Virtual grating approach for Monte Carlo simulations of edge illumination-based x-ray phase contrast imaging

TL;DR

This paper introduces a virtual grating method that enables flexible and faster Monte Carlo simulations for edge illumination-based x-ray phase contrast imaging by allowing post-simulation parameter adjustments.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel virtual grating approach that reduces simulation time and allows for post-simulation parameter tuning in x-ray phase contrast imaging.

Findings

Virtual grating method significantly reduces simulation time.

Validated by comparison with explicit grating simulations.

Effective for various grating parameters in imaging setups.

Abstract

The design of new x-ray phase contrast imaging setups often relies on Monte Carlo simulations for prospective parameter studies. Monte Carlo simulations are known to be accurate but time consuming, leading to long simulation times, especially when many parameter variations are required. This is certainly the case for imaging methods relying on absorbing masks or gratings, with various tunable properties, such as pitch, aperture size, and thickness. In this work, we present the virtual grating approach to overcome this limitation. By replacing the gratings in the simulation with virtual gratings, the parameters of the gratings can be changed after the simulation, thereby significantly reducing the overall simulation time. The method is validated by comparison to explicit grating simulations, followed by representative demonstration cases.