High-energy X-ray phase-contrast CT of an adult human chest phantom

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the feasibility of high-energy propagation-based phase-contrast CT for adult human lung imaging using a synchrotron, highlighting optimal imaging parameters and potential clinical applications.

Contribution

First investigation of high-energy phase-contrast CT for adult lung imaging at a synchrotron, validating the technique with an anthropomorphic phantom at energies up to 80 keV.

Findings

Strong phase-contrast fringes observed at high energies with photon-counting detector

Optimal imaging at around 70 keV and 7.5 m propagation distance

Phantom measurements aligned with soft tissue phase-shifting properties

Abstract

Propagation-based phase-contrast X-ray imaging is a promising technique for in~vivo medical imaging, offering lower radiation doses than traditional attenuation-based imaging. Previous studies have focused on X-ray energies below 50 keV for small-animal imaging and mammography. Here, we investigate the feasibility of high-energy propagation-based computed tomography for human adult-scale lung imaging at the Australian Synchrotron's Imaging and Medical Beamline. This facility is uniquely positioned for human lung imaging, offering a large field of view, high X-ray energies, and supporting clinical infrastructure. We imaged an anthropomorphic chest phantom (LungMan) between 50 keV and 80 keV across the range of possible sample-to-detector distances, with a photon-counting and an integrating detector. Strong phase-contrast fringes were observed with the photon-counting detector, even at high X-ray energies and a large pixel size relative to previous work, whereas the integrating detector with lower spatial resolution showed no clear phase effects. Measured X-ray phase-shifting properties of LungMan aligned well with reference soft tissue values, validating the phantom for phase-contrast studies. Imaging quality assessments suggest an optimal configuration at approximately 70 keV and the longest available propagation distance of 7.5 m, indicating potential benefit in positioning the patient in an upstream hutch. This study represents the first step towards clinical adult lung imaging at the Australian Synchrotron.