Quantitative X-ray Phase-contrast Imaging Research Articles

Dual-energy phase retrieval algorithm for inline phase sensitive x-ray imaging system.

Phase retrieval is vital for quantitative x-ray phase contrast imaging. This work presents an iterative method to simultaneously retrieve the x-ray absorption and phase images from a single x-ray exposure. The proposed approach uses the photon-counting detectors' energy-resolving capability in providing multiple spectrally resolved phase contrast images from a single x-ray exposure. The retrieval method is derived, presented, and experimentally tested with a multi-material phantom in an inline phase contrast imaging setup. By separating the contributions of photoelectric absorption and Compton scattering to the attenuation, the authors divide the phase contrast image into two portions, the attenuation map arises from photoelectric absorption and a pseudo phase contrast image generated by electron density. This way one can apply the Phase Attenuation Dualiby (PAD) algorithm and Fresnel propagation for the iteration. The retrieval results from the experimental images show that this iterative method is fast, accurate, robust against noise, and thus yields noticeable enhancement in contrast to noise ratios.

Phantom-Based Feasibility Studies on Phase-Contrast Mammography at Indian Synchrotron Facility Indus-2.

Introduction:Use of synchrotron radiation (SR) X-ray source in medical imaging has shown great potential for improving soft-tissue image contrast such as the breast. The present study demonstrates quantitative X-ray phase-contrast imaging (XPCI) technique derived from propagation-dependent phase change observed in the breast tissue-equivalent test materials.Materials and Methods:Indian synchrotron facility (Indus-2, Raja Ramanna Centre of Advanced Technology [RRCAT]) was used to carry out phantom feasibility study on phase-contrast mammography. Different phantoms and samples, including locally fabricated breast tissue-equivalent phantoms were used to perform absorption and phase mode imaging using 12 and 16 keV SR X-ray beam. Edge-enhancement index (EEI) and edge enhancement to noise ratio (EE/N) were measured for all the images. Absorbed dose to air values were calculated for 12 and 16 keV SR X-ray beam using the measured SR X-ray photon flux at the object plane and by applying the standard radiation dosimetry formalism.Results and Conclusion:It was observed in case of all the phantoms and test samples that EEI and EE/N values are relatively higher for images taken in the phase mode. The absorbed dose to air at imaging plane was found to be 75.59 mGy and 28.9 mGy for 12 and 16 keV SR energies, respectively. However, these dose values can be optimized by reducing the image acquisition time without compromising the image quality when clinical samples are imaged. This work demonstrates the feasibility of XPCI in mammography using 12 and 16 keV SR X-ray beams.

A simplified approach to quantitative coded aperture X-ray phase imaging

We recently demonstrated how quantitative X-ray phase contrast imaging may be performed with laboratory sources using the coded aperture technique. This technique required the knowledge of system parameters such as, for example, the source focal spot size and distances between elements of the imaging system. The method also assumes that the absorbing regions of the apertures are perfectly absorbing. In this paper we demonstrate how quantitative imaging can be performed without knowledge of individual system parameters and with partially absorbing apertures. We also show that this method is analogous to that employed in analyser based imaging which uses the rocking curve of an analyser crystal.

X-Ray Phase-Contrast Imaging with Nanoradian Angular Resolution

We present a new quantitative x-ray phase-contrast imaging method based on the edge illumination principle, which allows achieving unprecedented nanoradian sensitivity. The extremely high angular resolution is demonstrated theoretically and through experimental images obtained at two different synchrotron radiation facilities. The results, achieved at both very high and very low x-ray energies, show that this highly sensitive technique can be efficiently exploited over a very broad range of experimental conditions. This method can open the way to new, previously inaccessible scientific applications in various fields including biology, medicine and materials science.

Quantitative x-ray phase-contrast imaging using a single grating of comparable pitch to sample feature size

The ability to quantitatively retrieve transverse phase maps during imaging by using coherent x rays often requires a precise grating or analyzer-crystal-based setup. Imaging of live animals presents further challenges when these methods require multiple exposures for image reconstruction. We present a simple method of single-exposure, single-grating quantitative phase contrast for a regime in which the grating period is much greater than the effective pixel size. A grating is used to create a high-visibility reference pattern incident on the sample, which is distorted according to the complex refractive index and thickness of the sample. The resolution, along a line parallel to the grating, is not restricted by the grating spacing, and the detector resolution becomes the primary determinant of the spatial resolution. We present a method of analysis that maps the displacement of interrogation windows in order to retrieve a quantitative phase map. Application of this analysis to the imaging of known phantoms shows excellent correspondence.

Influence of imaging geometry on noise texture in quantitative in-line X-ray phase-contrast imaging

Quantitative in-line X-ray phase-contrast imaging methods seek to reconstruct separate images that depict an object's projected absorption and refractive properties. An understanding of the statistical properties of the reconstructed images can facilitate the identification of optimal imaging parameters for specific diagnostic tasks. However, the statistical properties of quantitative X-ray phase-contrast imaging remain largely unexplored. In this work, we derive analytic expressions that describe the second-order statistics of the reconstructed absorption and phase images. Concepts from statistical decision theory are applied to demonstrate how the statistical properties of images corresponding to distinct imaging geometries can influence signal detectability.

Non-iterative solution of the phase retrieval problem using a single diffraction measurement

Coherent diffractive imaging is a method by which iterative methods are employed to recover image information about a finite object from its coherent diffraction pattern. We employ methods borrowed from density functional theory to show that an image can be recovered in a single non-iterative step for a finite sample subject to phase-curved illumination. The result also yields a new approach to quantitative x-ray phase-contrast imaging.

Image reconstruction in quantitative X-ray phase-contrast imaging employing multiple measurements

X-ray phase-contrast imaging is a technique that aims to reconstruct the projected absorption and refractive index distributions of an object. One common feature of reconstruction formulas for phase-contrast imaging is the presence of isolated Fourier domain singularities, which can greatly amplify the noise levels in the estimated Fourier domain and lead to noisy and/or distorted images in spatial domain. In this article, we develop a statistically optimal reconstruction method that employs multiple (>2) measurement states to mitigate the noise amplification effects due to singularities in the reconstruction formula. Computer-simulation studies are carried out to quantitatively and systematically investigate the developed method, within the context of propagation-based X-ray phase-contrast imaging. The reconstructed images are shown to possess dramatically reduced noise levels and greatly enhanced imaging contrast.

Quantitative x-ray phase-contrast imaging of air-assisted water sprays with high Weber numbers

X-ray in-line phase-contrast imaging along with a single-image phase retrieval reconstruction was used to visualize the near-nozzle breakup of optically dense water jets atomized by a high-speed, annular air flow. The influence of the atomizing air on water mass distribution was investigated to reveal the complex air/liquid interactions at various breakup stages. Unlike low-Weber-number jets, the breakup of high-Weber-number jets can occur in the liquid core, which causes sudden decreases in liquid volume fraction.

X-ray phase-attenuation duality and phase retrieval

Phase retrieval is the key to quantitative x-ray phase-contrast imaging. To retrieve the phase image of an x-ray wave field, in general one needs multiple phase-contrast images. We have made a new observation of phase-attenuation duality for soft tissues, and we show how only a single phase-contrast image is needed for successful phase retrieval based on this duality. The phase-retrieval formula based on a single phase-contrast image of inhomogeneous soft tissue is derived and presented. We show the striking enhancement of the tissue contrast in simulated phase images that this new approach produces.