Enhanced renal image contrast by ethanol fixation in phase-contrast X-ray computed tomography

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 795-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryota Shirai ◽  
Takuya Kunii ◽  
Akio Yoneyama ◽  
Takahito Ooizumi ◽  
Hiroko Maruyama ◽  
...  

Phase-contrast X-ray imaging using a crystal X-ray interferometer can depict the fine structures of biological objects without the use of a contrast agent. To obtain higher image contrast, fixation techniques have been examined with 100% ethanol and the commonly used 10% formalin, since ethanol causes increased density differences against background due to its physical properties and greater dehydration of soft tissue. Histological comparison was also performed. A phase-contrast X-ray system was used, fitted with a two-crystal X-ray interferometer at 35 keV X-ray energy. Fine structures, including cortex, tubules in the medulla, and the vessels of ethanol-fixed kidney could be visualized more clearly than that of formalin-fixed tissues. In the optical microscopic images, shrinkage of soft tissue and decreased luminal space were observed in ethanol-fixed kidney; and this change was significantly shown in the cortex and outer stripe of the outer medulla. The ethanol fixation technique enhances image contrast by approximately 2.7–3.2 times in the cortex and the outer stripe of the outer medulla; the effect of shrinkage and the physical effect of ethanol cause an increment of approximately 78% and 22%, respectively. Thus, the ethanol-fixation technique enables the image contrast to be enhanced in phase-contrast X-ray imaging.

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 153303382110101
Author(s):  
Thet-Thet Lwin ◽  
Akio Yoneyama ◽  
Hiroko Maruyama ◽  
Tohoru Takeda

Phase-contrast synchrotron-based X-ray imaging using an X-ray interferometer provides high sensitivity and high spatial resolution, and it has the ability to depict the fine morphological structures of biological soft tissues, including tumors. In this study, we quantitatively compared phase-contrast synchrotron-based X-ray computed tomography images and images of histopathological hematoxylin-eosin-stained sections of spontaneously occurring rat testicular tumors that contained different types of cells. The absolute densities measured on the phase-contrast synchrotron-based X-ray computed tomography images correlated well with the densities of the nuclear chromatin in the histological images, thereby demonstrating the ability of phase-contrast synchrotron-based X-ray imaging using an X-ray interferometer to reliably identify the characteristics of cancer cells within solid soft tissue tumors. In addition, 3-dimensional synchrotron-based phase-contrast X-ray computed tomography enables screening for different structures within tumors, such as solid, cystic, and fibrous tissues, and blood clots, from any direction and with a spatial resolution down to 26 μm. Thus, phase-contrast synchrotron-based X-ray imaging using an X-ray interferometer shows potential for being useful in preclinical cancer research by providing the ability to depict the characteristics of tumor cells and by offering 3-dimensional information capabilities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2971
Author(s):  
Siwei Tao ◽  
Congxiao He ◽  
Xiang Hao ◽  
Cuifang Kuang ◽  
Xu Liu

Numerous advances have been made in X-ray technology in recent years. X-ray imaging plays an important role in the nondestructive exploration of the internal structures of objects. However, the contrast of X-ray absorption images remains low, especially for materials with low atomic numbers, such as biological samples. X-ray phase-contrast images have an intrinsically higher contrast than absorption images. In this review, the principles, milestones, and recent progress of X-ray phase-contrast imaging methods are demonstrated. In addition, prospective applications are presented.


2009 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 156-160
Author(s):  
N. N. Blinov ◽  
A. Yu. Vasil’ev ◽  
N. S. Serova ◽  
A. Yu. Gryaznov ◽  
N. N. Potrakhov
Keyword(s):  
X Ray ◽  

2012 ◽  
Vol 204 (5) ◽  
pp. 631-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyssa A. Appel ◽  
Cheng-Ying Chou ◽  
Howard P. Greisler ◽  
Jeffery C. Larson ◽  
Sunil Vasireddi ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 600-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianbo Jian ◽  
Hao Yang ◽  
Xinyan Zhao ◽  
Ruijiao Xuan ◽  
Yujie Zhang ◽  
...  

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.


2013 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 416-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin A. Miller ◽  
Timothy A. White ◽  
Benjamin S. McDonald ◽  
Allen Seifert

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuhua Li ◽  
John Rong ◽  
Robert Y. L. Chu ◽  
Da Zhang ◽  
Ann Archer ◽  
...  

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