Single-shot X-ray measurement of alveolar size distributions

Regional changes in lung microstructure are an important component of several common lung disorders and even in healthy lungs alveolar mechanics are poorly understood. Existing techniques capable of studying the lung microstructure have various limitations including poor temporal resolution. We present a technique, which can measure the distribution of alveolar diameters from a single, phase contrast chest X-ray. We present the results of analysis of synchrotron images of a rabbit pup’s lungs, which we compare with high-resolution computed tomography images. We demonstrate that measurements can be made with an exposure time of 40 ms, highlighting the unique potential for performing dynamic in vivo measurements. Applications include disease detection, assessment of therapeutics and physiological studies.

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