title: Application of Fourier-wavelet regularized deconvolution for improving image quality of free space propagation x-ray phase contrast imaging.
abstract: New x-ray phase contrast imaging techniques without using synchrotron radiation confront a common problem from the negative effects of finite source size and limited spatial resolution. These negative effects swamp the fine phase contrast fringes and make them almost undetectable. In order to alleviate this problem, deconvolution procedures should be applied to the blurred x-ray phase contrast images. In this study, three different deconvolution techniques, including Wiener filtering, Tikhonov regularization and Fourier-wavelet regularized deconvolution (ForWaRD), were applied to the simulated and experimental free space propagation x-ray phase contrast images of simple geometric phantoms. These algorithms were evaluated in terms of phase contrast improvement and signal-to-noise ratio. The results demonstrate that the ForWaRD algorithm is most appropriate for phase contrast image restoration among above-mentioned methods; it can effectively restore the lost information of phase contrast fringes while reduce the amplified noise during Fourier regularization.
authors.affiliation: School of Precision Instrument and Optoelectronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China. zhouzhongxing@tju.edu.cn
authors.forename: Zhongxing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Huijuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Lixin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D058067:Wavelet Analysis