Subcutaneous Low-Density Foreign Bodies Detection via Grating-Based Multimodal X-ray Imaging

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Detecting low-density foreign bodies in soft tissues remains a significant clinical challenge.
• Grating-based multimodal X-ray imaging offers absorption, phase-contrast, and dark-field information with low hardware demands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of grating-based multimodal X-ray imaging for detecting various foreign bodies in subcutaneous tissues.
• To assess the strengths and weaknesses of absorption, phase-contrast, and dark-field imaging for different foreign body types and tissue environments.

Main Methods:

• Foreign bodies (metal, glass, wood, plastic, graphite, ceramic) were implanted into pig adipose and chicken thigh muscle tissues.
• A laboratory-developed grating-based multimodal X-ray imaging system was employed for detection.

Main Results:

• The imaging technique successfully visualized subcutaneous foreign bodies within both adipose and muscle tissues.
• Complementary absorption, phase-contrast, and dark-field data were acquired in a single imaging pass.
• The multimodal approach demonstrated clear differentiation of various foreign body materials.

Conclusions:

• Grating-based multimodal X-ray imaging shows significant potential for non-invasive detection of foreign bodies within soft tissues.
• This technology provides a comprehensive imaging solution, overcoming limitations of conventional X-ray methods for low-density materials.