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. 2013 Nov 13:3:3209.
doi: 10.1038/srep03209.

In-vivo dark-field and phase-contrast x-ray imaging

M Bech  1 , A Tapfer, A Velroyen, A Yaroshenko, B Pauwels, J Hostens, P Bruyndonckx, A Sasov, F Pfeiffer
Affiliations

In-vivo dark-field and phase-contrast x-ray imaging

M Bech et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Novel radiography approaches based on the wave nature of x-rays when propagating through matter have a great potential for improved future x-ray diagnostics in the clinics. Here, we present a significant milestone in this imaging method: in-vivo multi-contrast x-ray imaging of a mouse using a compact scanner. Of particular interest is the enhanced contrast in regions related to the respiratory system, indicating a possible application in diagnosis of lung diseases (e.g. emphysema).

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. First in-vivo multi-contrast x-ray images of a mouse.
(a) Conventional x-ray image based on attenuation. (b) Differential phase-contrast image based on x-ray refraction. (c) Dark-field image based on x-ray scattering. All three images are intrinsically perfectly registered as they are extracted from the same data recorded with a grating interferometer. Examples of regions of enhanced contrast are marked with arrows, showing the refraction of the trachea (b) and the scattering of the lungs (c). The white bars correspond to 1 cm.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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