Breakthrough in X-ray phase contrast imaging research in China

Medical CT technology is expected to achieve a new leap Recently, the reporter learned from the University of Science and Technology of China that the Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility led by Wu Ziyu, a researcher of the university, and the Hefei National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory have jointly established an imaging research group that has made major breakthroughs in the field of X-ray phase contrast imaging research. The research results overcome the obstacles of X-ray phase contrast imaging using medical X-ray CT technology and lay a foundation for the development of faster, more sensitive, and safer X-ray phase CT technology. Experts predict that the birth of this new technology will lead to a new X-ray phase CT industry.

For more than 100 years since the discovery of x-rays in Roentgen, the traditional absorption-based X-ray imaging technology has been widely used in clinical diagnostics, biology, materials science, information science, security inspections, and inspections of many industrial products. X-ray CT is closely related to the life and health of each of us. However, conventional X-ray imaging technology is sensitive to heavy-element-based objects (such as bones, metals, etc.) and can obtain clear images, while light-element-based biological soft tissues (such as early tumors, blood vessels), and polymers Materials (such as porous plastic, carbon fiber, high polymer) can only get blurred images. In contrast, the X-ray phase contrast imaging developed in the last decade has obvious advantages, and can obtain high-definition (contrast) images of light-element-constructed biological soft tissues. However, due to the cumbersome imaging methods, long imaging time, and high radiation dose, it is not suitable for imaging requirements of biomedical samples, and it is difficult to combine with currently widely used medical X-ray CT technology. Therefore, X-ray phase contrast imaging technology Promotion and application encountered a bottleneck.

The joint imaging research team headed by Wu Ziyu aimed to popularize the application of X-ray phase contrast imaging to human health and use the principle that X-rays have the same incidence at the front and the opposite incidence and refraction angles are opposite. This study proposes to overcome this problem. Program. In order to verify the feasibility of this research scheme, researchers have cooperated with the X-ray imaging experts of the University of Tokyo and Switzerland in synchrotron light sources, and conducted a series of experimental studies on mouse joints, brain and other soft tissues, and obtained fully affirmative experiments. result. The new method has the characteristics of simple, rapid, low radiation dose (radiation dose at least reduced by 50%) and can be combined with existing medical X-ray CT technology to form a new technique of X-ray phase CT with simple operation and low radiation dose.

The research results are published in the recently published international academic journal U.S. National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The reviewers hailed it as "a major breakthrough in X-ray imaging research in the past 20 years." After the publication of this achievement, it immediately attracted the attention of international counterparts. At the 10th International Conference on X-ray Microscopy held in Chicago, USA in mid-August this year, the special invited report by Wu Ziyu was obtained by many internationally renowned X-ray imaging experts. Highly appraised and agreed that the results have a huge application prospect.