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12 pages, 3735 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Micro-Computed Tomography Beamline of the Australian Synchrotron: Micron-Size Spatial Resolution X-ray Imaging

by Benedicta D. Arhatari, Andrew W. Stevenson, Darren Thompson, Adam Walsh, Tom Fiala, Gary Ruben, Nader Afshar, Sinem Ozbilgen, Tingting Feng, Stephen Mudie and Prithi Tissa

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(3), 1317; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13031317 - 18 Jan 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2360

Abstract

The first new beamline of the BRIGHT project—involving the construction of eight new beamlines at the Australian Synchrotron—is the Micro-Computed Tomography (MCT) beamline. MCT will extend the facility’s capability for higher spatial resolution X-ray-computed tomographic imaging allowing for commensurately smaller samples in comparison [...] Read more.

The first new beamline of the BRIGHT project—involving the construction of eight new beamlines at the Australian Synchrotron—is the Micro-Computed Tomography (MCT) beamline. MCT will extend the facility’s capability for higher spatial resolution X-ray-computed tomographic imaging allowing for commensurately smaller samples in comparison with the existing Imaging and Medical Beamline (IMBL). The source is a bending-magnet and it is operating in the X-ray energy range from 8 to 40 keV. The beamline provides important new capability for a range of biological and material-science applications. Several imaging modes will be offered such as various X-ray phase-contrast modalities (propagation-based, grating-based, and speckle-based), in addition to conventional absorption contrast. The unique properties of synchrotron radiation sources (high coherence, energy tunability, and high brightness) are predominantly well-suited for producing phase contrast data. An update on the progress of the MCT project in delivering high-spatial-resolution imaging (in the order of micron size) of mm-scale objects will be presented in detail with some imaging results from the hot-commissioning stage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue X-ray Medical and Biological Imaging)

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13 pages, 1424 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Modal X-ray Imaging and Analysis for Characterization of Urinary Stones

by Somayeh Saghamanesh, Henning Richter, Antonia Neels and Robert Zboray

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(8), 3798; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12083798 - 9 Apr 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2584

Abstract

Backgound: The composition of stones formed in the urinary tract plays an important role in their management over time. The most common imaging method for the non-invasive evaluation of urinary stones is radiography and computed tomography (CT). However, CT is not very sensitive, [...] Read more.

Backgound: The composition of stones formed in the urinary tract plays an important role in their management over time. The most common imaging method for the non-invasive evaluation of urinary stones is radiography and computed tomography (CT). However, CT is not very sensitive, and cannot differentiate between all critical stone types. In this study, we propose the application, and evaluate the potential, of a multi-modal (or multi-contrast) X-ray imaging technique called speckle-based imaging (SBI) to differentiate between various types of urinary stones. Methods: Three different stone samples were extracted from animal and human urinary tracts and examined in a laboratory-based speckle tracking setup. The results were discussed based on an X-ray diffraction analysis and a comparison with X-ray microtomography and grating-based interferometry. Results: The stones were classified through compositional analysis by X-ray diffraction. The multi-contrast images obtained using the SBI method provided detailed information about the composition of various urinary stone types, and could differentiate between them. X-ray SBI could provide highly sensitive and high-resolution characterizations of different urinary stones in the radiography mode, comparable to those by grating interferometry. Conclusions: This investigation demonstrated the capability of the SBI technique for the non-invasive classification of urinary stones through radiography in a simple and cost-effective laboratory setting. This opens the possibility for further studies concerning full-field in vivo SBI for the clinical imaging of urinary stones. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue X-ray Medical and Biological Imaging)

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17 pages, 4069 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Materials Separation via the Matrix Method Employing Energy-Discriminating X-ray Detection

by Viona S. K. Yokhana, Benedicta D. Arhatari and Brian Abbey

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(6), 3198; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12063198 - 21 Mar 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2226

Abstract

The majority of lab-based X-ray sources are polychromatic and are not easily tunable, which can make the 3D quantitative analysis of multi-component samples challenging. The lack of effective materials separation when using conventional X-ray tube sources has motivated the development of a number [...] Read more.

The majority of lab-based X-ray sources are polychromatic and are not easily tunable, which can make the 3D quantitative analysis of multi-component samples challenging. The lack of effective materials separation when using conventional X-ray tube sources has motivated the development of a number of potential solutions including the application of dual-energy X-ray computed tomography (CT) as well as the use of X-ray filters. Here, we demonstrate the simultaneous decomposition of two low-density materials via inversion of the linear attenuation matrices using data from the energy-discriminating PiXirad detector. A key application for this method is soft-tissue differentiation which is widely used in biological and medical imaging. We assess the effectiveness of this approach using both simulation and experiment noting that none of the materials investigated here incorporate any contrast enhancing agents. By exploiting the energy discriminating properties of the detector, narrow energy bands are created resulting in multiple quasi-monochromatic images being formed using a broadband polychromatic source. Optimization of the key parameters for materials separation is first demonstrated in simulation followed by experimental validation using a phantom test sample in 2D and a small-animal model in 3D. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue X-ray Medical and Biological Imaging)

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11 pages, 6875 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An In-House Cone-Beam Tomographic Reconstruction Package for Laboratory X-ray Phase-Contrast Imaging

by Jürgen Hofmann and Robert Zboray

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(3), 1430; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031430 - 28 Jan 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2981

Abstract

Phase-contrast, and in general, multi-modal, X-ray micro-tomography is proven to be very useful for low-density, low-attention samples enabling much better contrast than its attenuation-based pendant. Therefore, it is increasingly applied in bio- and life sciences primarily dealing with such samples. Although there is [...] Read more.

Phase-contrast, and in general, multi-modal, X-ray micro-tomography is proven to be very useful for low-density, low-attention samples enabling much better contrast than its attenuation-based pendant. Therefore, it is increasingly applied in bio- and life sciences primarily dealing with such samples. Although there is a plethora of literature regarding phase-retrieval algorithms, access to implementations of those algorithms is relatively limited and very few packages combining phase-retrieval methods with the full tomographic reconstruction pipeline are available. This is especially the case for laboratory-based phase-contrast imaging typically featuring cone-beam geometry. We present here an in-house cone-beam tomographic reconstruction package for laboratory X-ray phase-contrast imaging. It covers different phase-contrast techniques and phase retrieval methods. The paper explains their implementation and integration in the filtered back projection chain. Their functionality and efficiency will be demonstrated through applications on a few dedicated samples. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue X-ray Medical and Biological Imaging)

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13 pages, 4214 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improving a Rapid Alignment Method of Tomography Projections by a Parallel Approach

by Francesco Guzzi, George Kourousias, Alessandra Gianoncelli, Lorella Pascolo, Andrea Sorrentino, Fulvio Billè and Sergio Carrato

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(16), 7598; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11167598 - 18 Aug 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2669

Abstract

The high resolution of synchrotron cryo-nano tomography can be easily undermined by setup instabilities and sample stage deficiencies such as runout or backlash. At the cost of limiting the sample visibility, especially in the case of bio-specimens, high contrast nano-beads are often added [...] Read more.

The high resolution of synchrotron cryo-nano tomography can be easily undermined by setup instabilities and sample stage deficiencies such as runout or backlash. At the cost of limiting the sample visibility, especially in the case of bio-specimens, high contrast nano-beads are often added to the solution to provide a set of landmarks for a manual alignment. However, the spatial distribution of these reference points within the sample is difficult to control, resulting in many datasets without a sufficient amount of such critical features for tracking. Fast automatic methods based on tomography consistency are thus desirable, especially for biological samples, where regular, high contrast features can be scarce. Current off-the-shelf implementations of such classes of algorithms are slow if used on a real-world high-resolution dataset. In this paper, we present a fast implementation of a consistency-based alignment algorithm especially tailored to a multi-GPU system. Our implementation is released as open-source. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue X-ray Medical and Biological Imaging)

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21 pages, 12438 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soft X-ray Microscopy Techniques for Medical and Biological Imaging at TwinMic—Elettra

by Alessandra Gianoncelli, Valentina Bonanni, Gianluca Gariani, Francesco Guzzi, Lorella Pascolo, Roberto Borghes, Fulvio Billè and George Kourousias

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(16), 7216; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11167216 - 5 Aug 2021

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 3796

Abstract

Progress in nanotechnology calls for material probing techniques of high sensitivity and resolution. Such techniques are also used for high-impact studies of nanoscale materials in medicine and biology. Soft X-ray microscopy has been successfully used for investigating complex biological processes occurring at micrometric [...] Read more.

Progress in nanotechnology calls for material probing techniques of high sensitivity and resolution. Such techniques are also used for high-impact studies of nanoscale materials in medicine and biology. Soft X-ray microscopy has been successfully used for investigating complex biological processes occurring at micrometric and sub-micrometric length scales and is one of the most powerful tools in medicine and the life sciences. Here, we present the capabilities of the TwinMic soft X-ray microscopy end-station at the Elettra synchrotron in the context of medical and biological imaging, while we also describe novel uses and developments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue X-ray Medical and Biological Imaging)

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13 pages, 3685 KiB

Open AccessArticle

X-ray Phase-Contrast Computed Tomography for Soft Tissue Imaging at the Imaging and Medical Beamline (IMBL) of the Australian Synchrotron

by Benedicta D. Arhatari, Andrew W. Stevenson, Brian Abbey, Yakov I. Nesterets, Anton Maksimenko, Christopher J. Hall, Darren Thompson, Sheridan C. Mayo, Tom Fiala, Harry M. Quiney, Seyedamir T. Taba, Sarah J. Lewis, Patrick C. Brennan, Matthew Dimmock, Daniel Häusermann and Timur E. Gureyev

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(9), 4120; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094120 - 30 Apr 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3662

Abstract

The Imaging and Medical Beamline (IMBL) is a superconducting multipole wiggler-based beamline at the 3 GeV Australian Synchrotron operated by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). The beamline delivers hard X-rays in the 25–120 keV energy range and offers the potential [...] Read more.

The Imaging and Medical Beamline (IMBL) is a superconducting multipole wiggler-based beamline at the 3 GeV Australian Synchrotron operated by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). The beamline delivers hard X-rays in the 25–120 keV energy range and offers the potential for a range of biomedical X-ray applications, including radiotherapy and medical imaging experiments. One of the imaging modalities available at IMBL is propagation-based X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography (PCT). PCT produces superior results when imaging low-density materials such as soft tissue (e.g., breast mastectomies) and has the potential to be developed into a valuable medical imaging tool. We anticipate that PCT will be utilized for medical breast imaging in the near future with the advantage that it could provide better contrast than conventional X-ray absorption imaging. The unique properties of synchrotron X-ray sources such as high coherence, energy tunability, and high brightness are particularly well-suited for generating PCT data using very short exposure times on the order of less than 1 min. The coherence of synchrotron radiation allows for phase-contrast imaging with superior sensitivity to small differences in soft-tissue density. Here we also compare the results of PCT using two different detectors, as these unique source characteristics need to be complemented with a highly efficient detector. Moreover, the application of phase retrieval for PCT image reconstruction enables the use of noisier images, potentially significantly reducing the total dose received by patients during acquisition. This work is part of ongoing research into innovative tomographic methods aimed at the introduction of 3D X-ray medical imaging at the IMBL to improve the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Major progress in this area at the IMBL includes the characterization of a large number of mastectomy samples, both normal and cancerous, which have been scanned at clinically acceptable radiation dose levels and evaluated by expert radiologists with respect to both image quality and cancer diagnosis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue X-ray Medical and Biological Imaging)

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Review

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16 pages, 2634 KiB

Open AccessReview

Nanometer-Resolution Imaging of Living Cells Using Soft X-ray Contact Microscopy

by Agata Nowak-Stępniowska, Wiktoria Kasprzycka, Paulina Natalia Osuchowska, Elżbieta Anna Trafny, Andrzej Bartnik, Henryk Fiedorowicz and Przemysław Wachulak

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(14), 7030; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12147030 - 12 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3290

Abstract

Soft X-ray microscopy is a powerful technique for imaging cells with nanometer resolution in their native state without chemical fixation, staining, or sectioning. The studies performed in several laboratories have demonstrated the potential of applying this technique for imaging the internal structures of [...] Read more.

Soft X-ray microscopy is a powerful technique for imaging cells with nanometer resolution in their native state without chemical fixation, staining, or sectioning. The studies performed in several laboratories have demonstrated the potential of applying this technique for imaging the internal structures of intact cells. However, it is currently used mainly on synchrotrons with restricted access. Moreover, the operation of these instruments and the associated sample-preparation protocols require interdisciplinary and highly specialized personnel, limiting their wide application in practice. This is why soft X-ray microscopy is not commonly used in biological laboratories as an imaging tool. Thus, a laboratory-based and user-friendly soft X-ray contact microscope would facilitate the work of biologists. A compact, desk-top laboratory setup for soft X-ray contact microscopy (SXCM) based on a laser-plasma soft X-ray source, which can be used in any biological laboratory, together with several applications for biological imaging, are described. Moreover, the perspectives of the correlation of SXCM with other super-resolution imaging techniques based on the current literature are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue X-ray Medical and Biological Imaging)

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