X-ray in-line phase microtomography for biomedical applications
Résumé
In this chapter, we describe X-ray phase tomography based on in-line phase contrast images. Phase tomography is a computational imaging technique, which is gaining increased attention due to the increase in sensitivity it offers over conventional, attenuation-based techniques. The increased sensitivity is of particular interest in biomedical imaging, especially for soft tissue visualization and analysis. The in-line technique offers a very simple imaging setup compared to other currently available X-ray phase contrast imaging techniques. The basic principles of the imaging technique are described, starting with an analysis of the image formation process, followed by a review of the most common reconstruction algorithms and practical results on parameter selection. Finally, three examples of biomedical imaging applications are presented: imaging of a human breast biopsy, small animal imaging and bone tissue engineering, with the aim to show imaging in different conditions and different reconstruction options.