title: Low-dose phase contrast tomography with conventional x-ray sources.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The edge illumination (EI) x-ray phase contrast imaging (XPCi) method has been recently further developed to perform tomographic and, thus, volumetric imaging. In this paper, the first tomographic EI XPCi images acquired with a conventional x-ray source at dose levels below that used for preclinical small animal imaging are presented.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two test objects, a biological sample and a custom-built phantom, were imaged with a laboratory-based EI XPCi setup in tomography mode. Tomographic maps that show the phase shift and attenuating properties of the object were reconstructed, and analyzed in terms of signal-to-noise ratio and quantitative accuracy. Dose measurements using thermoluminescence devices were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The obtained images demonstrate that phase based imaging methods can provide superior results compared to attenuation based modalities for weakly attenuating samples also in 3D. Moreover, and, most importantly, they demonstrate the feasibility of low-dose imaging. In addition, the experimental results can be considered quantitative within the constraints imposed by polychromaticity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results, together with the method's dose efficiency and compatibility with conventional x-ray sources, indicate that tomographic EI XPCi can become an important tool for the routine imaging of biomedical samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, University College London, Malet Place, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Hagen
authors.affiliation: Optical + Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia and Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation, and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: P R T
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Munro
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, University College London, Malet Place, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Endrizzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, University College London, Malet Place, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Diemoz
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, University College London, Malet Place, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olivo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004867:Equipment Design; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006257:Head / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D014863:Wasps