Abstract
Tomographic X-ray microscopy beamlines at synchrotron light sources worldwide have pushed the achievable time-resolution for dynamic 3-dimensional structural investigations down to a fraction of a second, allowing the study of quickly evolving systems. The large data rates involved impose heavy demands on computational resources, making it difficult to readily process and interrogate the resulting volumes. The data acquisition is thus performed essentially blindly. Such a sequential process makes it hard to notice problems with the measurement protocol or sample conditions, potentially rendering the acquired data unusable, and it keeps the user from optimizing the experimental parameters of the imaging task at hand. We present an efficient approach to address this issue based on the real-time reconstruction, visualisation and on-the-fly analysis of a small number of arbitrarily oriented slices. This solution, requiring only a single additional computing workstation, has been implemented at the TOMCAT beamline of the Swiss Light Source. The system is able to process multiple sets of slices per second, thus pushing the reconstruction throughput on the same level as the data acquisition. This enables the monitoring of dynamic processes as they occur and represents the next crucial step towards adaptive feedback control of time-resolved in situ tomographic experiments.
Highlights
Tomographic X-ray microscopy beamlines at synchrotron light sources worldwide have pushed the achievable time-resolution for dynamic 3-dimensional structural investigations down to a fraction of a second, allowing the study of quickly evolving systems
Thanks to advances in CMOS detector technology during the last decade and to the high photon flux available at state-of-the-art tomographic microscopy endstations, it is possible to acquire the raw data required for computing a full 3D snapshot in well under one second at micron resolution, promoting the use of tomographic microscopy for time-resolved 3D imaging of interior dynamics[1,2,3]
The GigaFRoST detector[4] in use at the fast tomography endstation of the TOMCAT beamline at the Swiss Light Source (PSI) can acquire up to 1255 full frame projection images of size 2016 × 2016 pixels, each second, and directly stream them to a data backend that is capable of receiving and storing this 7.7 GB per second in a ring buffer. Efficient handling of these large data rates associated with time resolved tomographic experiments is a major challenge: large bandwidths for data transfer and data storage are required as well as sufficient computational resources for performing tomographic reconstruction and subsequent analysis
Summary
Tomographic X-ray microscopy beamlines at synchrotron light sources worldwide have pushed the achievable time-resolution for dynamic 3-dimensional structural investigations down to a fraction of a second, allowing the study of quickly evolving systems. We present an efficient approach to address this issue based on the real-time reconstruction, visualisation and on-the-fly analysis of a small number of arbitrarily oriented slices This solution, requiring only a single additional computing workstation, has been implemented at the TOMCAT beamline of the Swiss Light Source. The GigaFRoST detector[4] in use at the fast tomography endstation of the TOMCAT beamline at the Swiss Light Source (PSI) can acquire up to 1255 full frame projection images of size 2016 × 2016 pixels, each second, and directly stream them to a data backend that is capable of receiving and storing this 7.7 GB per second in a ring buffer Efficient handling of these large data rates associated with time resolved tomographic experiments is a major challenge: large bandwidths for data transfer and data storage are required as well as sufficient computational resources for performing tomographic reconstruction and subsequent analysis. Real-time (i.e. sub-second) reconstruction and 3D visualisation during time-resolved tomography experiments is still out of reach
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
