We present a proof-of-concept edge illumination x-ray phase contrast system where the detector mask has been replaced by an indirect conversion detector in which sensitive and insensitive regions have been obtained by “patterning” the scintillator.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.
REFERENCES
1.
A.
Snigirev
, I.
Snigireva
, V.
Kohn
, S.
Kuznetsov
, and I.
Schelokov
, “On the possibilities of x-ray phase contrast microimaging by coherent high-energy synchrotron radiation
,” Rev. Sci. Instrum.
66
(12
), 5486
–5492
(1995
). 2.
A.
Momose
and J.
Fukuda
, “Phase-contrast radiographs of nonstained rat cerebellar specimen
,” Med. Phys.
22
(4
), 375
–379
(1995
). 3.
B. R.
Pinzer
, M.
Cacquevel
, P.
Modregger
, S. A.
McDonald
, J. C.
Bensadoun
, T.
Thuering
, P.
Aebischer
, and M.
Stampanoni
, “Imaging brain amyloid deposition using grating-based differential phase contrast tomography
,” NeuroImage
61
(4
), 1336
–1346
(2012
). 4.
M. C.
Strotton
, A. J.
Bodey
, K.
Wanelik
, C.
Hobbs
, C.
Rau
, and E. J.
Bradbury
, “The spatiotemporal spread of cervical spinal cord contusion injury pathology revealed by 3D in-line phase contrast synchrotron x-ray microtomography
,” Exp. Neurol.
336
, 113529
(2021
). 5.
M.-C.
Zdora
, P.
Thibault
, W.
Kuo
, V.
Fernandez
, H.
Deyhle
, J.
Vila-Comamala
, M. P.
Olbinado
, A.
Rack
, P. M.
Lackie
, O. L.
Katsamenis
et al., “X-ray phase tomography with near-field speckles for three-dimensional virtual histology
,” Optica
7
(9
), 1221
–1227
(2020
). 6.
L.
Massimi
, N.
Pieroni
, L.
Maugeri
, M.
Fratini
, F.
Brun
, I.
Bukreeva
, G.
Santamaria
, V.
Medici
, T.
Emanuele Poloni
, C.
Balducci
et al., “Assessment of plaque morphology in Alzheimer’s mouse cerebellum using three-dimensional x-ray phase-based virtual histology
,” Sci. Rep.
10
(1
), 1
–10
(2020
). 7.
A.
Bravin
, P.
Coan
, and P.
Suortti
, “X-ray phase-contrast imaging: From pre-clinical applications towards clinics
,” Phys. Med. Biol.
58
(1
), R1
(2012
). 8.
A.
Olivo
and R.
Speller
, “A coded-aperture technique allowing x-ray phase contrast imaging with conventional sources
,” Appl. Phys. Lett.
91
(7
), 074106
(2007
). 9.
T.
Weitkamp
, A.
Diaz
, C.
David
, F.
Pfeiffer
, M.
Stampanoni
, P.
Cloetens
, and E.
Ziegler
, “X-ray phase imaging with a grating interferometer
,” Opt. Express
13
(16
), 6296
–6304
(2005
). 10.
L.
Massimi
, T.
Suaris
, C. K.
Hagen
, M.
Endrizzi
, P. R. T.
Munro
, G.
Havariyoun
, P. M.
Sam Hawker
, B.
Smit
, A.
Astolfo
, O. J.
Larkin
et al., “Detection of involved margins in breast specimens with x-ray phase-contrast computed tomography
,” Sci. Rep.
11
(1
), 1
–9
(2021
). 11.
L.
Broche
, B.
Favier
, H.
Rougé-Labriet
, S.
Drevet
, B.
Lardy
, E.
Brun
, and B.
Lemasson
, “Calcified cartilage revealed in whole joint by x-ray phase contrast imaging
,” Osteoarthr. Cartil. Open
3
(2
), 100168
(2021
). 12.
T.
Donath
, F.
Pfeiffer
, O.
Bunk
, C.
Grünzweig
, E.
Hempel
, S.
Popescu
, P.
Vock
, and C.
David
, “Toward clinical x-ray phase-contrast CT: Demonstration of enhanced soft-tissue contrast in human specimen
,” Invest. Radiol.
45
(7
), 445
–452
(2010
). 13.
A.
Astolfo
, M.
Endrizzi
, F. A.
Vittoria
, P. C.
Diemoz
, B.
Price
, I.
Haig
, and A.
Olivo
, “Large field of view, fast and low dose multimodal phase-contrast imaging at high x-ray energy
,” Sci. Rep.
7
(1
), 1
–8
(2017
). 14.
C. K.
Hagen
, P. R. T.
Munro
, M.
Endrizzi
, P. C.
Diemoz
, and A.
Olivo
, “Low-dose phase contrast tomography with conventional x-ray sources
,” Med. Phys.
41
(7
), 070701
(2014
). 15.
M.
Endrizzi
, D.
Basta
, and A.
Olivo
, “Laboratory-based x-ray phase-contrast imaging with misaligned optical elements
,” Appl. Phys. Lett.
107
(12
), 124103
(2015
). 16.
M.
Simon
, K.
Jürgen Engel
, B.
Menser
, X.
Badel
, and J.
Linnros
, “X-ray imaging performance of scintillator-filled silicon pore arrays
,” Med. Phys.
35
(3
), 968
–981
(2008
). 17.
Y.
Du
, X.
Liu
, Y.
Lei
, J.
Guo
, and H.
Niu
, “Non-absorption grating approach for x-ray phase contrast imaging
,” Opt. Express
19
(23
), 22669
–22674
(2011
). 18.
L.
Massimi
, J. A.
Meganck
, R.
Towns
, A.
Olivo
, and M.
Endrizzi
, “Evaluation of a compact multi-contrast and multi-resolution x-ray phase contrast edge illumination system for small animal imaging
,” Med. Phys.
48
, 376
–386
(2020
).19.
L.
Massimi
, C. K.
Hagen
, M.
Endrizzi
, P. R. T.
Munro
, G.
Havariyoun
, P. M.
Sam Hawker
, B.
Smit
, A.
Astolfo
, O. J.
Larkin
, R. M.
Waltham
et al., “Proc. SPIE
10948
, 109481R
(2019
).20.
L.
Massimi
, T.
Suaris
, C. K.
Hagen
, M.
Endrizzi
, P. R. T.
Munro
, G.
Havariyoun
, P. M.
Sam Hawker
, B.
Smit
, A.
Astolfo
, O. J.
Larkin
et al., “Volumetric high-resolution x-ray phase-contrast virtual histology of breast specimens with a compact laboratory system
,” IEEE Trans. Med. Imaging
41
, 1188
–1195
(2021
). 21.
G.
Havariyoun
, F. A.
Vittoria
, C. K.
Hagen
, D.
Basta
, G. K.
Kallon
, M.
Endrizzi
, L.
Massimi
, P.
Munro
, S.
Hawker
, B.
Smit
et al., “A compact system for intraoperative specimen imaging based on edge illumination x-ray phase contrast
,” Phys. Med. Biol.
64
(23
), 235005
(2019
). 22.
M.
Endrizzi
, F. A.
Vittoria
, G.
Kallon
, D.
Basta
, P. C.
Diemoz
, A.
Vincenzi
, P.
Delogu
, R.
Bellazzini
, and A.
Olivo
, “Achromatic approach to phase-based multi-modal imaging with conventional x-ray sources
,” Opt. Express
23
(12
), 16473
–16480
(2015
). 23.
M.
Endrizzi
and A.
Olivo
, “Absorption, refraction and scattering retrieval with an edge-illumination-based imaging setup
,” J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.
47
(50
), 505102
(2014
). 24.
K.
Ignatyev
, P. R. T.
Munro
, R. D.
Speller
, and A.
Olivo
, “Effects of signal diffusion on x-ray phase contrast images
,” Rev. Sci. Instrum.
82
(7
), 073702
(2011
). 25.
P. C.
Diemoz
, F. A.
Vittoria
, and A.
Olivo
, “Spatial resolution of edge illumination x-ray phase-contrast imaging
,” Opt. Express
22
(13
), 15514
–15529
(2014
). 26.
F. A.
Vittoria
, P. C.
Diemoz
, M.
Endrizzi
, L.
Rigon
, F. C.
Lopez
, D.
Dreossi
, P. R. T.
Munro
, and A.
Olivo
, “Strategies for efficient and fast wave optics simulation of coded-aperture and other x-ray phase-contrast imaging methods
,” Appl. Opt.
52
(28
), 6940
–6947
(2013
). 27.
P. C.
Diemoz
, C. K.
Hagen
, M.
Endrizzi
, M.
Minuti
, R.
Bellazzini
, L.
Urbani
, P.
De Coppi
, and A.
Olivo
, “Single-shot x-ray phase-contrast computed tomography with nonmicrofocal laboratory sources
,” Phys. Rev. Appl.
7
(4
), 044029
(2017
). 28.
L.
Massimi
, T.
Partridge
, A.
Astolfo
, M.
Endrizzi
, C. K.
Hagen
, P. R. T.
Munro
, D.
Bate
, and A.
Olivo
, “Optimization of multipoint phase retrieval in edge illumination x-ray imaging: A theoretical and experimental analysis
,” Med. Phys.
48
(10
), 5884
–5896
(2021
). © 2022 Author(s). Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.
2022
Author(s)
You do not currently have access to this content.
