Preliminary Bone Imaging on 05B1-1 Beamline at the Canadian Light Source: Exploration of Diffraction Enhanced Imaging

Abstract

The bending magnet line (05B1-1) of the BioMedical Imaging and Therapy (BMIT) facility of the Canadian Light Source saw initial research application (Figure 1) during commissioning which began in December 2008 and continued intermittently through May 2010. Following an initial run based upon letters of intent (June-Dec. 2010), the bending magnet line is now available for regular user access. The mandate to advance research related to human and animal health, combined with an active bone imaging community at the University of Saskatchewan, has resulted in a strong representation of skeletal imaging during initial experiments at BMIT. To date, specific manifestations of bone imaging have ranged from micro-CT imaging of human cortical bone samples to in vitro diffraction enhanced imaging (DEI) of rat and pig bones and, ultimately, to in vivo DEI of bones within young chickens. In this article we focus on the diffraction enhanced imaging capabilities of BMIT and describe our efforts to apply this technology to human trabecular bone microarchitecture – a potential clinical application in the future.