Three-dimensional Imaging Technique Research Articles

Ion Velocity Map Imaging Study of the Reactive Collisions between Carbon Dioxide and Helium Ion.

The reactive collision between He+ and CO2 plays an important role in substance evolutions of the planetary CO2-rich atmosphere. Using a three-dimensional ion velocity map imaging technique, we investigate the low-energy ion-molecule reactions He+ + CO2 → He + CO2+/He + CO+ + O/He + CO + O+. The velocity images of the products CO+ and O+ of dissociative charge-exchange reactions are distinctly different from those of charge-exchange product CO2+. The remarkable features of stereodynamics are observed in the dissociative charge-exchange reaction and are attributed to the spatial alignment of the initially random target CO2 during the He+ approach. Branching ratios of different channels of dissociative charge exchange are further obtained with the Doppler kinematics model, indicating a high preference for the energy-resonant channel.

The changing of α5-GABAA receptors expression and distribution participate in sevoflurane-induced learning and memory impairment in young mice.

Sevoflurane is a superior agent for maintaining anesthesia during surgical procedures. However, the neurotoxic mechanisms of clinical concentration remain poorly understood. Sevoflurane can interfere with the normal function of neurons and synapses and impair cognitive function by acting on α5-GABAAR. Using MWM test, we evaluated cognitive abilities in mice following 1 h of anesthesia with 2.7%-3% sevoflurane. Based on hippocampal transcriptome analysis, we analyzed the differential genes and IL-6 24 h post-anesthesia. Western blot and RT-PCR were performed to measure the levels of α5-GABAAR, Radixin, P-ERM, P-Radixin, Gephyrin, IL-6, and ROCK. The spatial distribution and expression of α5-GABAAR on neuronal somata were analyzed using histological and three-dimensional imaging techniques. MWM test indicated that partial long-term learning and memory impairment. Combining molecular biology and histological analysis, our studies have demonstrated that sevoflurane induces immunosuppression, characterized by reduced IL-6 expression levels, and that enhanced Radixin dephosphorylation undermines the microstructural stability of α5-GABAAR, leading to its dissociation from synaptic exterior and resulting in a disordered distribution in α5-GABAAR expression within neuronal cell bodies. On the synaptic cleft, the expression level of α5-GABAAR remained unchanged, the spatial distribution became more compact, with an increased fluorescence intensity per voxel. On the extra-synaptic space, the expression level of α5-GABAAR decreased within unchanged spatial distribution, accompanied by an increased fluorescence intensity per voxel. Dysregulated α5-GABAAR expression and distribution contributes to sevoflurane-induced partial long-term learning and memory impairment, which lays the foundation for elucidating the underlying mechanisms in future studies.

Three-dimensional internal flow evolution of an evaporating droplet and its role in particle deposition pattern

The internal flow within an evaporating sessile droplet is one of the driving mechanisms that lead to various particle deposition patterns seen in applications such as inkjet printing, surface patterning, and blood stain analysis. Despite decades of research, the causal link between droplet internal flow and particle deposition patterns has not been fully established. In this study, we employ a three-dimensional (3D) imaging technique based on digital inline holography to quantitatively assess the evolution of internal flow fields and particle migration in three distinct types of wetting droplets, namely water droplets, sucrose aqueous solution droplets, and sodium dodecylsulfate aqueous solution droplets, throughout their entire evaporation process. Our imaging reveals the three-stage evolution of the 3D internal flow regimes driven by changes in the relative importance of capillary flow, Marangoni flow, and droplet boundary movement during evaporation. Moreover, the migration of individual particles from their initial locations to deposition can be divided into five categories, with some particles depositing at the contact line and others inside the droplet. In particular, we observe the changing migration directions of particles due to competing Marangoni and capillary flows. We further develop an analytical model that predicts the droplet internal flow, deposition patterns, and determines the deposition mechanisms depending on their initial locations and evolving internal flow. The model, validated using different types of droplets from our experiment and the literature, can be further expanded to other Newtonian and non-Newtonian droplets, potentially serving as a real-time assessment tool for particle deposition in various applications.

A Whole-Mount Organ Staining Technique for Three-Dimensional Imaging of the Kidney

A Whole-Mount Organ Staining Technique for Three-Dimensional Imaging of the Kidney

A Whole-Mount Organ Staining Technique for Three-Dimensional Imaging of the Kidney

A Whole-Mount Organ Staining Technique for Three-Dimensional Imaging of the Kidney

Ingenious Architecture and Coloration Generation in Enamel of Rodent Teeth.

Teeth exemplify architectures comprising an interplay of inorganic and organic constituents, resulting in sophisticated natural composites. Rodents (Rodentia) showcase extraordinary adaptations, with their continuously growing incisors surpassing human teeth in functional and structural optimizations. In this study, employing state-of-the-art direct atomic-scale imaging and nanoscale spectroscopies, we present compelling evidence that the release of material from ameloblasts and the subsequent formation of iron-rich enamel and surface layers in the constantly growing incisors of rodents are complex orchestrated processes, intricately regulated and independent of environmental factors. The synergistic fusion of three-dimensional tomography and imaging techniques of etched rodent́s enamel unveils a direct correlation between the presence of pockets infused with ferrihydrite-like material and the acid resistant properties exhibited by the iron-rich enamel, fortifying it as an efficient protective shield. Moreover, observations using optical microscopy shed light on the role of iron-rich enamel as a microstructural element that acts as a path for color transmission, although the native color remains indistinguishable from that of regular enamel, challenging the prevailing paradigms. The redefinition of "pigmented enamel" to encompass ferrihydrite-like infusion in rodent incisors reshapes our perception of incisor microstructure and color generation. The functional significance of acid-resistant iron-rich enamel and the understanding of the underlying coloration mechanism in rodent incisors have far-reaching implications for human health, development of potentially groundbreaking dental materials, and restorative dentistry. These findings enable the creation of an entirely different class of dental biomaterials with enhanced properties, inspired by the ingenious designs found in nature.

Anatomical Prior and Inter-slice Consistency for Semi-supervised Vertebral Structure Detection in 3D Ultrasound Volume.

Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging technique has been applied for scoliosis assessment, but the current assessment method only uses coronal projection images and cannot illustrate the 3D deformity and vertebra rotation. The vertebra detection is essential to reveal 3D spine information, but the detection task is challenging due to complex data and limited annotations. We propose VertMatch to detect vertebral structures in 3D ultrasound volume containing a detector and classifier. The detector network finds the potential positions of structures on transverse slice globally, and then the local patches are cropped based on detected positions. The classifier is used to distinguish whether the patches contain real vertebral structures and screen the predicted positions from the detector. VertMatch utilizes unlabeled data in a semi-supervised manner, and we develop two novel techniques for semi-supervised learning: (1) anatomical prior is used to acquire high-quality pseudo labels; (2) inter-slice consistency is used to utilize more unlabeled data by inputting multiple adjacent slices. Experimental results demonstrate that VertMatch can detect vertebra accurately in ultrasound volume and outperforms state-of-the-art methods. Moreover, VertMatch is also validated in automatic spinous process angle measurement on forty subjects with scoliosis, and the results illustrate that it can be a promising approach for the 3D assessment of scoliosis.

Computational adaptive telescope imaging via self-interference digital holography

Conventional optical telescope only collect the amplitude of optical wavefront with incoherent light, while self-interference incoherent digital holography offers a unique method of coding both the optical wavefront amplitude and phase information by interference patterns. We developed an adaptive non-scanning three-dimensional (3D) telescopic imaging technique based on self-interference incoherent holography with a geometric phase lens (GP-SIDH). The phase recorded in the point spread hologram and the incoherent self-interference extended holograms are employed to detect spatial positions, correct optical aberration and extract edges by computational reconstruction. The 3D imaging and position detection performances of our proposed method are investigated. Both simulations and experimental results show that the proposed method exhibits better performances for different depth objects imaging and space position detection. Furthermore, this system can be easily modularization and implanted into any existing optical telescopic system owing to its simplicity and convenience. The proposed approach can be a powerful tool for the multi-objects long-working-distance imaging, which is more valuable for telescope application.

A potential novel technique for measurement of pulp volume on periapical radiography: A pilot study.

Pulp volume can be assessed during dental treatment. Three-dimensional imaging techniques are not routinely used for this purpose because of high radiation doses. This study aimed to develop a novel method to measure pulp volume using periapical radiography. In this study, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) was used as a reference method. Periapical radiography and CBCTs obtained from the same patients (n = 32) were recorded. Pulp volume was determined by observing the density differences between the pulp and peripheral structures using ImageJ. A method of graph and volume calculation was developed for each tooth. The Shapiro-Wilk test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to show normality and non-normal distributions. The Bland-Altman plot was used to show the scattering of the mean versus difference values of the measurements of the two methods used to calculate the pulp volume. Normality was evaluated using the Shapiro-Wilk test. CBCT measurements are normally distributed (p = 0.307), while ImageJ is not normally distributed (p = 0.027). Therefore, the mean difference between the two groups was analyzed using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test. There was a statistically significant difference between the CBCT and ImageJ measurements (p = 0.01). According to Spearman's correlation analysis, the results obtained from the novel method were moderately correlated with those obtained from the reference method (r = 0.444). The results of this study indicated that a novel method-based Java software can be used to calculate pulp volume using low-dose radiation containing periapical radiography.

Assessment of the Anterior Loop and Pattern of Entry of Mental Nerve Into the Mental Foramen: A Radiographic Study of Panoramic Images.

The precise location of the mental foramina is an essential landmark in planning the position of dental implants in the anterior mandible. Injury to inferior alveolar nerve during anterior mandibular implant surgery causes altered sensation which greatly affects patient satisfaction. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of anterior loop of mental nerve and the pattern of entry of mental nerve into the mental foramen. Three hundred panoramic radiographs (600 hemimandibles) obtained from records maintained in the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology were randomly selected for the study. The radiographs were evaluated by two independent observers for the pattern of entry of mental nerve into the mental foramen on either side of the mandible and for the presence or absence of anterior loop of mental nerve. The most prevalent pattern of mental nerve observed was Straight pattern which totals to 67.5% followed by Anterior loop pattern (18.8%) and then the Perpendicular pattern (13.7%). There was no significant association between the gender and subtypes of looping pattern on the left and right side and a highly significant association between the side of the mandible and loop pattern was observed by Chi square test. The Anterior loop pattern of mental nerve has been found in 18.8% of the population suggesting to accurate planning with three-dimensional imaging techniques to avoid injury to mental nerve during dental implant placement and other surgical procedure involving the interforaminal region of the mandible.

Reliability and Agreement of Free Web-Based 3D Software for Computing Facial Area and Volume Measurements

Background: Facial surgeries require meticulous planning and outcome assessments, where facial analysis plays a critical role. This study introduces a new approach by utilizing three-dimensional (3D) imaging techniques, which are known for their ability to measure facial areas and volumes accurately. The purpose of this study is to introduce and evaluate a free web-based software application designed to take area and volume measurements on 3D models of patient faces. Methods: This study employed the online facial analysis software to conduct ten measurements on 3D models of subjects, including five measurements of area and five measurements of volume. These measurements were then compared with those obtained from the established 3D modeling software called Blender (version 3.2) using the Bland–Altman plot. To ensure accuracy, the intra-rater and inter-rater reliabilities of the web-based software were evaluated using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) method. Additionally, statistical assumptions such as normality and homoscedasticity were rigorously verified before analysis. Results: This study found that the web-based facial analysis software showed high agreement with the 3D software Blender within 95% confidence limits. Moreover, the online application demonstrated excellent intra-rater and inter-rater reliability in most analyses, as indicated by the ICC test. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the free online 3D software is reliable for facial analysis, particularly in measuring areas and volumes. This indicates its potential utility in enhancing surgical planning and evaluation in facial surgeries. This study underscores the software’s capability to improve surgical outcomes by integrating precise area and volume measurements into facial surgery planning and assessment processes.

Three-dimensional ultrasound fusion imaging in precise needle placement for thermal ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma

Purpose To investigate the value of three-dimensional ultrasound fusion imaging (3DUS FI) technique for guiding needle placement in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) thermal ablation. Methods A total of 57 patients with 60 HCCs with 3DUS FI-guided thermal ablation were retrospectively included in the study. 3DUS volume data of liver were acquired preoperatively by freehand scanning with the tumor and predetermined 5 mm ablative margin automatically segmented. Plan of needle placement was made through a predetermined simulated ablation zone to ensure a 5 mm ablative margin with the coverage rate toward tumor and ablative margin. With real-time ultrasound and 3DUS fusion imaging, ablation needles were placed according to the plan. After ablation, the ablative margin was immediately evaluated by contrast-enhanced ultrasound and 3DUS fusion imaging. The rate of adequate ablative margin, complete response (CR), local tumor progression (LTP), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) was evaluated. Results According to postoperative contrast-enhanced CT or MR imaging, the complete response rate was 100% (60/60), and 83% of tumors (30/36) achieved adequate ablative margin (>5 mm) three-dimensionally. During the follow-up period of 6.0-42.6 months, LTP occurred in 5 lesions, with 1- and 2-year LTP rates being 7.0% and 9.4%. The 1- and 2-year DFS rates were 76.1% and 65.6%, and 1- and 2-year OS rates were 98.1% and 94.0%. No major complications or ablation-related deaths were observed in any patients. Conclusions Three-dimensional ultrasound fusion imaging technique may improve the needle placement of thermal ablation for HCC and reduce the rate of LTP.

Three-dimensional imaging of acoustic pressure by tomography applied to optical feedback interferometry

This paper presents a novel experimental technique for three-dimensional imaging of acoustic pressure waves by means of an optical feedback interferometer associated to standard Radon transformation algorithm for tomography. The imaging system is based on the sensing of the optical refractive index changes induced by the pressure variation in the medium where the acoustic wave propagates. Thanks to the compactness allowed by the laser optical feedback interferometer, this technique allows to image in three dimensions the variations of pressure of any acoustic source without any displacement of the source.

Tissue clearing and imaging approaches for in toto analysis of the reproductive system.

New microscopy techniques in combination with tissue clearing protocols and emerging analytical approaches have presented researchers with the tools to understand dynamic biological processes in a three-dimensional context. This paves the road for the exploration of new research questions in reproductive biology, for which previous techniques have provided only approximate resolution. These new methodologies now allow for contextualized analysis of far larger volumes than was previously possible. Tissue optical clearing and three-dimensional imaging techniques posit the bridging of molecular mechanisms, macroscopic morphogenic development, and maintenance of reproductive function into one cohesive and comprehensive understanding of the biology of the reproductive system. In this review, we present a survey of the various tissue clearing techniques and imaging systems, as they have been applied to the developing and adult reproductive system. We provide an overview of tools available for analysis of experimental data, giving particular attention to the emergence of AI-assisted methods and their applicability to image analysis. We conclude with an evaluation of how novel image analysis approaches which have been applied to other organ systems could be incorporated into future experimental evaluation of reproductive biology.

URBAN 3D RECONSTRUCTION OF VHR SAR IMAGES USING ITERATIVE OPTIMIZATION ALGORITHM AND LAYOVER FIXED-ORDER MODEL

Abstract. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Tomography (TomoSAR) is a three-dimensional SAR imaging technique that uses multiple passes to process complex SAR images and obtain three-dimensional spatial scattering information to derive the elevation scattering distribution. Due to its own shortcomings, the elevation obtained by the traditional spectral estimation method has low resolution in the elevation direction and is affected by noise. The imaging algorithm based on compressed sensing can achieve super-resolution reconstruction in the elevation direction while reducing the number of observations. However, the CS algorithm still faces challenges when applied to real-world tomographic SAR imaging. In particular, it often requires numerous iterations to achieve satisfactory results, which significantly reduces its processing efficiency in large-scale tomography. To address the above issues, in this paper, we proposed an urban 3D reconstruction of VHR SAR images using an iterative optimization algorithm and layover fixed-order model. The iterative optimization algorithm and the layover fixed-order model consist of two parts: The TomoSAR imaging equation is solved by the two-step iterative shrinkage/thresholding (TwIST) algorithm, and the number of scatterers K is estimated by the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). In this paper, the effectiveness of TwIST-BIC in TomoSAR imaging in urban areas is verified with real TerraSARX data. By comparing with the OMP algorithm based on matching tracking and the FISTA algorithm based on gradient descent. The TWIST-BIC method is less complex, converges faster, and combines both execution speed and super-resolution, which can effectively solve the processing efficiency problem in large-area tomography and acquire high-resolution tomographic analysis.

Three-dimensional refractive index microscopy based on the multi-layer propagation model with obliquity factor correction

Multi-layer propagation model-based intensity diffraction tomography (IDT) is a three-dimensional (3D) microscopy imaging technique to reveal the structural information of optically thick or multiple scattering samples. However, the performance of existing multi-layer propagation models deteriorates with increasing illumination angle, which can prevent good 3D refractive index (RI) imaging. To overcome this limitation, we incorporate the obliquity factor (OF) into the multi-layer propagation model. Numerical simulation validates that the forward propagation and the RI reconstruction both can be considerably improved. Then, the 3D RI reconstruction performance is quantitatively and qualitatively validated by optical experiments on polystyrene microspheres and peony pollen grains, respectively. In addition, excellent optical sectioning and high spatial resolution are experimentally demonstrated on various unlabeled fixed and living samples, including an Arabidopsis root, HeLa and HCT-116 cells. Time-lapse 3D imaging of living samples is performed for the first time for multi-layer propagation model-based IDT, demonstrating its potential application to some biological and medical studies.

The Flatness Error Evaluation of Metal Workpieces Based on Line Laser Scanning Digital Imaging Technology

With the development of intelligent manufacturing, the production and assembly accuracy of components in factories is increasing in line with growing demand. However, the traditional manual quality inspection is inefficient, inaccurate, and costly. To this end, digital and optical imaging techniques are used to achieve intelligent quality inspection. However, during the reconstruction process, the high reflectivity of object materials affects the speed and accuracy of reconstruction results. To overcome these problems, this study investigated the three-dimensional (3D) digital imaging techniques based on line laser scanning. It advances a novel methodology for image segmentation, underpinned by deep learning algorithms, to augment the precision of the reconstruction results while simultaneously enhancing processing velocity. After the reconstruction phase, the research assesses flatness tolerance using point cloud registration technology. Finally, we constructed a measurement platform with a cost of less than CNY 100,000 (about USD 14,000) and obtained a measurement accuracy of 30 microns.

Double field-of-view single-shot common-path off-axis reflective digital holographic microscope

Digital holography is a versatile three-dimensional imaging technique that has the ability to record the complex wave-front of an imaged object in two-dimensions and retrieve it in three-dimensions. Several technical challenges of digital holographic systems have been overcome by proposing single-shot acquisition and common-path configurations. However, the limited fiel-of-view (FOV) of digital holography is the most fundamental and technically challenging aspect of this technology. With this in mind, we have developed a digital holographic microscope (DHM) with a doubled FOV together with it leverages single-shot acquisition, common-path, and off-axis configuration and operates in the reflection mode. The double FOV is achieved by spatial frequency multiplexing of two different areas of the object beam by the use of a cube beam splitter. The common-path and off-axis configuration are obtained by employing a plate beam splitter just before the microscope objective. Several experiments are carried out, and the results are presented to demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed DHM for quantitative phase imaging of (semi) transparent and reflective objects. Based on the experimental results, the proposed microscope shows advanced performance in biomedical imaging as well as inspection of engineered surfaces with its simplicity, higher stability (temporal and mechanical), compactness, low cost, and most importantly double FOV capabilities.

Subsurface imaging dataset acquired at the Garner Valley Downhole Array site using a dense network of three-component nodal stations

There is a growing need to characterize the engineering material properties of the shallow subsurface in three dimensions for advanced engineering analyses. However, imaging the near-surface in three dimensions at spatial resolutions required for such purposes remains in its infancy and requires further study before it can be adopted into practice. To enable and accelerate research in this area, we present a large subsurface imaging data set acquired using a dense network of three-component (3C) nodal stations acquired in 2019 at the Garner Valley Downhole Array (GVDA) site. Acquisition of this data set involved the deployment of 196 stations positioned on a 14 × 14 grid with a 5 m spacing. The array was used to acquire active-source data generated by a vibroseis truck and an instrumented sledgehammer, and passive-wavefield data containing ambient noise. The active-source acquisition included 66 vibroseis and 209 instrumented sledgehammer source locations. Multiple source impacts were recorded at each source location to enable stacking of the recorded signals. The active-source recordings are provided in terms of both raw, uncorrected units of counts and corrected engineering units of meters per second. For each source impact, the force output from the vibroseis or instrumented sledgehammer was recorded and is provided in both raw counts and engineering units of kilonewtons. The passive-wavefield data include 28 h of ambient noise recorded over two nighttime deployments. The data set is shown to be useful for active-source and passive-wavefield three-dimensional imaging and other subsurface characterization techniques, which include horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratios (HVSRs), multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW), and microtremor array measurements (MAM).

Non-iterative reconstruction of interferenceless coded aperture correlation holography enabled high quality three-dimensional imaging

Interferenceless coded aperture correlation holography (I-COACH) is a rapidly developing indirect three-dimensional (3D) imaging technique. However the ideal point spread function of imaging system is not obtained in most cases, the object hologram is usually correlated with the system response of a limited-size pinhole during the reconstruction process. As a result, the quality of reconstructed images is contaminated by noise. In this paper, the system response of a limited-size pinhole is regarded as the convolution of the pinhole (as an object) intensity and the ideal point spread function of I-COACH, a mathematical analysis of the background noise is conducted and a general high-quality reconstruction mathematic model of I-COACH system is derived when a limited-size pinhole is used to record point spread hologram, in which the reconstructions and noise is separated. Then a non-iterative cross-correlation reconstruction algorithm has been developed here to achieve high-quality 3D reconstruction. The proposed method has been implemented on a regular I-COACH system in both transmission as well as reflection illumination modes to demonstrate the imaging ability of our method. The experimental results show that high quality reconstructions can be achieved by our proposal with a single-exposure object hologram.