Phase-contrast x-ray imaging with a liquid-metal-jet-anode microfocus source

Phase-contrast methods increase contrast, detail, and selectivity in x-ray imaging. Present compact x-ray sources do not provide the necessary spatial coherence with sufficient power to allow the laboratory-scale high-resolution phase-contrast imaging with adequate exposure times. In this letter, the authors demonstrate phase-contrast imaging with few-micron detail employing a compact ∼6.5μm spot liquid-metal-jet-anode high-brightness microfocus source. The 40W source is operated at more than ten times higher electron-beam power density than present microfocus sources and is shown to provide sufficient spatial coherence as well as scalability to high power, thereby enabling the application of phase-contrast x-ray imaging with short exposure times in clinics and laboratories.

[1]  V. N. Ingal,et al.  Phase mammography--a new technique for breast investigation. , 1998, Physics in medicine and biology.

[2]  J. Freudenberger,et al.  Perspectives of medical X-ray imaging , 2001 .

[3]  T. Uruga,et al.  X-ray absorption fine structure combined with X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Improvement of spectral resolution at the absorption edges of 9-29 keV. , 2005, Analytical chemistry.

[4]  H. Hertz,et al.  Stability and debris in high-brightness liquid-metal-jet-anode microfocus x-ray sources , 2007 .

[5]  H. Hertz,et al.  Microscopic high-speed liquid-metal jets in vacuum , 2005 .

[6]  S. Wilkins,et al.  Phase-contrast imaging of weakly absorbing materials using hard X-rays , 1995, Nature.

[7]  R. Lewis,et al.  Medical phase contrast x-ray imaging: current status and future prospects. , 2004, Physics in medicine and biology.

[8]  Richard J. Fitzgerald,et al.  Phase‐Sensitive X‐Ray Imaging , 2000 .

[9]  D E Grider,et al.  Electron beam melting in microfocus X-ray tubes , 1986 .

[10]  E Castelli,et al.  Mammography with synchrotron radiation: phase-detection techniques. , 2000, Radiology.

[11]  H. Hertz,et al.  Liquid-metal-jet anode x-ray tube , 2004 .

[12]  Sabrina S Wilson.  Radiology , 1938, Glasgow Medical Journal.

[13]  S. Wilkins,et al.  Phase-contrast imaging using polychromatic hard X-rays , 1996, Nature.

[14]  E Ammann,et al.  X-ray tubes--continuous innovative technology. , 1997, The British journal of radiology.

[15]  Hans M. Hertz,et al.  Liquid-metal-jet anode electron-impact x-ray source , 2003 .

[16]  J. Goodman.  Introduction to Fourier optics , 1969 .