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Crystal analyser-based X-ray phase contrast imaging in the dark field: implementation and evaluation using excised tissue specimens

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Abstract

Objectives

We demonstrate the soft tissue discrimination capability of X-ray dark-field imaging (XDFI) using a variety of human tissue specimens.

Methods

The experimental setup for XDFI comprises an X-ray source, an asymmetrically cut Bragg-type monochromator-collimator (MC), a Laue-case angle analyser (LAA) and a CCD camera. The specimen is placed between the MC and the LAA. For the light source, we used the beamline BL14C on a 2.5-GeV storage ring in the KEK Photon Factory, Tsukuba, Japan.

Results

In the eye specimen, phase contrast images from XDFI were able to discriminate soft-tissue structures, such as the iris, separated by aqueous humour on both sides, which have nearly equal absorption. Superiority of XDFI in imaging soft tissue was further demonstrated with a diseased iliac artery containing atherosclerotic plaque and breast samples with benign and malignant tumours. XDFI on breast tumours discriminated between the normal and diseased terminal duct lobular unit and between invasive and in-situ cancer.

Conclusions

X-ray phase, as detected by XDFI, has superior contrast over absorption for soft tissue processes such as atherosclerotic plaque and breast cancer.

Key points

• X-ray dark field imaging (XDFI) can dramatically increase sensitivity of phase detection.

• XDFI can provide enhanced soft tissue discrimination.

• With XDFI, abnormal anatomy can be visualised with high spatial/contrast resolution.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Mr. Kazuki Matsui, Ms Megumi Yokoyama and Ms Mayumi Kataoka for their technical assistance, and Dr. Suzuko Moritani and Dr. Masaki Hasegawa for providing clinicopathological data. Valuable help in sample preparation and imaging was provided by Drs. Suzanne Lee, Kazuyuki Hyodo, Qingkai Huo, Ms. Andrea Schmitz and Mr. Yuki Nakao. Computational calculation of the spatial resolution in XDFI was performed using the Takagi-Taupin theory by Dr. Yoshifumi Suzuki, to whom the authors would like to express their thanks. This work was supported, in part, by the DARPA AXiS program, grant no. N66001-11-4204, P.R. no. 1300217190. This research was also supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (no. 22591353) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in Japan and in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Clinical Research from the National Hospital Organization. The experiment was performed under the approval of the PF User Association (PF-UA) at KEK under no. 2008S2-002, 2011G-672 for use of the Photon Factory.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. RIST, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba, 278-8510, Japan

    Masami Ando

  2. Graduate School of Engineering, Gunma University, Kiryu, Gunma, 376-8515, Japan

    Naoki Sunaguchi

  3. Department of Materials Structure Science, School of High Energy Accelerator Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0801, Japan

    Yanlin Wu

  4. Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 25 New Chardon St. Suite 400B, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Synho Do, Yongjin Sung & Rajiv Gupta

  5. Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Abner Louissaint

  6. Faculty of Engineering, Yamagata University, Yonezawa, Yamagata, 992-8510, Japan

    Tetsuya Yuasa

  7. Department of Pathology, Nagoya Medical Center, Nagoya, Aichi, 460-001, Japan

    Shu Ichihara

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  1. Masami Ando
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  2. Naoki Sunaguchi
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  9. Rajiv Gupta
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rajiv Gupta.

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Ando, M., Sunaguchi, N., Wu, Y. et al. Crystal analyser-based X-ray phase contrast imaging in the dark field: implementation and evaluation using excised tissue specimens. Eur Radiol 24, 423–433 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-013-3021-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-013-3021-9

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