title: High-resolution short-exposure small-animal laboratory x-ray phase-contrast tomography.
abstract: X-ray computed tomography of small animals and their organs is an essential tool in basic and preclinical biomedical research. In both phase-contrast and absorption tomography high spatial resolution and short exposure times are of key importance. However, the observable spatial resolutions and achievable exposure times are presently limited by system parameters rather than more fundamental constraints like, e.g., dose. Here we demonstrate laboratory tomography with few-ten μm spatial resolution and few-minute exposure time at an acceptable dose for small-animal imaging, both with absorption contrast and phase contrast. The method relies on a magnifying imaging scheme in combination with a high-power small-spot liquid-metal-jet electron-impact source. The tomographic imaging is demonstrated on intact mouse, phantoms and excised lungs, both healthy and with pulmonary emphysema.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology/Albanova, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Daniel H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology/Albanova, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Vågberg
authors.affiliation: Physik-Department &Institut für Medizintechnik, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany.
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yaroshenko
authors.affiliation: Institute of Lung Biology and Disease, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ali Önder
authors.initials: AÖ
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology/Albanova, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Hans M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Hertz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D003287:Contrast Media; D004867:Equipment Design; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D051379:Mice; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013995:Time; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media