Images of biological soft tissue using synchrotron X-ray and laser CT systems

Abstract

Images of embedded biological soft tissue of snail are obtained using synchrotron X-ray and laser CT systems. The biological soft tissue is embedded in another object and the microstructure is non-uniformly distributed. Under such conditions, the clear identification and occupation of the embedded biological soft tissue is necessary. In order to improve the monochromacy and image quality, the Synchrotron Radiation for Medical Physics facility at Elettra, Trieste, Italy, has been used for the image acquisition. A similar study is performed with a novel trans-illumination laser CT imaging system using optical fiber based on the optical heterodyne detection method for biomedical use. Based on the experimental observations, the proposed system can reconstruct tomographic images of highly scattering objects in the trans-illumination mode, similar to X-ray CT. Finally, images are presented, acquired using the two systems and the importance of these imaging techniques to image the internal structure of the embedded biological soft tissue is discussed.