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Near-field X-ray ptychography has recently been proposed and shown to be able to retrieve a sample's complex-valued transmission function from multiple near-field diffraction images each with a lateral shift of the sample and with a structured (by a diffuser) illumination [Stockmar et al. Sci Rep. 3 (2013)]. In this paper, we undertake the first investigation - via numerical simulation - of the influence of the sampling and step size of the lateral shifts, the diffuser structure size, and the propagation distance on the reconstruction of the sample's transmission function. We find that for a gold Siemens star of thickness 750 nm with typical experimental parameters, for a successful reconstruction - given a theoretical minimum of four required measurements per imaged pixel - at least six diffraction images are required.

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X-ray micro-computed tomography (µCT) is commonly used for imaging of samples in biomedical or materials science research. Owing to the ability to visualize a sample in a nondestructive way, X-ray µCT is perfectly suited to inspect fossilized specimens, which are mostly unique or rare. In certain regions of the world where important sedimentation events occurred in the Precambrian geological time, several fossilized animals are studied to understand questions related to their origin, environment, and life evolution. This article demonstrates the advantages of applying absorption and phase-contrast CT on the enigmatic fossil Corumbella werneri, one of the oldest known animals capable of building hard parts, originally discovered in Corumbá (Brazil). Different tomographic setups were tested to visualize the fossilized inner structures: a commercial laboratory-based µCT device, two synchrotron-based imaging setups using conventional absorption and propagation-based phase contrast, and a commercial X-ray microscope with a lens-coupled detector system, dedicated for radiography and tomography. Based on our results we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the different imaging setups for paleontological studies.

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Propagation-based imaging or inline holography in combination with computed tomography (holotomography) is a versatile tool to access a sample's three-dimensional (3D) micro or nano structure. However, the phase retrieval step needed prior to tomographic reconstruction can be challenging especially for strongly absorbing and refracting samples. Near-field ptychography is a recently developed phase imaging method that has been proven to overcome this hurdle in projection data. In this work we extend near-field ptychography to three dimensions and we show that, in combination with tomography, it can access the nano structure of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The quality of the resulting tomographic data and the structural properties of the anode extracted from this volume were compared to previous results obtained with holotomography. This work highlights the potential of 3D near-field ptychography for reliable and detailed investigations of samples at the nanometer scale, with important applications in materials and life sciences among others.

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The Ediacaran fossil Corumbella is important because it is hypothesized to be a scyphozoan cnidarian, and thus might be one of the rare examples of bona fide Neoproterozoic animals. Unfortunately, its mode of life, style of skeletonization, and taxonomic affinity have been very controversial. Here, we use X-ray micro-CT, SEM, and taphonomic analysis to compare preservational modes of Corumbella, in order to better understand the symmetry, mode of construction, preservational style, and taxonomy of this group. Results suggest that articulated and disarticulated specimens of Corumbella from the Ediacaran of Brazil, Paraguay, and the United States, although sometimes preserved very differently, represent the same taxon--Corumbella werneri. Corumbellids had a thick but flexible theca and probably lived with their basalmost part anchored in the sediment, much like Conotubus. When considered together, these results suggest that Corumbella was one of the first animals to build a skeleton, employing a lamellar microfabric similar to conulariids.

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PURPOSE: Attenuation-based tomosynthesis has proven to successfully resolve the glandular tissue overlap present in mammography. However, the ability of tomosynthesis to differentiate tumorous and glandular tissue remains limited, due to the small differences in X-ray attenuation in breast tissue. One possibility to overcome this limitation and to further increase the diagnostic value of tomosynthesis exams, is the application of recently developed grating-based phase-contrast methods, which provide complementary information on the phase shift and the local scattering power of the sample. In this study, we report on first phase-contrast breast tomosynthesis results of a mastectomy sample slice with an invasive ductal carcinoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A slice of a mastectomy sample with histologically proven invasive ductal cancer was imaged at the synchrotron radiation source ESRF (Grenoble, France). We used a two-grating interferometer setup at the ninth fractional Talbot distance and with an X-ray energy of 23 keV. In grating interferometry absorption, differential phase, and scattering images are recorded simultaneously. The tomosynthesis scan comprises 61 projections. Multimodal tomosynthesis results were reconstructed using a standard filtered back-projection approach. Our findings are supported by a comparison of tomographic views to histopathology. RESULTS: Phase-contrast tomosynthesis combines the advantage of improved soft-tissue discrimination in phase-contrast imaging with the ability of tomosynthesis to provide a third dimension so that improved feature visibility is not hampered by superposition artifacts. Our results indicate superior diagnostic value due to the depth resolution supplied in tomosynthesis imaging; a region of necrotic tissue that is obscured in a projection image can clearly be depicted in one single tomosynthesis slice. Compared to absorption tomosynthesis alone, soft tissue contrast is significantly enhanced in phase-contrast tomosynthesis views, where fibrous structures are clearly visible. CONCLUSION: In this article we present the first proof-of-principle grating-based phase-contrast tomosynthesis of a mastectomy sample section. A comparison of conventional attenuation with phase-contrast and dark-field tomosynthesis indicates that complementary information from three signals yields an increase in diagnostic value, which is verified in a comparison of our results to histological sections of the sample. As grating-based phase-contrast mammography efficiently works with conventional lab sources, our benchmark results indicate the potential benefit of translating phase-contrast tomosynthesis into a clinical setting.

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OBJECTIVES: Phase-contrast imaging is a novel X-ray based technique that provides enhanced soft tissue contrast. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of visualizing human carotid arteries by grating-based phase-contrast tomography (PC-CT) at two different experimental set-ups: (i) applying synchrotron radiation and (ii) using a conventional X-ray tube. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five ex-vivo carotid artery specimens were examined with PC-CT either at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility using a monochromatic X-ray beam (2 specimens; 23 keV; pixel size 5.4 µm), or at a laboratory set-up on a conventional X-ray tube (3 specimens; 35-40 kVp; 70 mA; pixel size 100 µm). Tomographic images were reconstructed and compared to histopathology. Two independent readers determined vessel dimensions and one reader determined signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) between PC-CT and absorption images. RESULTS: In total, 51 sections were included in the analysis. Images from both set-ups provided sufficient contrast to differentiate individual vessel layers. All PCI-based measurements strongly predicted but significantly overestimated lumen, intima and vessel wall area for both the synchrotron and the laboratory-based measurements as compared with histology (all p<0.001 with slope >0.53 per mm(2), 95%-CI: 0.35 to 0.70). Although synchrotron-based images were characterized by higher SNRs than laboratory-based images; both PC-CT set-ups had superior SNRs compared to corresponding conventional absorption-based images (p<0.001). Inter-reader reproducibility was excellent (ICCs >0.98 and >0.84 for synchrotron and for laboratory-based measurements; respectively). CONCLUSION: Experimental PC-CT of carotid specimens is feasible with both synchrotron and conventional X-ray sources, producing high-resolution images suitable for vessel characterization and atherosclerosis research.

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Inline holography is a common phase-contrast imaging method which uses free-space propagation to encode the phase signal into measured intensities. However, quantitative retrieval of the sample's image remains challenging, imposing constraints on the nature of the sample or on the propagation distance. Here, we present a way of simultaneously retrieving the sample's complex-valued transmission function and the incident illumination function from near-field diffraction patterns. The procedure relies on the measurement diversity created by lateral translations of the sample with respect to a structured illumination. The reconstruction approach, in essence identical to that employed in ptychography, is applied to hard X-ray synchrotron measurements and to simulations. Compared to other inline holography techniques, we expect near-field ptychography to reduce reconstruction artefacts by factoring out wavefront imperfections and relaxing constraints on the sample's scattering properties, thus ultimately improving the robustness of propagation-based X-ray phase tomography.

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PURPOSE: Phase-contrast X-ray computed tomography (PCCT) is currently investigated and developed as a potentially very interesting extension of conventional CT, and can offer several advantages for specific indications in diagnostic imaging. Current absorption-based computed tomography (CT) without the application of contrast material is limited in the detection of minor density differences in soft-tissue. The purpose of this study is to test whether PCCT can improve soft tissue contrast in healthy and tumorous human liver specimens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two specimens of human liver (one healthy and one metastasized liver sample) were imaged with brilliant X-ray beam at the synchrotron radiation source ESRF in Grenoble, France. For correlation the same specimens were imaged with a magnetic resonance imaging system at 1.5 T. The histopathology confirmed our findings in the corresponding sections of the specimens. RESULTS: In the phase-contrast CT images we observed a significantly enhanced soft-tissue contrast when compared to simultaneously recorded standard absorption CT measurements. Further, we found that the pathological and morphological information in the PCCT reconstructions show significant improvement when compared to those performed on MRI. Based on matching of prominent features, a good correlation between PCCT and the histological section is demonstrated; especially the tumor capsule and the surrounding vascular structures are visible in PCCT. In addition, our study revealed the ability of PCCT to visualize the blood vessels structure in the tumorous liver without the need of any contrast agents. CONCLUSION: Grating-based PCCT significantly improves the soft-tissue contrast in ex-vivo liver specimens and holds the potential to overcome the need of contrast materials for visualization of the tumor vascularization.

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We present a numerical tool to compare directly the contrast-to-noise-ratio (CNR) of the attenuation- and differential phase-contrast signals available from grating-based X-ray imaging for single radiographs. The attenuation projection is differentiated to bring it into a modality comparable to the differential phase projection using a Gaussian derivative filter. A Relative Contrast Gain (RCG) is then defined as the ratio of the CNR of image values in a region of interest (ROI) in the differential phase projection to the CNR of image values in the same ROI in the differential attenuation projection. We apply the method on experimental data of human breast tissue acquired using a grating interferometer to compare the two contrast modes for two regions of interest differing in the type of tissue. Our results indicate that the proposed method can be used as a local estimate of the spatial distribution of the ratio δ/ß, i.e., real and imaginary part of the complex refractive index, across a sample.