Acoustically modulated x-ray phase contrast imaging

We report the use of ultrasonic radiation pressure with phase contrast x-ray imaging to give an image proportional to the space derivative of a conventional phase contrast image in the direction of propagation of an ultrasonic beam. Intense ultrasound is used to exert forces on objects within a body giving displacements of the order of tens to hundreds of microns. Subtraction of images made with and without the ultrasound field gives an image that removes low spatial frequency features and highlights high frequency features. The method acts as an acoustic 'contrast agent' for phase contrast x-ray imaging, which in soft tissue acts to highlight small density changes.