We present a proof-of-concept edge illumination x-ray phase contrast system where the detector mask has been replaced by an indirect conversion detector in which sensitive and insensitive regions have been obtained by “patterning” the scintillator. This was achieved by creating a free-standing grid with period and aperture size matching that of a typical detector mask and filling the apertures with gadolinium oxysulfide. Images of various samples were collected with both the modified and the original edge illumination systems based on the use of two masks to characterize the performances of this detector design. We found that, despite the proof-of-concept nature of this attempt resulting in a structured detector with suboptimal performance, it allows effective separation of the attenuation and refraction channels through phase retrieval and the visualization of hard-to-detect features such as cartilage through the latter channel, thus demonstrating that the proposed approach holds the potential to lead to improved stability since it will use a single optical element facilitating the design of rotating phase contrast systems or the retrofitting of conventional x-ray systems.
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28 May 2022
Research Article|
May 24 2022
Replacing the detector mask with a structured scintillator in edge-illumination x-ray phase contrast imaging
Lorenzo Massimi
;
Lorenzo Massimi
a)
1
Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London
, London, United Kingdom
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Gibril K. Kallon;
Gibril K. Kallon
1
Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London
, London, United Kingdom
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Ian Buchanan
;
Ian Buchanan
1
Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London
, London, United Kingdom
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Marco Endrizzi
;
Marco Endrizzi
1
Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London
, London, United Kingdom
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Piotr Dobrosz;
Piotr Dobrosz
2
Scintacor Ltd
, 125 Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0DL, United Kingdom
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Rob Brooks;
Rob Brooks
3
Photonic Science and Engineering Ltd
, 22 Theaklen Drive, Saint Leonards-on-Sea TN38 9AZ, United Kingdom
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Daniel Brau;
Daniel Brau
3
Photonic Science and Engineering Ltd
, 22 Theaklen Drive, Saint Leonards-on-Sea TN38 9AZ, United Kingdom
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Ed Bullard;
Ed Bullard
b)
2
Scintacor Ltd
, 125 Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0DL, United Kingdom
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Alessandro Olivo
Alessandro Olivo
1
Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London
, London, United Kingdom
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Lorenzo Massimi
1,a)
Gibril K. Kallon
1
Ian Buchanan
1
Marco Endrizzi
1
Piotr Dobrosz
2
Rob Brooks
3
Daniel Brau
3
Ed Bullard
2,b)
Alessandro Olivo
1
1
Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London
, London, United Kingdom
2
Scintacor Ltd
, 125 Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0DL, United Kingdom
3
Photonic Science and Engineering Ltd
, 22 Theaklen Drive, Saint Leonards-on-Sea TN38 9AZ, United Kingdom
a)
Current address: Institute of Nanotechnology, National Research Council, Rome, Italy. Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]
b)
Current address: ISDI Ltd, Highgate Business Centre, 33 Greenwood Place, London NW5 1LB, United Kingdom.
J. Appl. Phys. 131, 204501 (2022)
Article history
Received:
March 03 2022
Accepted:
May 09 2022
Citation
Lorenzo Massimi, Gibril K. Kallon, Ian Buchanan, Marco Endrizzi, Piotr Dobrosz, Rob Brooks, Daniel Brau, Ed Bullard, Alessandro Olivo; Replacing the detector mask with a structured scintillator in edge-illumination x-ray phase contrast imaging. J. Appl. Phys. 28 May 2022; 131 (20): 204501. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0090139
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