3D Imaging Performance Research Articles

Cascaded-prism multi-mode beam scanning method for three-dimensional imaging lidar

Light detection and ranging (lidar) has emerged as an indispensable approach to three-dimensional (3D) perception, which probably suffers from performance limitations with traditional beam steering devices. In this paper, we investigate a cascaded-prism beam scanning method to enhance the versatility of 3D imaging lidar systems. The cascaded-prism-based 3D lidar architecture is theoretically developed with an emphasis on a rigorous beam scan model. By exploiting the additional flexibility of cascaded prisms, the lidar can achieve beam scanning through prism rotation in either step-motion or constant-speed mode, which exhibits superior agility and adaptability in multi-mode pattern analysis. Moreover, the cascaded-prism beam scanning lidar is demonstrated with a 3D imaging performance evaluation in terms of field of view, angular resolution and sampling density. It proves that the cascaded-prism beam scanner can offer lidar systems with flexible and configurable 3D imaging capability while balancing between a wide field of view and high angular resolution.

Toward Ground-Truth Optical Coherence Tomography via Three-Dimensional Unsupervised Deep Learning Processing and Data.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) can perform non-invasive high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) imaging and has been widely used in biomedical fields, while it is inevitably affected by coherence speckle noise which degrades OCT imaging performance and restricts its applications. Here we present a novel speckle-free OCT imaging strategy, named toward-ground-truth OCT ( t GT-OCT), that utilizes unsupervised 3D deep-learning processing and leverages OCT 3D imaging features to achieve speckle-free OCT imaging. Specifically, our proposed t GT-OCT utilizes an unsupervised 3D-convolution deep-learning network trained using random 3D volumetric data to distinguish and separate speckle from real structures in 3D imaging volumetric space; moreover, t GT-OCT effectively further reduces speckle noise and reveals structures that would otherwise be obscured by speckle noise while preserving spatial resolution. Results derived from different samples demonstrated the high-quality speckle-free 3D imaging performance of t GT-OCT and its advancement beyond the previous state-of-the-art. The code is available online: https://github.com/Voluntino/tGT-OCT.

Commissioning and implementing a Quality Assurance program for dedicated radiation oncology MRI scanners.

ACR and AAPM task group's guidelines addressing commissioning for dedicated MR simulators were recently published. The goal of the current paper is to present the authors' 2-year experience regarding the commissioning and introduction of a QA program based on these guidelines and an associated automated workflow. All mandatory commissioning tests suggested by AAPM report 284 were performed and results are reported for two MRI scanners (MAGNETOM Sola and Aera). Visual inspection, vendor clinical or service platform, third-party software, or in-house python-based code were used. Automated QA and data analysis was performed via vendor, in-house or third-party software. QATrack+ was used for QA data logging and storage. 3D geometric distortion, B0 inhomogeneity, EPI, and parallel imaging performance were evaluated. Contrasting with AAPM report 284 recommendations, homogeneity and RF tests were performed monthly. The QA program allowed us to detect major failures over time (shimming, gradient calibration and RF interference). Automated QA, data analysis, and logging allowed fast ACR analysis daily and monthly QA to be performed in 3h. On the Sola, the average distortion is 1mm for imaging radii of 250mm or less. For radii of up to 200mm, the maximum, average (standard deviation) distortion is 1.2 and 0.4mm (0.3mm). Aera values are roughly double the Sola for radii up to 200mm. EPI geometric distortion, ghosting ratio, and long-term stability were found to be under the maximum recommended values. Parallel imaging SNR ratio was stable and close to the theoretical value (ideal g-factor). No major failures were detected during commissioning. An automated workflow and enhanced QA program allowed to automatically track machine and environmental changes over time and to detect periodic failures and errors that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. The Sola is more geometrically accurate, with a more homogenous B0 field than the Aera.

Target-activated multicolor fluorescent dyes for 3D imaging of plasma membranes and tracking of apoptosis.

Real-time tracking of dynamic changes in the three-dimensional morphology of the cell plasma membrane is of great importance for a deeper understanding of physiological processes related to the cell plasma membrane. However, there is a lack of imaging dyes that can specifically be used for a long term labelling of plasma membranes, especially for plant cells. Here, we have used molecular engineering strategies to develop a series of target-activated multicolour fluorescent dyes that can be used for long-term and three-dimensional imaging of plant cell plasma membranes. By combining different electron acceptors and donors, four molecular backbones with different emission colours from green to NIR have been obtained. In the designed styrene-based dyes, referred to as the SD dyes, several functional groups were introduced into the backbones to achieve the properties of target-activated fluorescence, rapid and wash-free staining, high plasma membrane targeting ability and long-term imaging function. Using onion epidermal cells as a platform, these dye molecules can provide high-quality imaging of the plasma membrane for up to 6 hours, providing a powerful tool for long-term monitoring of plasma membrane-related biological events. Calcium-mediated apoptosis of plant cells has been tracked for the first time by monitoring the morphological changes of the plasma membrane in real time using SD dyes. These dyes also exhibit excellent 3D imaging performance of the plasma membrane and were further used to track in real time the 3D morphological changes of the plasma membrane during plasmolysis of plant cells, providing a powerful imaging tool for three-dimensional (3D) biology. This work provides a set of multi-colour dye tools for long-term and three-dimensional imaging of plant cell plasma membranes, and also provides molecular design principles for guiding the transmembrane transport of small molecules.

Miniature planar 3D ECT sensor based on distributed electrode arrangement

Due to the low sensitivity in the middle of sensing chamber of planar peripheral electrode arrangement tomography system, a miniature planar electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) sensor with distributed electrode arrangement is proposed for imaging of 3D cultivated cells. In this work, the 3D imaging capability of the proposed sensor was compared to the peripheral electrode arrangement ECT sensor through numerical simulation of the sensitivity maps. The analysis of the sensitivity maps revealed that the sensitivity distribution of proposed sensor covered the entire surface of the sensing chamber which indicated improved sensitivity coverage in the sensing chamber. In addition, the axial resolution and the singular value decomposition (SVD) analysis of the sensitivity maps demonstrated that the proposed sensor has better 3D imaging capability. Then, the proposed sensor composed of nine electrodes, a thin PDMS layer and a glass coverslip was fabricated and investigated. The experimental results showed that the reconstructed 3D image by the proposed sensor was consistent at all the test positions. In contrast to the planar peripheral electrode arrangement ECT sensor that has an average correlation coefficient (CC) of 0.4571, the proposed sensor achieved a higher average CC of 0.5454, indicating better 3D imaging performance.

Optical projection tomography of fluorescent microscopic specimens using lateral translation of tube lens.

Optical projection tomography (OPT) is a three-dimensional (3D) fluorescence imaging technique, in which projection images are acquired for varying orientations of a sample using a large depth of field. OPT is typically applied to a millimeter-sized specimen, because the rotation of a microscopic specimen is challenging and not compatible with live cell imaging. In this Letter, we demonstrate fluorescence optical tomography of a microscopic specimen by laterally translating the tube lens of a wide-field optical microscope, which allows for high-resolution OPT without rotating the sample. The cost is the reduction of the field of view to about halfway along the direction of the tube lens translation. Using bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells and 0.1 µm beads, we compare the 3D imaging performance of the proposed method with that of the conventional objective-focus scan method.

Airborne sparse flight array SAR 3D imaging based on compressed sensing in frequency domain

In airborne array synthetic aperture radar (SAR), the three-dimensional (3D) imaging performance and cross-track resolution depends on the length of the equivalent array. In this paper, Barker sequence criterion is used for sparse flight sampling of airborne array SAR, in order to obtain high cross-track resolution in as few times of flights as possible. Under each flight, the imaging algorithm of back projection (BP) and the data extraction method based on modified uniformly redundant arrays (MURAs) are utilized to obtain complex 3D image pairs. To solve the side-lobe noise in images, the interferometry between each image pair is implemented, and compressed sensing (CS) reconstruction is adopted in the frequency domain. Furthermore, to restore the geometrical relationship between each flight, the phase information corresponding to negative MURA is compensated on each single-pass image reconstructed by CS. Finally, by coherent accumulation of each complex image, the high resolution in cross-track direction is obtained. Simulations and experiments in X-band verify the availability.

Technical assessment of 2D and 3D imaging performance of an IGZO-based flat-panel X-ray detector.

Indirect detection flat-panel detectors (FPDs) consisting of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin-film transistors (TFTs) are a prevalent technology for digital x-ray imaging. However, their performance is challenged in applications requiring low exposure levels, high spatial resolution, and high frame rate. Emerging FPD designs using metal oxide TFTs may offer potential performance improvements compared to FPDs based on a-Si:H TFTs. This work investigates the imaging performance of a new indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) TFT-based detector in 2D fluoroscopy and 3D cone-beam CT (CBCT). The new FPD consists of a sensor array combining IGZO TFTs with a-Si:H photodiodes and a 0.7-mm thick CsI:Tl scintillator. The FPD was implemented on an x-ray imaging bench with system geometry emulating intraoperative CBCT. A conventional FPD with a-Si:H TFTs and a 0.6-mm thick CsI:Tl scintillator was similarly implemented as a basis of comparison. 2D imaging performance was characterized in terms of electronic noise, sensitivity, linearity, lag, spatial resolution (modulation transfer function, MTF), image noise (noise-power spectrum, NPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) with entrance air kerma (EAK) ranging from 0.3 to 1.2 μGy. 3D imaging performance was evaluated in terms of the 3D MTF and noise-equivalent quanta (NEQ), soft-tissue contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and image quality evident in anthropomorphic phantoms for a range of anatomical sites and dose, with weighted air kerma, , ranging from 0.8 to 4.9 mGy. The 2D imaging performance of the IGZO-based FPD exhibited up to ∼1.7× lower electronic noise than the a-Si:H FPD at matched pixel pitch. Furthermore, the IGZO FPD exhibited ∼27% increase in mid-frequency DQE (1mm-1 ) at matched pixel size and dose (EAK ≈ 1.0 μGy) and ∼11% increase after adjusting for differences in scintillator thickness. 2D spatial resolution was limited by the scintillator for each FPD. The IGZO-based FPD demonstrated improved 3D NEQ at all spatial frequencies in both head (≥25% increase for all dose levels) and body (≥10% increase for ≤2 mGy) imaging scenarios. These characteristics translated to improved low-contrast visualization in anthropomorphic phantoms, demonstrating ≥10% improvement in CNR and extension of the low-dose range for which the detector is input-quantum limited. The IGZO-based FPD demonstrated improvements in electronic noise, image lag, and NEQ that translated to measurable improvements in 2D and 3D imaging performance compared to a conventional FPD based on a-Si:H TFTs. The improvements are most beneficial for 2D or 3D imaging scenarios involving low-dose and/or high-frame rate.

A Simulation Study for Three Dimensional Tomographic Field Free Line Magnetic Particle Imaging.

Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) is an emerging modality that images the magnetic nanoparticle distribution inside the body. The method is based on the non-linear response of the magnetic nanoparticles to an applied magnetic field. In this study, we present simulation results for three-dimensional (3D) tomographic imaging using an open-bore MPI system that can electronically scan a field free line (FFL). A field of view with 26×26×10 mm3 volume is imaged with a relatively low gradient field of 0.5 T/m. Imaging results for two 3D phantoms are presented: a letter phantom and a vessel phantom with stenosis regions. Using the system-matrix based reconstruction approach, the images were obtained with the Algebraic reconstruction technique (ART) and alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) methods. The stenosis regions were visually recognizable in high SNR conditions with ADMM. The effect of low gradient strength became prominent with increasing noise level, resulting in interlayer coupling artifacts.Clinical relevance- Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) is a new tracer-based imaging modality with high-spatiotemporal resolution. MPI can map quantitative distribution of super-paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles introduced inside the body. A field free line scanning MPI system with an open configuration can enable imaging of human-size volumes for interventional operations. In this study, we present simulation results for an FFL scanning open MPI system configuration to scan 3D field of view volume electronically. We analyze 3D imaging performance for various SNR levels at a low gradient value of 0.5 T/m that is relevant for clinical-size systems.

Intraoperative cone-beam and slot-beam CT: 3D image quality and dose with a slot collimator on the O-arm imaging system.

To characterize the 3D imaging performance and radiation dose for a prototype slot-beam configuration on an intraoperative O-arm™ Surgical Imaging System (Medtronic Inc., Littleton, MA) and identify potential improvements in soft-tissue image quality for surgical interventions. A slot collimator was integrated with the O-arm™ system for slot-beam axial CT. The collimator can be automatically actuated to provide 1.2° slot-beam longitudinal collimation. Cone-beam and slot-beam configurations were investigated with and without an antiscatter grid (12:1 grid ratio, 60 lines/cm). Dose, scatter, image noise, and soft-tissue contrast resolution were evaluated in quantitative phantoms for head and body configurations over a range of exposure levels (beam energy and mAs), with reconstruction performed via filtered-backprojection. Qualitative imaging performance across various anatomical sites and imaging tasks was assessed with anthropomorphic head, abdomen, and pelvis phantoms. The dose for a slot-beam scan varied from 0.02-0.06 mGy/mAs for head protocols to 0.01-0.03 mGy/mAs for body protocols, yielding dose reduction by ∼1/5 to 1/3 compared to cone-beam, owing to beam collimation and reduced x-ray scatter. The slot-beam provided an ∼6-7× reduction in scatter-to-primary ratio (SPR) compared to the cone-beam, yielding SPR ∼20-80% for head and body without the grid and ∼7-30% with the grid. Compared to cone-beam scans at equivalent dose, slot-beam images exhibited an ∼2.5× increase in soft-tissue contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) for both grid and gridless configurations. For slot-beam scans, a further ∼10-30% improvement in CNR was achieved when the grid was removed. Slot-beam imaging could benefit certain interventional scenarios in which improved visualization of soft tissues is required within a fairly narrow longitudinal region of interest ( 7mm in )--for example, checking the completeness of tumor resection, preservation of adjacent anatomy, or detection of complications (e.g., hemorrhage). While preserving existing capabilities for fluoroscopy and cone-beam CT, slot-beam scanning could enhance the utility of intraoperative imaging and provide a useful mode for safety and validation checks in image-guided surgery. The 3D imaging performance and dose of a prototype slot-beam CT configuration on the O-arm™ system was investigated. Substantial improvements in soft-tissue image quality and reduction in radiation dose are evident with the slot-beam configuration due to reduced x-ray scatter.

Polarisation-modulated photon-counting 3D imaging based on a negative parabolic pulse model.

Indirect methods based on intensity for time-of-flight measurement have attracted considerable research interest in recent years because they can provide high spatial resolution in 3D imaging. However, the majority of indirect methods are inapplicable when echo signals are small (e.g., less than one photon). We propose a novel polarisation-modulated photon-counting 3D imaging method based on a negative parabolic pulse model (NPPM) to solve this problem. We measure weak signals using the number of received photons after repetitive pulsed laser emission. We establish a computational method by exploring the relationship between photon flight time that corresponds to the polarisation-modulated state of photons controlled by phase shift and calculated photon rates from received photon-counting values based on Poisson negative log-likelihood function to calculate the distance. We specifically utilise the NPPM to estimate distribution of echo signals and reduce ranging error given that echo signals are constantly time-varying. We build the first experimental system for polarisation-modulated photon-counting 3D imaging for verification by integrating it with a dual-axis galvo scanning device. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can achieve ranging accuracy at the millimeter-level and exhibit superior 3D imaging performance even when the average received number of echo signals per pulsed laser emission is smaller than 0.05.

Epipolar Geometry Guided Highly Robust Structured Light 3D Imaging

Structured light (SL) based three-dimensional (3D) imaging technology has been widely employed in many fields of computer vision. However, currently available SL based depth sensors are sensitive to imaging noises, which severely limits the performance of subsequent advanced vision tasks. In this letter, we propose a robust and practical SL illumination pattern coding method based on epipolar geometry. The proposed pattern can effectively alleviate coding redundancy in traditional global random speckle SL patterns and make the stereo matching more robust to noise. Meanwhile, this coding strategy supplies sufficient non-local similar blocks, which inspires us to propose a uni-direction block-stacking 3D filtering algorithm to further improve the 3D imaging quality. To verify the proposed algorithms, we developed a prototype using the off-the-shelf projector and camera. Both simulation and real scene experimental results show that the proposed methods can achieve high-quality 3D imaging performance under different noisy conditions.

Compact three-dimensional computational imaging using a dynamic virtual camera.

We present a three-dimensional (3D) computational imaging architecture based on the imaging principle of a dynamic virtual camera, which enables the spatial reconstruction using a single camera and a compact wedge prism device. By rotating the prism for camera boresight adjustment, the proposed system can capture an object from different viewpoints. Each captured image appears to be recorded directly with one virtual camera moving in a certain path, facilitating the computational process for stereo matching and profile reconstruction. The experimental results have demonstrated that our architecture allows a compact and flexible system to achieve 3D imaging performance competitive to conventional stereovision.

A mobile isocentric C-arm for intraoperative cone-beam CT: Technical assessment of dose and 3D imaging performance.

To characterize the radiation dose and three-dimensional (3D) imaging performance of a recently developed mobile, isocentric C-arm equipped with a flat-panel detector (FPD) for intraoperative cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) (Cios Spin 3D, Siemens Healthineers) and to identify potential improvements in 3D imaging protocols for pertinent imaging tasks. The C-arm features a 30×30cm2 FPD and isocentric gantry with computer-controlled motorization of rotation (0-195°), angulation (±220°), and height (0-45cm). Geometric calibration was assessed in terms of 9 degrees of freedom of the x-ray source and detector in CBCT scans, and the reproducibility of geometric calibration was evaluated. Standard and custom scan protocols were evaluated, with variation in the number of projections (100-400) and mAs per view (0.05-1.65mAs). Image reconstruction was based on 3D filtered backprojection using "smooth," "normal," and "sharp" reconstruction filters as well as a custom, two-dimensional 2D isotropic filter. Imaging performance was evaluated in terms of uniformity, gray value correspondence with Hounsfield units (HU), contrast, noise (noise-power spectrum, NPS), spatial resolution (modulation transfer function, MTF), and noise-equivalent quanta (NEQ). Performance tradeoffs among protocols were visualized in anthropomorphic phantoms for various anatomical sites and imaging tasks. Geometric calibration showed a high degree of reproducibility despite ~19mm gantry flex over a nominal semicircular orbit. The dose for a CBCT scan varied from ~0.8-4.7mGy for head protocols to ~6-38mGy for body protocols. The MTF was consistent with sub-mm spatial resolution, with f10 (frequency at which MTF=10%) equal to 0.64mm-1 , 1.0mm-1 , and 1.5mm-1 for smooth, standard, and sharp filters respectively. Implementation of a custom 2D isotropic filter improved CNR~50-60% for both head and body protocols and provided more isotropic resolution and noise characteristics. The NPS and NEQ quantified the 3D noise performance and provided a guide to protocol selection, confirmed in images of anthropomorphic phantoms. Alternative scan protocols were identified according to body site and task - for example, lower-dose body protocols (<3mGy) sufficient for visualization of bone structures. The studies provided objective assessment of the dose and 3D imaging performance of a new C-arm, offering an important basis for clinical deployment and a benchmark for quality assurance. Modifications to standard 3D imaging protocols were identified that may improve performance or reduce radiation dose for pertinent imaging tasks.

Improved 3D Imaging Performance of AFM

Over the last three decades the Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) has played an important role in the field of nanotechnology for imaging and manipulating samples. However, the acquisition of a high-quality imaging performance by an AFM is significantly influenced by its key scanning element called its Piezoelectric Tube Actuator (PTA). In this article, to improve its performance, a multi-input multi-output model predictive control scheme for achieving improved 3D scanned image of sample is proposed. The proposed controller achieves this by greatly overcoming the problem of tilted characters and nonlinearity effects in the AFM scanned images. The experimental outcomes are demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed control technique.

Mobile C‐Arm with a CMOS detector: Technical assessment of fluoroscopy and Cone‐Beam CT imaging performance

Indirect-detection CMOS flat-panel detectors (FPDs) offer fine pixel pitch, fast readout, and low electronic noise in comparison to current a-Si:H FPDs. This work investigates the extent to which these potential advantages affect imaging performance in mobile C-arm fluoroscopy and cone-beam CT (CBCT). FPDs based on CMOS (Xineos 3030HS, 0.151mm pixel pitch) or a-Si:H (PaxScan 3030X, 0.194mm pixel pitch) sensors were outfitted on equivalent mobile C-arms for fluoroscopy and CBCT. Technical assessment of 2D and 3D imaging performance included measurement of electronic noise, gain, lag, modulation transfer function (MTF), noise-power spectrum (NPS), detective quantum efficiency (DQE), and noise-equivalent quanta (NEQ) in fluoroscopy (with entrance air kerma ranging 5-800nGy per frame) and cone-beam CT (with weighted CT dose index, CTDIw , ranging 0.08-1mGy). Image quality was evaluated by clinicians in vascular, orthopaedic, and neurological surgery in realistic interventional scenarios with cadaver subjects emulating a variety of 2D and 3D imaging tasks. The CMOS FPD exhibited ~2-3× lower electronic noise and ~7× lower image lag than the a-Si:H FPD. The 2D (projection) DQE was superior for CMOS at ≤50nGy per frame, especially at high spatial frequencies (~2% improvement at 0.5mm-1 and ≥50% improvement at 2.3mm-1 ) and was somewhat inferior at moderate-high doses (up to 18% lower DQE for CMOS at 0.5mm-1 ). For smooth CBCT reconstructions (low-frequency imaging tasks), CMOS exhibited ~10%-20% higher NEQ (at 0.1-0.5mm-1 ) at the lowest dose levels (CTDIw ≤0.1mGy), while the a-Si:H system yielded slightly (~5%) improved NEQ (at 0.1-0.5 lp/mm) at higher dose levels (CTDIw ≥0.6mGy). For sharp CBCT reconstructions (high-frequency imaging tasks), NEQ was ~32% higher above 1mm-1 for the CMOS system at mid-high-dose levels and ≥75% higher at the lowest dose levels (CTDIw ≤0.1 mGy). Observer assessment of 2D and 3D cadaver images corroborated the objective metrics with respect to a variety of pertinent interventional imaging tasks. Measurements of image noise, spatial resolution, DQE, and NEQ indicate improved low-dose performance for the CMOS-based system, particularly at lower doses and higher spatial frequencies. Assessment in realistic imaging scenarios confirmed improved visibility of fine details in low-dose fluoroscopy and CBCT. The results quantitate the extent to which CMOS detectors improve mobile C-arm imaging performance, especially in 2D and 3D imaging scenarios involving high-resolution tasks and low-dose conditions.

Three-Dimensional Imaging Method for Array ISAR Based on Sparse Bayesian Inference.

The problem of synthesis scatterers in inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) make it difficult to realize high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) imaging. Radar array provides an available solution to this problem, but the resolution is restricted by limited aperture size and number of antennas, leading to deterioration of the 3D imaging performance. To solve these problems, we propose a novel 3D imaging method with an array ISAR system based on sparse Bayesian inference. First, the 3D imaging model using a sparse linear array is introduced. Then the elastic net estimation and Bayesian information criterion are introduced to fulfill model order selection automatically. Finally, the sparse Bayesian inference is adopted to realize super-resolution imaging and to get the 3D image of target of interest. The proposed method is used to process real radar data of a Ku band array ISAR system. The results show that the proposed method can effectively solve the problem of synthesis scatterers and realize super-resolution 3D imaging, which verify the practicality of our proposed method.

Three-dimensional tomographic microscopy technique with multi-frequency combination with partially coherent illuminations.

We demonstrate a three-dimensional (3D) optical diffraction tomographic technique with multi-frequency combination (MFC-ODT) for the 3D quantitative phase imaging of unlabeled specimens. Three sets of through-focus intensity images are captured under an annular aperture and two circular apertures with different coherence parameters. The 3D phase optical transfer functions (POTF) corresponding to different illumination apertures are combined to obtain a synthesized frequency response, achieving high-quality, low-noise 3D reconstructions with imaging resolution up to the incoherent diffraction limit. Besides, the expression of 3D POTF for arbitrary illumination pupils is derived and analyzed, and the 3D imaging performance of annular illumination is explored. It is shown that the phase-contrast washout effect in high-NA circular apertures can be effectively addressed by introducing a complementary annular aperture, which strongly boosts the phase contrast and improves the imaging resolution. By incorporating high-NA illumination as well as high-NA detection, MFC-ODT can achieve a theoretical transverse resolution up to 200 nm and an axial resolution of 645 nm. To test the feasibility of the proposed MFC-ODT technique, the 3D refractive index reconstruction results are based on a simulated 3D resolution target and experimental investigations of micro polystyrene bead and unstained biological samples are presented. Due to its capability for high-resolution 3D phase imaging as well as the compatibility with a widely available commercial microscope, the MFC-ODT is expected to find versatile applications in biological and biomedical research.

Enhancement of optical resolution in three-dimensional refractive-index tomograms of biological samples by employing micromirror-embedded coverslips.

Optical diffraction tomography (ODT) enables the reconstruction of the three-dimensional (3D) refractive-index (RI) distribution of a biological cell, which provides invaluable information for cellular and subcellular structures in a non-invasive manner. However, ODT suffers from an inferior axial resolution, due to the limited accessible angles imposed by the numerical aperture of the objective lens. In this study, we propose and experimentally demonstrate an approach to enhance the 3D reconstruction performance in ODT. By employing trapezoidal micromirrors, side scattered signals from the sample are measured for various side plane-wave-illumination angles. By combining the side scattered fields with the forward scattered fields, the axial resolution and 3D image quality of ODT are improved, without changing optical instruments. The feasibility and applicability of the proposed method are demonstrated by reconstructing the 3D RI distribution of a red blood cell and HeLa cells in hydrogel. We also present systematic analyses of the improved 3D imaging performance using numerical simulations and experimental measurements for the 3D transfer function, a point object, and a microsphere. The analyses demonstrate an improved axial resolution of 0.31 μm, 4.8 times smaller than that of the conventional method. The proposed method enables the non-invasive and accurate 3D imaging of 3D cultured cells, which is crucial for cell biology studies.

Three-dimensional cascaded system analysis of a 50 µm pixel pitch wafer-scale CMOS active pixel sensor x-ray detector for digital breast tomosynthesis

High-resolution, low-noise x-ray detectors based on the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) active pixel sensor (APS) technology have been developed and proposed for digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). In this study, we evaluated the three-dimensional (3D) imaging performance of a 50 µm pixel pitch CMOS APS x-ray detector named DynAMITe (Dynamic Range Adjustable for Medical Imaging Technology). The two-dimensional (2D) angle-dependent modulation transfer function (MTF), normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) were experimentally characterized and modeled using the cascaded system analysis at oblique incident angles up to 30°. The cascaded system model was extended to the 3D spatial frequency space in combination with the filtered back-projection (FBP) reconstruction method to calculate the 3D and in-plane MTF, NNPS and DQE parameters. The results demonstrate that the beam obliquity blurs the 2D MTF and DQE in the high spatial frequency range. However, this effect can be eliminated after FBP image reconstruction. In addition, impacts of the image acquisition geometry and detector parameters were evaluated using the 3D cascaded system analysis for DBT. The result shows that a wider projection angle range (e.g. ±30°) improves the low spatial frequency (below 5 mm−1) performance of the CMOS APS detector. In addition, to maintain a high spatial resolution for DBT, a focal spot size of smaller than 0.3 mm should be used. Theoretical analysis suggests that a pixelated scintillator in combination with the 50 µm pixel pitch CMOS APS detector could further improve the 3D image resolution. Finally, the 3D imaging performance of the CMOS APS and an indirect amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin-film transistor (TFT) passive pixel sensor (PPS) detector was simulated and compared.