential phase contrast (DPC) method has obtained increasing attention since its invention a few years ago [3,4,5], as it is compatible with conventional x-ray tube sources [6, 7]
The presented grating-interferometer arrangement with tilted gratings allows the phase gradient vector to be recorded in a simple manner from a pair of mirror projections
Summary
Hard x-ray phase-contrast imaging in combination with tomographic reconstruction is a powerful tool for 3D investigations, especially of weakly absorbing biological specimens where it can provide better contrast than absorption tomography [1,2]. The grating interferometer based differential phase contrast (DPC) method has obtained increasing attention since its invention a few years ago [3,4,5], as it is compatible with conventional x-ray tube sources [6, 7]. This opens up wide-spread applications, for instance in medical imaging [8]. The phase gradient is a two-dimensional vector, but the differential methods measure only one of its components, that is, only a directional derivative of the phase-shift projection Φ. Our arrangement avoids inconvenient rotation of interferometer or sample around the beam axis and is well suited for gantry systems in computed tomography (CT) scanners
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