In Vitro Validation of an Artefact Suppression Algorithm in X-Ray Phase-Contrast Computed Tomography

Naoki Sunaguchi; Tetsuya Yuasa; Shin-Ichi Hirano; Rajiv Gupta; Masami Ando

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0135654

In Vitro Validation of an Artefact Suppression Algorithm in X-Ray Phase-Contrast Computed Tomography

PLoS One. 2015 Aug 21;10(8):e0135654. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135654. eCollection 2015.

Authors

Naoki Sunaguchi¹, Tetsuya Yuasa², Shin-Ichi Hirano³, Rajiv Gupta⁴, Masami Ando⁵

Affiliations

¹ Graduate School of Engineering, Gunma University, Kiryu, Gunma, Japan.
² Graduate School of Engineering and Science, Yamagata University, Yonezawa, Yamagata, Japan.
³ Mercian Cleantec Corporation, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan; MiZ Corporation, Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan.
⁴ Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
⁵ Research Institute for Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba, Japan.

Abstract

X-ray phase-contrast tomography can significantly increase the contrast-resolution of conventional attenuation-contrast imaging, especially for soft-tissue structures that have very similar attenuation. Just as in attenuation-based tomography, phase contrast tomography requires a linear dependence of aggregate beam direction on the incremental direction alteration caused by individual voxels along the path of the X-ray beam. Dense objects such as calcifications in biological specimens violate this condition. There are extensive beam deflection artefacts in the vicinity of such structures because they result in large distortion of wave front due to the large difference of refractive index; for such large changes in beam direction, the transmittance of the silicon analyzer crystal saturates and is no longer linearly dependent on the angle of refraction. This paper describes a method by which these effects can be overcome and excellent soft-tissue contrast of phase tomography can be preserved in the vicinity of such artefact-producing structures.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Algorithms
Animals
Arthritis, Experimental / diagnostic imaging*
Arthritis, Experimental / pathology
Arthritis, Rheumatoid / diagnostic imaging
Arthritis, Rheumatoid / pathology
Artifacts*
Atherosclerosis / diagnostic imaging*
Atherosclerosis / pathology
Coronary Vessels / diagnostic imaging*
Coronary Vessels / pathology
Disease Models, Animal
Female
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods
Plaque, Atherosclerotic / diagnostic imaging*
Plaque, Atherosclerotic / pathology
Rats
Rats, Inbred Lew
Refractometry
Tomography, X-Ray Computed / instrumentation
Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods*

Grants and funding

The experiment was performed under the auspices of KEK (2008S2-002, 2014G-002). This work was funded by the Japanese Ministry of Education Science and Culture (TY #23602002, TY #26350494, NS #26750142) https://www.jsps.go.jp/j-grantsinaid/. At the time of the study Mercian Cleantec Corporation and MiZ Corporation provided support in the form of a salary for author SH but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.