Quick X-ray microtomography using a laser-driven betatron source

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates rapid microtomography of human bone using a laser-driven betatron X-ray source, achieving high-quality images in minutes, significantly advancing the practical application potential of laser-plasma X-ray technology.

Contribution

It introduces a fast, high-quality microtomography method using a laser-driven betatron source, reducing acquisition time by over tenfold compared to previous studies.

Findings

Achieved microtomography of human bone in minutes

Reduced data acquisition time by over an order of magnitude

Enhanced image quality with statistical iterative reconstruction

Abstract

Laser-driven X-ray sources are an emerging alternative to conventional X-ray tubes and synchrotron sources. We present results on microtomographic X-ray imaging of a cancellous human bone sample using synchrotron-like betatron radiation. The source is driven by a 100-TW-class titanium-sapphire laser system and delivers over $10^8$ X-ray photons per second. Compared to earlier studies, the acquisition time for an entire tomographic dataset has been reduced by more than an order of magnitude. Additionally, the reconstruction quality benefits from the use of statistical iterative reconstruction techniques. Depending on the desired resolution, tomographies are thereby acquired within minutes, which is an important milestone towards real-life applications of laser-plasma X-ray sources.