Speckle-based x-ray phase-contrast imaging with a laboratory source and the scanning technique

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Physics
• Materials Science

Background:

• X-ray phase-contrast imaging (XPCI) offers enhanced sensitivity for material differentiation compared to conventional absorption-based X-ray imaging.
• Speckle-tracking techniques are commonly used in XPCI but are limited by spatial resolution.
• Lab-based X-ray sources are increasingly important for specialized imaging applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and validate a speckle-based scanning method for XPCI using a liquid-metal-jet source.
• To overcome the spatial resolution limitations associated with traditional speckle-tracking methods.
• To explore new high-resolution multimodal imaging possibilities with lab-based XPCI.

Main Methods:

• A speckle-based scanning approach was employed for X-ray phase-contrast imaging.
• A liquid-metal-jet X-ray source was utilized for the implementation.
• A two-dimensional scanning technique was applied to retrieve phase shifts in transverse orientations.

Main Results:

• The developed method successfully retrieved the phase shift introduced by the object in both transverse orientations.
• The inherent limitations on spatial resolution of the speckle-tracking technique were successfully avoided.
• The system demonstrated the potential for high-resolution imaging.

Conclusions:

• The speckle-based scanning method with a liquid-metal-jet source provides a viable alternative for high-resolution XPCI.
• This technique removes spatial resolution constraints, enabling more detailed imaging.
• The method paves the way for novel high-resolution multimodal applications in lab-based XPCI.