title: Development of phase-contrast X-ray imaging techniques and potential medical applications.
abstract: A significant improvement over conventional attenuation-based X-ray imaging, which lacks contrast in small objects and soft biological tissues, is obtained by introducing phase-contrast imaging. As recently demonstrated, phase-contrast imaging is characterized by its extraordinary image quality, greatly enhanced contrast, and good soft tissue discrimination with very high spatial resolution down to the micron and even the sub-micron region. The rapid development of compact X-ray sources of high brightness, tuneability, and monochromaticity as well as high-resolution X-ray detectors with high quantum efficiency and improved computational methods is stimulating the development of a new generation of X-ray imaging systems for medical applications. The present paper reviews some intrinsic mechanisms, recent technical developments and potential medical applications of two-, three- and four-dimensional phase-contrast X-ray imaging. Challenging issues in current phase-contrast imaging techniques and key clinical applications are discussed and possible developments of future high-contrast and high spatial and temporal resolution medical X-ray imaging systems are outlined.
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institute, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Division of Medical Radiation Physics, Stockholm, Sweden. shu-ang.zhou@ki.se
authors.forename: Shu-Ang
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brahme
mesh_terms: D000792:Angiography; D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D007368:Interferometry; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011859:Radiography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction