Contrast sensitivity in 14 MeV fast neutron radiography

Fast neutron radiography(FNR) is an effective non-destructive testing technique.Due to the scattering effect and low detection efficiency,the detection limit of FNR under certain conditions cannot be determined.In order to obtain the minimum detectable thickness by FNR,we studied the contrast sensitivity of FNR lead samples,both theoretically and experimentally.We then clarified the relationship between pixel value and irradiation time,and sample materials and thickness.Our experiment,using a4-cm-thick lead sample,verified our theoretical expression of FNR contrast sensitivity.

A new method of detecting interferogram in differential phase-contrast imaging system based on special structured x-ray scintillator screen

An x-ray scintillator screen with a special structure, functioning as detector and analyser grating, was proposed for collecting the interferogram of differential phase contrast imaging without absorption grating and difficulty of fabrication by a state of the art technique. On the basis of phase grating diffraction, a detecting model of the scintillator screen was built for analysing the phase and absorption information of objects. According to the analysis, a new method of phase retrievals based on two-images and the optimal structure of screen were presented.

Monte Carlo simulation for bremsstrahlung and photoneutron yields in high-energy x-ray radiography

This paper reports on the results of calculations using a Monte Carlo code （MCNP5） to study the properties of photons, electrons and photoneutrons obtained in the converted target and their transportations in x-ray radiography. A comparison between measurements and calculations for bremsstrahlung and photoneutrons is presented. The radiographic rule and the effect of the collimator on the image are studied with the experimental model. The results provide exact parameters for the optimal design of radiographic layout and shielding systems.

A new method for information retrieval in two-dimensional grating-based X-ray phase contrast imaging

Grating-based X-ray phase contrast imaging has been demonstrated to he an extremely powerful phase-sensitive imaging technique. By using two-dimensional （2D） gratings, the observable contrast is extended to two refraction directions. Recently, we have developed a novel reverse-projection （RP） method, which is capable of retrieving the object information efficiently with one-dimensional （1D） grating-based phase contrast imaging. In this contribution, we present its extension to the 2D grating-based X-ray phase contrast imaging, named the two-dimensional reverse- projection （2D-RP） method, for information retrieval. The method takes into account the nonlinear contributions of two refraction directions and allows the retrieval of the absorption, the horizontal and the vertical refraction images. The obtained information can be used for the reconstruction of the three-dimensionak phase gradient field, and for an improved phase map retrieval and reconstruction. Numerical experiments are carried out, and the results confirm the validity of the 2D-RP method.

Flash X-ray radiography technique to study the high velocity impact of soft projectile on E-glass/epoxy composite material

In the present paper, the high velocity impact of 9 mm soft lead projectile on 10 mm and 30 mm thick Eglass/epoxy composites was studied using a 450 kV Flash X-ray radiography(FXR) system. The basic parameters of FXR imaging, such as effect of ratio of target to film(TF) and source to target(ST) distances and X-ray penetration thickness of the composite material were optimized based on clarity and the actual dimensions of the objects. The optimized parameters were used in the FXR imaging of the ballistic event of 9 mm soft projectile on E-glass/epoxy composite. The real time deformation patterns of both the projectile and composite target during the ballistic impact were captured and studied at different time intervals. The notable failure modes of the 10 mm thick target with time include fibre breakage, bulging on the back side, delamination, recovery of the bulging, reverse bulging and its recovery. However, with increase in thickness of the target to 30 mm the only failure mechanism observed is the breaking of fibres. The ballistic impact event was also numerically simulated using commercially available LS-DYNA software. The numerically simulated deformation patterns of the projectile and target at different time intervals are closely matching with the corresponding radiographic images.

Simple phase extraction in x-ray differential phase contrast imaging

A fast and simple method to extract phase-contrast images from interferograms is proposed, and its effectiveness is demonstrated through simulation and experiment. For x-ray differential phase contrast imaging, a strong attenuation signal acts as an overwhelming background intensity that obscures the weak phase signal so that no obvious phase-gradient information is detectable in the raw image. By subtracting one interferogram from another, chosen at particular intervals,the phase signal can be isolated and magnified.

Low Energy Plasma Focus as an Intense X-ray Source for Radiography

Study on X-ray emission from a low energy (1.8 kJ) plasma focus devicepowered by a 9 μF capacitor bank, charged at 20 kV and giving peak discharge current of about 175kA by using a lead-inserted copper-tapered anode is reported. The X-ray yield in different energywindows is measured as a function of hydrogen filling pressure. The maximum yield in 4π-geometry isfound to be (27.3+-1.1) J and corresponding wall plug efficiency for X-ray generation is 1.52+-0.06%. X-ray emission, presumably due to bombarding activity of electrons in current sheath at theanode tip was dominant, which is confirmed by the pinhole images. The feasibility of the device asan intense X-ray source for radiography is demonstrated.

Single-shot grating-based x-ray differential phase contrast imaging with a modified analyzer grating

X-ray grating interferometer has attracted widely attention in the past years due to its capability in achieving x-ray phase contrast imaging with low brilliance source. However, the widely used phase stepping information extraction method reduces system stability and prolongs data acquisition time by several times compared with conventional x-ray absorption- based imaging. The mechanical stepping can be avoided by using a staggered grating, but at the cost of low vertical spatial resolution. In this paper, employing a modified staggered grating and the angular signal radiography, we proposed a single-shot grating-based x-ray differential phase contrast imaging with decent vertical spatial resolution. The theoretical framework was deduced and proved by numerical experiments. Absorption, phase, and scattering computed tomography can be performed without phase stepping. Therefore, we believe this fast and highly stable imaging method with decent resolution would be widely applied in x-ray grating-based phase contrast imaging.

Influence of tube voltage and current on in-line phase contrast imaging using a microfocus x-ray source

In-line x-ray phase contrast imaging has attracted much attention due to two major advantages： its effectiveness in imaging weakly absorbing materials, and the simplicity of its facilities. In this paper a comprehensive theory based on Wigner distribution developed by Wu and Liu [Med. Phys. 31 2378-2384 （2004）] is reviewed. The influence of x-ray source and detector on the image is discussed. Experiments using a microfocus x-ray source and a CCD detector are conducted, which show the role of two key factors on imaging： the tube voltage and tube current. High tube current and moderate tube voltage are suggested for imaging.

X-Pinches as Broadband Sources of X-Rays for Radiography

Two methods of using the X-pinch as a source of X-ray radiation for radiography of biological objects are presented. X-pinches are found to be a very flexible method for generation of radiation over a wide spectral range and provide a high spatial and temporal resolution.

Role of contrast-enhanced serial/spot abdominal X-rays in perioperative follow-up of patients undergoing abdominal surgery:An observational clinical study

BACKGROUND Many imaging methods such as ultrasonography,computed tomography(CT),magnetic resonance imaging,and endoscopy are used to identify the problems or complications that occur in the perioperative period and to determine the appropriate therapeutic approach.Specialists at surgical clinics and intensive care units sometimes need diagnostic procedures that can give quick results or reveal unexpected results.In particular,rapid on-site evaluation of patients followed under intensive care conditions has several advantages.AIM To determine the problems developing in patients in the perioperative period by contrast-enhanced abdominal X-ray(CE-AXR),revealing their current status or defining the effectiveness of CE-AXR.METHODS The files of the patients who underwent hepatopancreatobiliary or upper gastrointestinal surgery,whose CE-AXR film was taken,were reviewed retrospectively.Abdominal X-ray radiographs taken after ingestion of a watersoluble contrast agent(iohexol,300 mg,50 cc vial)and its application in a drain,nasogastric tube,or stent were evaluated.The contribution of the data obtained in patients who underwent CE-AXR to the diagnosis,follow-up,and treatment processes and the effectiveness of the application were investigated.RESULTS CE-AXR was applied to 131 patients in our clinic,most of whom underwent hepatopancreatobiliary or upper gastrointestinal surgery.It was determined that the data obtained from CE-AXR films taken in 98(74.8%)of the patients contributed to the diagnosis,treatment,and follow-up expectations and positively affected the clinical processes.CONCLUSION CE-AXR is a simple procedure that can be applied anywhere,especially in intensive care patients and at bedside,with a portable X-ray device.The simplicity of the procedure,less radiation exposure for the patients,less time wastage,reduction in the CT and endoscopy procedure burden and costs,quick results,rapid assessment of the situation,and enabling the monitoring of processes with repetitive procedures are important advantages.X-rays taken will be useful in terms of being a reference value during the follow-up period of the patient and determining the situation in medicolegal processes.

Shifting curves based on the detector integration effect for x-ray phase contrast imaging

In theory, we find that the actual function of the analyzer grating in the Talbot–Lau interferometer is segmenting the self-images of the phase grating and choosing integral areas, which make sure that each period of self-images in one detector pixel contributes the same signal to the detector. Furthermore, in the case of the lack of an analyzer grating, the shifting curves are still existent in theory as long as the number of fringes is non-integral in a detector pixel, which is a sufficient condition for creating shifting curve. The sufficient condition is available for not only the Talbot–Lau interferometer and the inverse geometry of Talbot–Lau interferometer, but also the x-ray phase contrast imaging system based on geometrical optics. In practical applications, we propose a method to improve the performances of the existing systems by employing the sufficient condition. This method can shorten the system length, is applicable to large period gratings, and can use the detectors with large pixels and large field of view. In addition, the experimental arrangement can be simplified due to the lack of an analyzer grating. In order to improve detection sensitivity and resolution, we also give an optimal fringe period.We believe that the theory and method proposed here is a step forward for x-ray phase contrast imaging.

Theory and verification of moiréfringes for x-ray three-phase grating interferometer

Dual-phase and three-phase grating x-ray interference is a promising new technique for grating-based x-ray differential phase contrast imaging.Dual-phase grating interferometers have been relatively completely studied and discussed.In this paper,the corresponding imaging fringe formula of the three-phase grating interferometer is provided.At the same time,the similarities and differences between the three-phase grating interferometer and the dual-phase grating interferometer are investigated and verified,and that the three-phase grating interferometer can produce large-period moiréfringes without using the analyzing grating is demonstrated experimentally.Finally,a simple method of designing three-phase grating and multi-grating imaging systems from geometric optics based on the thin-lens theory of gratings is presented.These theoretical formulas and experimental results provide optimization tools for designing three-phase grating interferometer systems.

Research on the Influence of X-ray Phase Contrast Imaging Parameters with Micro-focus Source

X-ray in-line phase contrast imaging enables weakly to absorb specimens to be imaged successfully with high resolution and definition. In this paper we use computer simulation method to analyze how each parameter influences the quality of the image. It can avoid wasting unnecessary time and materials in the course of experiment to get ideal images.

Radiography Image Classification Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks

Research has shown that chest radiography images of patients with different diseases, such as pneumonia, COVID-19, SARS, pneumothorax, etc., all exhibit some form of abnormality. Several deep learning techniques can be used to identify each of these anomalies in the chest x-ray images. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have shown great success in the fields of image recognition and image classification since there are numerous large-scale annotated image datasets available. The classification of medical images, particularly radiographic images, remains one of the biggest hurdles in medical diagnosis because of the restricted availability of annotated medical images. However, such difficulty can be solved by utilizing several deep learning strategies, including data augmentation and transfer learning. The aim was to build a model that would detect abnormalities in chest x-ray images with the highest probability. To do that, different models were built with different features. While making a CNN model, one of the main tasks is to tune the model by changing the hyperparameters and layers so that the model gives out good training and testing results. In our case, three different models were built, and finally, the last one gave out the best-predicted results. From that last model, we got 98% training accuracy, 84% validation, and 81% testing accuracy. The reason behind the final model giving out the best evaluation scores is that it was a well-fitted model. There was no overfitting or underfitting issues. Our aim with this project was to make a tool using the CNN model in R language, which will help detect abnormalities in radiography images. The tool will be able to detect diseases such as Pneumonia, Covid-19, Effusions, Infiltration, Pneumothorax, and others. Because of its high accuracy, this research chose to use supervised multi-class classification techniques as well as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to classify different chest x-ray images. CNNs are extremely efficient and successful at reducing the number of parameters while maintaining the quality of the primary model. CNNs are also trained to recognize the edges of various objects in any batch of images. CNNs automatically discover the relevant aspects in labeled data and learn the distinguishing features for each class by themselves.

In situ study on columnar-equiaxed transition and anaxial columnar dendrite growth of Al-15%Cu alloy by synchrotron radiography

Directional solidification of Al-15% （mass fraction） Cu alloy was investigated by in situ and real time radiography which was performed by Shanghai synchrotron radiation facility （SSRF）. The imaging results reveal that columnar to equiaxed transition （CET） is provoked by external thermal disturbance. The detaching and floating of fragments of dendrite arms are the prelude of the transition when the solute boundary layer in front of the solid-liquid interface is thin. And the dendrite triangular tip is the fracture sensitive zone. When the conditions are suitable, new dendrites can sprout and grow up. This kind of dendrite has no obvious stem and is named anaxial columnar dendrites.

Methodology development and application of X-ray imaging beamline at SSRF

This paper introduces some latest developments regarding the X-ray imaging methodology and applications of the X-ray imaging and biomedical application beamline(BL13W1)at Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility in the past 5 years.The photon energy range of the beamline is 8–72.5 keV.Several sets of X-ray imaging detectors with different pixel sizes(0.19–24 lm)are used to realize X-ray microcomputed tomography(X-ray micro-CT)and X-ray in-line phase-contrast imaging.To satisfy the requirements of user experiments,new X-ray imaging methods and image processing techniques are developed.In vivo dynamic micro-CT experiments with living insects are performed in 0.5 s(sampling rate of 2 Hz,2 tomograms/s)with a monochromatic beam from a wiggler source and in 40 ms(sampling rate of 25 Hz,25 tomograms/s)with a white beam from a bending magnet source.A new X-ray imaging method known as move contrast X-ray imaging is proposed,with which blood flow and moving tissues in raw images can be distinguished according to their moving frequencies in the time domain.Furthermore,X-ray speckle-tracking imaging with twice exposures to eliminate the edge enhancement effect is developed.A high-precision quantification method is realized to measure complex three-dimensional blood vessels obtained via X-ray micro-CT.X-ray imaging methods such as three-dimensional X-ray diffraction microscopy,small-angle X-ray scattering CT,and X-ray fluorescence CT are developed,in which the X-ray micro-CT imaging method is combined with other contrast mechanisms such as diffraction,scattering,and fluorescence contrasts respectively.Moreover,an X-ray nano-CT experiment is performed with a 100 nm spatial resolution.Typical user experimental results from the fields of material science,biomedicine,paleontology,physics,chemistry,and environmental science obtained on the beamline are provided.

Quantitative coherence analysis of dual phase grating x-ray interferometry with source grating

Dual phase grating x-ray interferometry is compatible with common imaging detectors,and abandons the use of an absorption analyzer grating to reduce the radiation dose.When using x-ray tubes,an absorbing source grating must be introduced into the dual phase grating interferometer.In order to attain a high fringe visibility,in this work we conduct a quantitative coherence analysis of dual phase grating interferometry to find how the source grating affects the fringe visibility.Theoretical analysis shows that with the generalized Lau condition satisfied,the fringe visibility is influenced by the duty cycle of the source grating and the transmission through the grating bar.And the influence of the source grating profile on the fringe visibility is independent of the phase grating type.Numerical results illustrate that the maximum achievable fringe visibility decreases significantly with increasing transmission in the grating bar.Under a given transmission,one can always find an optimal duty cycle to maximize the fringe visibility.These results can be used as general guidelines for designing and optimizing dual phase grating x-ray interferometers for potential applications.

Correlation of the CT values of abdominal aorta,renal artery and renal cortex with its thickness on 64-MDCT contrast enhanced imagesCorrelation of the CT values of abdominal aorta,renal artery and renal cortex with its thickness on 64-MDCT contrast enhance

Objective:To investigate the correlation of abdominal aorta CT value,renal artery CT value and renal cortex thickness with renal cortex CT value on contrast enhanced 64-slice CT images.Methods:96patients(50 men and 46women;16~74years)with normal kidney function,which was confirmed by kidney function test were enrolled in this study,including bilateral kidneys of 92cases and unilateral kidney of 4cases(total of 188kidneys;92left,96right).After intravenous(IV)injection of contrast agent the kidneys of the selected patients were scanned by MDCT.The scans were performed in arterial,venous and 3min delayed phases.All statistical analyses were performed by using IBM SPSS 20.0.Graphs were generated using Graph Pad Prism 5software.Quantitative data were presented as mean±standard deviation,while qualitative data were presented as frequency(%).P<0.05was considered to be statistically significant.Results:The mean renal cortex thickness was(5.19±0.81)mm in all kidneys.In the arterial phase,a statistically significant positive correlation between renal cortex CT values and abdominal aortic CT values was showed(r=0.584;P<0.001).A statistically significant positive correlation between renal cortex CT values and renal cortex thickness was demonstrated(r=0.533,P<0.0001).Likewise,there was a positive correlation between renal cortex CT value and renal artery CT values(r=0.43,P<0.001).Conclusion:It is a promising approach to assess the individual kidney function by measuring abdominal aorta CT value,renal artery CT value,renal cortex CT value and renal cortex thickness using contrast MDCT.

Simulation study on characteristics of information extraction in multiple-image radiography

Simulation experiments were performed to investigate the characteristics of information extraction in multiple-image radiography(MIR) based on geometrical optics approximation. Different Poisson noise levels were added to the simulation, and the results show that Poisson noise deteriorates the extraction results, with the degree of refraction > USAXS > absorption. The effects of Poisson noise are negligible when the detector's photon counts are about 1000 ph/pixel. A wider sampling range allows more accurate extraction results, but a narrower sampling range has a better signal-to-noise ratio for high Poisson noise levels, e.g., PN(10). The sampling interval can be suitably increased with a minor impact on the extraction results for low Poisson noise levels(PN(10000)). The extraction results are incomplete because a portion of the samplerocking curve is beyond the sampling range. This induces artifacts in the images, especially for strong refraction and USAXS signals. The artifacts are not obvious when the refraction angle and standard deviation of the USAXS are smaller than the sampling range by an order of magnitude.In general, the absorption barely affects the extraction results. However, additional Poisson noise will be generated when the sample is made of high-Z elements or has a large size due to the strong absorption. Here, the extraction results will deteriorate, and additional exposure time is required. This simulation provides important details on practical applications of MIR, with improvements in information extraction.