X-ray microtome by fluorescence tomography

Abstract The X-ray fluorescence microtomography method is presented, which is capable of virtually slicing samples to obtain cross-sections of their inner structure. High precision experimental results of fluo-tomography in “pencil-beam” geometry with up to 1.2 μm resolution are described. Image reconstructions are based on either a simplified algebraic reconstruction method (ART) or the filtered back-projection method (FBP). Phantoms of inhomogenous test objects as well as biological samples are successfully analyzed.