Figure 1.
Schematic overview of the experimental setup.
(A+B) Schematic drawing and photograph of the talbot interferometer set-up at the synchrotron beamline ID19, ESRF, France. Monochromatic, coherent X-rays travel through the sample and phase distortions are evaluated by a phase grating and an analyzer grating located in between sample and detector.
(C+D) Schematic drawing and photograph of the talbot-Lau interferometer set-up used in the laboratory. X-rays originating from a conventional X-ray tube are primed by passing through an additional source grating. The remaining se-tup is analogous to Figure 1A+1B. The red arrow indicates the beam direction.
Figure 2.
Three-dimensional renderings of the phase contrast tomographic data sets.
(A) Near-normal carotid artery imaged at the synchrotron beamline ID19, ESRF, France. Due to the high resolution of the images and the excellent soft tissue contrast, several vasa vasorum can be identified without the use of contrast dye. (B) Atherosclerotic lesion imaged at the laboratory (Images were rendered using VGStudioMax 2.1, Volume Graphics, Heidelberg, Germany)..
Figure 3.
Comparison of PC-CT images recorded at synchrotron and laboratory sources.
(A) Axial reconstructed PCI slice from the conventional X-ray tube of the common carotid artery with a large atherosclerotic plaque. The chevron points to a large lipid-rich necrotic core covered by a fibrous cap;.
(B) Axial reconstructed PCI slice from the synchrotron facility of the distal external carotid artery with moderate intimal thickening; the arrow points at a detachment of the intimal layer.
(C) and (D) corresponding histology sections (PCI = Phase Contrast Imaging; Length of the scale bar = 2 mm).
Figure 4.
Comparison of PC-CT images and absorption CT images obtained with a conventional X-ray tube; and corresponding histology sections.
(A) Axial reconstructed PC-CT slice from the conventional X-ray tube, (B) axial reconstructed CT slice from the conventional X-ray tube, (C) and (D) corresponding histology sections. This atherosclerotic lesion shows a large lipid-rich necrotic core and a relatively thin fibrous cap. The arrows point to the fibrous cap (FC), the lipid-rich necrotic core (NC) and an area of calcification (CA). Several other calcifications are seen in this specimen (PC-CT = Phase Contrast Computed Tomography; CT = Computed Tomography, Length of the scale bar = 2 mm).