First Point-Spread Function and X-Ray Phase-Contrast Imaging Results With an 88-mm Diameter Single Crystal

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the use of a large 88-mm single crystal in x-ray phase contrast imaging, achieving a fourfold improvement in point-spread function over traditional phosphors, with initial promising imaging results.

Contribution

It introduces the first application of an 88-mm single crystal in x-ray phase contrast imaging, showing enhanced resolution and system performance.

Findings

Four times smaller system PSF with single crystal scintillators

Successful imaging with large 88-mm crystal bonded to fiber optic plate

Quantified PSF and phase contrast imaging data

Abstract

In this study, we report initial demonstrations of the use of single crystals in indirect x-ray imaging with a benchtop implementation of propagation-based (PB) x-ray phase contrast imaging. Based on single Gaussian peak fits to the x-ray images, we observed a four times smaller system point-spread function (PSF) with the 50-{\mu}m thick single crystal scintillators than with the reference polycrystalline phosphor/scintillator. Fiber-optic plate depth-of-focus and Al reflective-coating aspects are also elucidated. Guided by the results from the 25-mm diameter crystal samples, we report additionally the first results with a unique 88-mm diameter single crystal bonded to a fiber optic plate and coupled to the large format CCD. Both PSF and x-ray phase contrast imaging data are quantified and presented.