Three-Dimensional Imaging of Nerve Tissue by X-Ray Phase-Contrast Microtomography

Visualization of the microvascular network and thrombi in the microvasculature is a key step to evaluating the development of tumor growth and metastasis, and influences treatment selection. X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography (PCCT) is a new imaging technique that can detect minute changes of density and reveal soft tissues discrimination at micrometer-scale resolution. In this study, six human resected hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues were investigated with PCCT. A histological stain was added to estimate the accuracy of PCCT. The results showed that the fine structures of the microvasculature (measuring 30–100 µm) and thrombi in tiny blood vessels were displayed clearly on imaging the HCC tissues by PCCT. Moreover, density distributions of the thrombi were obtained, which could be reliably used to distinguish malignant from benign thrombi in HCC. In conclusion, PCCT can clearly show the three-dimensional subtle structures of HCC that cannot be detected by conventional absorption-based computed tomography and provides a new method for the imageology of HCC.

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Three-dimensional Imaging of Nanoscale Internal Structure by Coherent X-ray Diffraction Microscope

Materia Japan ◽

10.2320/materia.46.827 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 46 (12) ◽

pp. 827-827

Author(s):

Yoshinori Nishino ◽

Yukio Takahashi ◽

Tetsuya Ishikawa ◽

Eiichiro Matsubara

Keyword(s):

Internal Structure ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

Three Dimensional Imaging ◽

X Ray

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White matter imaging of ethanol-fixed rat brain by phase-contrast X-ray computed tomography

Acta Radiologica ◽

10.1177/02841851211030776 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 028418512110307

Author(s):

Thet-Thet- Lwin ◽

Akio Yoneyama ◽

Shogo Kokubo ◽

Hiroko Maruyama ◽

Kazuyuki Hyodo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Phase Contrast ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Image Contrast ◽

Cerebral White Matter ◽

Tissue Fixation ◽

X Ray ◽

Density Values ◽

X Ray Computed ◽

Formalin Fixed

Background Phase-contrast X-ray computed tomography imaging (PCI) based on crystal X-ray interferometry can detect minute density differences within biological soft tissues without contrast agents. Ethanol fixation yields increased tissue-background density differences due to the dehydrating and delipidifying effects of ethanol. Purpose To obtain high image contrast of cerebral white matter structures in PCI, tissue fixation using ethanol and routinely used formalin have been examined. Material and Methods Ethanol-fixed (EF) (n = 4) and formalin-fixed (FF) (n = 4) rat brains were imaged by crystal X-ray interferometry-based PCI. Tissue staining/microscopy was also performed for histological comparison and myelin density evaluation. Three-dimensional white matter tract images were reconstructed. Results Superior image contrast was obtained in the images of EF brains (EF images) compared to those of formalin-fixed brains (FF images), particularly for white matter structures. Significant density differences between the white matter structures and hippocampus ( P < 0.01)/thalamus ( P < 0.001) were observed in the EF, but not FF, images. Ethanol fixation enhanced the image contrast of white matter tracts by approximately sixfold compared to formalin fixation, and close agreement (r2 = 0.97; P < 0.05) between the density values on the CT images and the myelin density values in histological images was observed for the EF brains. Three-dimensional reconstruction of the white matter tracts was possible from the EF images, but not FF images. Conclusion Ethanol fixation resulted in marked contrast enhancement of cerebral white matter structures in PCI. Thus, high-resolution PCI using ethanol for tissue fixation could be valuable for experimental neurological studies and postmortem neuropathology evaluation.

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A feasibility study of X-ray phase-contrast mammographic tomography at the Imaging and Medical beamline of the Australian Synchrotron

Journal of Synchrotron Radiation ◽

10.1107/s160057751501766x ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 22 (6) ◽

pp. 1509-1523 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Yakov I. Nesterets ◽

Timur E. Gureyev ◽

Sheridan C. Mayo ◽

Andrew W. Stevenson ◽

Darren Thompson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Phase Contrast ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

High Sensitivity ◽

Contrast Imaging ◽

Detector Resolution ◽

X Ray ◽

Processing Strategies ◽

Characteristics Analysis ◽

Tissue Characteristics ◽

Contrast Ct

Results are presented of a recent experiment at the Imaging and Medical beamline of the Australian Synchrotron intended to contribute to the implementation of low-dose high-sensitivity three-dimensional mammographic phase-contrast imaging, initially at synchrotrons and subsequently in hospitals and medical imaging clinics. The effect of such imaging parameters as X-ray energy, source size, detector resolution, sample-to-detector distance, scanning and data processing strategies in the case of propagation-based phase-contrast computed tomography (CT) have been tested, quantified, evaluated and optimized using a plastic phantom simulating relevant breast-tissue characteristics. Analysis of the data collected using a Hamamatsu CMOS Flat Panel Sensor, with a pixel size of 100 µm, revealed the presence of propagation-based phase contrast and demonstrated significant improvement of the quality of phase-contrast CT imaging compared with conventional (absorption-based) CT, at medically acceptable radiation doses.

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