title: The synchrotron beam, a new dimension for contrast media research?
abstract: Synchrotron sources can provide intense, collimated and tunable X-ray beams suitable for medical imaging and research, allowing the use of monochromatic X-rays for human examinations. At the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), a beam line dedicated to medical research is under commissioning. Two imaging programs are being developed, for coronary angiography and cerebral CT. The new monochromatic imaging systems should improve image contrast and provide better image quantification. The properties of synchrotron radiation are described, as well as the instrumentation of the medical beam line and its 2 imaging programs. The new possibilities offered by synchrotron radiation for contrast media research are discussed, the improvement on concentration measurement precision achievable is underlined.
authors.affiliation: European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Elleaume
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Charvet
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Le Bas
mesh_terms: D000047:Academies and Institutes; D003287:Contrast Media; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D055585:Physical Phenomena; D010825:Physics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017356:Synchrotrons / Q000295:instrumentation; D015898:Tomography Scanners, X-Ray Computed; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media