Post‐reconstruction 3D single‐distance phase retrieval for multi‐stage phase‐contrast tomography with photon‐counting detectors. (11th February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Brun, Francesco; Brombal, Luca; Di Trapani, Vittorio; Delogu, Pasquale; Donato, Sandro; Dreossi, Diego; Rigon, Luigi; Longo, Renata
• Is Part Of: Journal of synchrotron radiation. Volume 26:Part 2(2019)
• Page Start: 510
• Page End: 516
• Publication Date: 2019-02-11
• Subjects: X‐ray phase contrast -- computed tomography -- single‐distance phase retrieval -- photon‐counting detectors -- image artifacts; Synchrotron radiation -- Periodicals; Free electron lasers -- Periodicals; 539.73505
• DOI: 10.1107/S1600577519000237
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0909-0495

Abstract

Abstract : A 3D version of single‐distance phase retrieval applied to propagation‐based phase‐contrast computed tomography performed with photon‐counting detectors is shown to compensate for multi‐stage artifacts. Abstract : In the case of single‐distance propagation‐based phase‐contrast X‐ray computed tomography with synchrotron radiation, the conventional reconstruction pipeline includes an independent 2D phase retrieval filtering of each acquired projection prior to the actual reconstruction. In order to compensate for the limited height of the X‐ray beam or the small sensitive area of most modern X‐ray photon‐counting detectors, it is quite common to image large objects with a multi‐stage approach, i.e. several acquisitions at different vertical positions of the sample. In this context, the conventional reconstruction pipeline may introduce artifacts at the margins of each vertical stage. This article presents a modified computational protocol where a post‐reconstruction 3D volume phase retrieval is applied. By comparing the conventional 2D and the proposed 3D reconstructions of a large mastectomy specimen (9 cm in diameter and 3 cm in height), it is here shown that the 3D approach compensates for the multi‐stage artifacts, it avoids refined projection stitching, and the image quality in terms of spatial resolution, contrast and contrast‐to‐noise ratio is preserved.