Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

X-ray Imaging

X-ray Imaging

German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (1845–1923) was experimenting with electrical current when he discovered that a mysterious and invisible "ray" would pass through his flesh but leave an outline of his bones on a screen coated with a metal compound. In 1895, Röntgen made the first durable record of the internal parts of a living human: an "X-ray" image (as it came to be called) of his wife’s hand. Scientists worldwide quickly began their own experiments with X-rays, and by 1900, X-ray was widely...

Imaging Biological Samples with Optical Microscopy

Imaging Biological Samples with Optical Microscopy

Optical microscopy uses optic principles to provide detailed images of samples. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek designed the first compound optical microscope in the 17th century to visualize blood cells, bacteria, and yeast cells. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes with enhanced magnification and resolution.
In optical microscopy, the specimen to be viewed is placed on a glass slide and clipped on the stage...

Overview of Microscopy Techniques

Overview of Microscopy Techniques

The early pioneers of microscopy opened a window into the invisible world of microorganisms. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes that leveraged nonvisible light, such as fluorescence microscopy that uses an ultraviolet light source and electron microscopy that uses short-wavelength electron beams. These advances significantly improved magnification, image resolution, and contrast. By comparison, the...

Overview of Electron Microscopy

Overview of Electron Microscopy

The wavelengths of visible light ultimately limit the maximum theoretical resolution of images created by light microscopes. Most light microscopes can only magnify 1000X, and a few can magnify up to 1500X. Electrons, like electromagnetic radiation, can behave like waves, but with wavelengths of 0.005 nm, they produce significantly greater resolution up to 0.05 nm as compared to 500 nm for visible light. An electron microscope (EM) can create a sharp image that is magnified up to 2,000,000X.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Effect of vacancy creation and annihilation on grain boundary motion.

Acta materialia·2020

Same author

Solidification of Ni-Re Peritectic Alloys.

Metallurgical and materials transactions. A. Physical metallurgy and materials science·2020

Same author

Transformation of BCC and B2 High Temperature Phases to HCP and Orthorhombic Structures in the Ti-Al-Nb System. Part I: Microstructural Predictions Based on a Subgroup Relation Between Phases.

Journal of research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology·2017

Same author

Transformation of BCC and B2 High Temperature Phases to HCP and Orthorhombic Structures in the Ti-Al-Nb System. Part II: Experimental TEM Study of Microstructures.

Journal of research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology·2017

Same author

Letter: faecal calprotectin for the prediction of relapse in inactive inflammatory bowel disease.

Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics·2016

Same author

National Institute of Standards and Technology Synchrotron Radiation Facilities for Materials Science.

Journal of research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology·2016

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Imaging and Quantification of the Area of Fast-Moving Microbubbles Using a High-Speed Camera and Image Analysis

Imaging and Quantification of the Area of Fast-Moving Microbubbles Using a High-Speed Camera and Image Analysis

Published on: September 5, 2020

X-ray magnifier.

W J Boettinger¹, H E Burdette, M Kuriyama

¹National Measurement Laboratory, National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D. C.,20234.

The Review of Scientific Instruments

|January 1, 1979

Summary

This study introduces an x-ray magnifier using silicon crystals for enhanced radiographic imaging. The device achieves 25x magnification, improving resolution for real-time observations.

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Optics
Medical Imaging

Background:

X-ray radiography is crucial for diagnostics but often limited by spatial resolution.
Electro-optical imaging systems used for real-time X-ray observations have inherent resolution limitations.
Magnification techniques are needed to overcome resolution limits in radiographic imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

To describe and demonstrate a novel method for magnifying x-ray radiographic images.
To develop an x-ray magnifier that preserves or improves image resolution.
To provide a solution for enhancing real-time X-ray imaging capabilities.

Main Methods:

The method employs two successive asymmetric diffractions of an x-ray beam.
Highly perfect silicon crystals are used as diffraction elements.

More Related Videos

Microfocus X-ray CT (microCT) Imaging of Actinia equina (Cnidaria), Harmothoe sp. (Annelida), and Xenoturbella japonica (Xenacoelomorpha)

Microfocus X-ray CT (microCT) Imaging of Actinia equina (Cnidaria), Harmothoe sp. (Annelida), and Xenoturbella japonica (Xenacoelomorpha)

Published on: August 6, 2019

Microfabrication of Implantable Optics Integrated in a Microstructured Imaging Window for Advanced In Vivo Imaging

Microfabrication of Implantable Optics Integrated in a Microstructured Imaging Window for Advanced In Vivo Imaging

Published on: April 11, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Imaging and Quantification of the Area of Fast-Moving Microbubbles Using a High-Speed Camera and Image Analysis

Imaging and Quantification of the Area of Fast-Moving Microbubbles Using a High-Speed Camera and Image Analysis

Published on: September 5, 2020

Microfocus X-ray CT (microCT) Imaging of Actinia equina (Cnidaria), Harmothoe sp. (Annelida), and Xenoturbella japonica (Xenacoelomorpha)

Microfocus X-ray CT (microCT) Imaging of Actinia equina (Cnidaria), Harmothoe sp. (Annelida), and Xenoturbella japonica (Xenacoelomorpha)

Published on: August 6, 2019

Microfabrication of Implantable Optics Integrated in a Microstructured Imaging Window for Advanced In Vivo Imaging

Microfabrication of Implantable Optics Integrated in a Microstructured Imaging Window for Advanced In Vivo Imaging

Published on: April 11, 2025

The diffractions magnify the x-ray beam in two perpendicular directions.

Main Results:

A device demonstrating 25x magnification for Cu K(alpha) radiation was successfully built.
The x-ray magnifier preserves and in some cases improves the inherent resolution of radiographic techniques.
The device effectively circumvents the poor spatial resolution of electro-optical imaging systems.

Conclusions:

The developed x-ray magnifier offers a significant improvement for radiographic imaging.
This technique is particularly beneficial for real-time X-ray applications requiring high resolution.
Further analysis of the basic limits on magnification and resolution using this method is presented.