Forward model for propagation-based x-ray phase contrast imaging in parallel- and cone-beam geometry

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Medical Imaging
• Computational Science

Background:

• X-ray phase contrast imaging (XPCI) offers enhanced sensitivity for material differentiation.
• Accurate forward modeling is crucial for robust tomographic reconstruction in XPCI.
• Existing models may not fully capture geometric effects or complex scattering phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel, fast, and flexible paraxial wave propagation model for XPCI.
• To incorporate geometric cone-beam effects into a multi-slice beam propagation method.
• To provide a suitable forward model for propagation-based X-ray phase contrast tomographic reconstructions.

Main Methods:

• Developed a paraxial wave propagation model integrating geometric cone-beam effects.
• Employed a multi-slice beam propagation approach.
• Modeled arbitrary objects, including strongly and multi-scattering scenarios.

Main Results:

• The model demonstrates speed, flexibility, and accuracy in simulations.
• It effectively incorporates geometric cone-beam effects.
• Simulations showed competitive or superior performance compared to Mie and Rytov solutions.

Conclusions:

• The developed model is a powerful tool for XPCI forward modeling.
• It facilitates rapid prototyping and accurate tomographic reconstruction.
• The model's capability to handle complex objects enhances its applicability.