KEYWORDS: Sensors, Phase retrieval, Absorption, Signal to noise ratio, Photon counting, Phase contrast, Computed tomography, Signal attenuation, X-rays, Algorithm development
X-ray phase contrast imaging has been proposed as a way to improve contrast in soft tissue. Phase retrieval methods have been developed which only require a single image acquisition, allowing phase contrast imaging to be used in combination with computed tomography without a dangerously large dose applied to the subject. Many of the existing methods use approximations regarding the knowledge of object properties as well as make assumptions such as a constant ratio of absorption and phase properties throughout the object.1 Our group has previously developed a phase retrieval algorithm which only requires a single image when using energy-resolving photon counting detectors and uses no additional approximations regarding object properties. This allows us to decompose phase properties even if the object is composed of a large number of materials with very close material properties. Our recent results on simple phantoms show that we can accurately retrieve multiple material properties corresponding to absorption and phase effects for a range of different materials. The strength of our spectral decomposition method is compounded by the use of photon counting detectors with zero dark noise. In this paper we demonstrate the first propagation-based phase contrast tomography study of a biological sample using our method. Our phase retrieval method yields excellent results with very low counts - 1 second or less per projection acquisitions using a weak microfocal X-Ray tube. We show this via known phantoms as well as satisfactory preliminary results from biological samples. Additional studies will explore dose aspects using mouse models in our benchtop micro computed tomography platform and compare against attenuation-based computed tomography.
We recently proposed a method for retrieving absorption and phase properties of samples using a set of spectral x-ray measurements obtained in phase enhanced geometries. The spectral measurements can be obtained using state-of-the-art photon counting detectors (PCDs). These detectors permit the use of polychromatic sources and record accurate spectroscopic information in each pixel from a single X-ray exposure. In previous simulations and benchtop experiments we demonstrated that our method can be used to obtain quantitatively accurate absorption and phase properties of samples with effective atomic numbers (Zeff) that are close to soft tissue. This report expands on those findings to include heterogeneous samples to emulate complex composition in biological materials as well as samples with relatively high Zeff, such as bones and microcalcifications. Here we also demonstrate that excellent quantitative estimates of multiple object properties can be simultaneously obtained for these heterogeneous samples when spectral data is available. These multi-contrast estimates would allow differentiation of materials that would otherwise be indistinguishable using conventional, absorption contrast imaging. These preliminary results including phase retrieval of Aluminum rod also confirms that the slowly varying phase approximation used in PB-PCI transport of intensity models will not hinder their applicability for complex tissue imaging and small animal imaging.
X-ray phase contrast imaging is being investigated with the goal of improving the contrast of soft tissue. Enhanced edges at material boundaries are characteristic of phase contrast images. These allow better retrieval of phase maps and attenuation maps when material properties are very close to each other. Previous observations have shown that the edge contrast of a target material reduces with increasing thickness of the surrounding bulk material. In order to accurately retrieve material properties, it is important to understand the contributions from various factors that may lead to this phase degradation. We investigate this edge degradation dependence due to beam hardening and object scatter that results from the surrounding bulk material. Our results suggest that the large propagation distances used in PB-PCI are effective at reducing the scatter influence. Rather, our results indicate that the phase contrast degradation due to beam hardening is the most critical. The ability to account for these variations may be necessary for more accurate phase retrievals using polychromatic sources and large objects.
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