title: Hard X-ray index of refraction tomography of a whole rabbit knee joint: A feasibility study.
abstract: We report results of the computed tomography reconstruction of the index of refraction in a whole rabbit knee joint examined at the photon energy of 51keV. Refraction based images make it possible to delineate the bone, cartilage, and soft tissues without adjusting the contrast window width and level. Density variations, which are related to tissue composition and are not visible in absorption X-ray images, are detected in the obtained refraction based images. We discuss why refraction-based images provide better detectability of low contrast features than absorption images.
authors: Institute for Beam Physics and Technology, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, Eggenstein 76344, Germany; Department of Physics, Ludwig Maximilians University, Garching 85748, Germany. Electronic address: sergey.gasilov@kit.edu.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Gasilov
authors: European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble 38043, France; Department of Physics, Ludwig Maximilians University, Garching 85748, Germany.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Mittone
authors: Institute for Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich 81377, Germany.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Horng
authors: Institute for Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich 81377, Germany.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Geith
authors: European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble 38043, France.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Bravin
authors: Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, Eggenstein 76344, Germany; Laboratory for Application of Synchrotron Radiation, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, Eggenstein 76344, Germany.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Baumbach
authors: Institute for Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich 81377, Germany; Department of Physics, Ludwig Maximilians University, Garching 85748, Germany.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Coan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011817:Rabbits; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Computed tomography (CT); Differential phase-contrast imaging; Low contrast detectability; X-rays’ index of refraction