Daisuke Shimao

Attempt at Visualizing Breast Cancer with X-ray Dark Field Imaging

X-ray dark-field imaging (DFI) can clearly visualize breast cancer phantoms and cancer cell nests, stroma, fat tissue, ductus lactiferi, muscle, collagen fibers at stroma and calcification in a 2.8-mm-thick breast cancer pathological specimen. The system comprises a Bragg asymmetric-cut monochro-collimator and a 2.124-mm-thick Si 440 Laue diffraction analyzer at 35 keV. Both optical elements are Floating Zone made silicon crystals. The view size of 33 mm (H) ×19.5 mm (V) and the spatial resolution of 10 µm or better are obtainable at the vertical wiggler beamline BL14B at the Photon Factory.

Imaging of Ligament and Articular Cartilage Due to Refraction-Contrast Using a Laue Geometry Analyzer Crystal

The ligament structures, its torn surface and articular cartilage of a sliced human joint specimen, which could not be detected by absorption contrast, were depicted clearly by refraction-contrast imaging using a Laue geometry analyzer crystal. The image was recorded on a mammography film without an intensifying screen at an incident X-ray energy of 15 keV. This technique will significantly improve clinical joint imaging as the morphological information of the ligament and that of the articular cartilage are offered simultaneously.

Refraction-Enhanced Tomosynthesis of a Finger Joint by X-Ray Dark-Field Imaging

A finger joint tomogram based on X-ray dark-field imaging (XDFI) was demonstrated using the simplest shift-and-add tomosynthesis algorithm. Raw XDFI image data for tomosynthesis were acquired in a total of 11 views through 10°, in increments of 1°, by rotating the object and detector synchronously. Incident X-ray energy was monochromatic 36.0 keV, derived from synchrotron radiation. The total dosage in acquiring 11 views for raw image data was equivalent to that of one XDFI image. A clear tomogram was obtained of a finger joint (including articular cartilage, which is invisible by conventional tomosynthesis) without an increase in X-ray dosage.

Construction of X-ray Dark-Field Imaging with a View Size of 80 mm Square and First Visualization of Human Articular Cartilage of Femoral Head under a Nearly Clinical Condition

Field size of 80 mm ×80 mm for X-ray dark-field (DFI) imaging at 35 keV using a 2.16-mm-thick 440 Laue diffraction analyzer has been achieved. Under this condition, only refracted X-rays from sample can transmit through this filter to form DFI while the beam that has not changed its direction is repelled to the diffraction direction. Its spatial resolution is 10 microns or better. An excised human femoral head in a water-filled vinyl bag simulating a clinical condition shows a high-contrast and high-spatial-resolution articular cartilage that has not been visualized by X-ray technique

Application of synchrotron X-ray imaging to phase objects in orthopedics

Novel imaging of the fine structures of the ribs of a pig and a specimen of human osteosarcoma utilizing the spatial coherence of X-rays was successfully performed with an incident X-ray energy of 30 keV at SPring-8, Japan. The image contrast appearing at the periphery of trabecular bone, small calcifications and small fractures is caused by the phase shift of the X-rays at the boundary of these objects that have different X-ray refractive indices. The image is recorded on mammography film without an intensifying screen. Comparison of the image contrast using different sample-to-film distances, Z, such as Z = 5 m and Z approximately 0 m, showed that the former images were always more informative, i.e. better in resolution and/or image contrast when imaging trabecular bone, bone marrow and small fractures in compact bone, and for imaging cartilage. Radiography using synchrotron X-rays for phase objects should be a powerful tool for diagnosis in orthopedics, especially for bone disease.

Refraction-based 2D, 2.5D and 3D medical imaging: Stepping forward to a clinical trial

An attempt at refraction-based 2D, 2.5D and 3D X-ray imaging of articular cartilage and breast carcinoma is reported. We are developing very high contrast X-ray 2D imaging with XDFI (X-ray dark-field imaging), X-ray CT whose data are acquired by DEI (diffraction-enhanced imaging) and tomosynthesis due to refraction contrast. 2D and 2.5D images were taken with nuclear plates or with X-ray films. Microcalcification of breast cancer and articular cartilage are clearly visible. 3D data were taken with an X-ray sensitive CCD camera. The 3D image was successfully reconstructed by the use of an algorithm newly made by our group. This shows a distinctive internal structure of a ductus lactiferi (milk duct) that contains inner wall, intraductal carcinoma and multifocal calcification in the necrotic core of the continuous DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ). Furthermore consideration of clinical applications of these contrasts made us to try tomosynthesis. This attempt was satisfactory from the view point of articular cartilage image quality and the skin radiation dose.

First Application of X-ray Refraction-based Computed Tomography to a Biomedical Object

Abstract We have developed X-ray refraction-based computed tomography (CT) that is able to visualize soft tissue in between hard tissue. The experimental system consists of Si(220) diffraction double-crystals and is called the DEI (diffraction-enhanced imaging) method, in which the object is located between the crystals and a CCD camera to acquire data as 360 X-ray images. The X-ray energy used was 17.5 keV. The algorithm used to reconstruct CT images was developed by A. Maksimenko and colleagues. We successfully visualized articular cartilage and the distribution of bone marrow, which are inner structures. Our method has much higher contrast compared to the conventional absorption-based CT system.

Shift-and-add tomosynthesis of a finger joint by X-ray dark-field imaging: difference due to tomographic angle.

A tomogram of a finger joint showing articular cartilage was generated based on X-ray dark-field imaging (XDFI) using the shift-and-add tomosynthesis algorithm. The experiment was performed at beamline 14B of the Photon Factory in Tsukuba, Japan, using synchrotron X-rays from a vertical wiggler. The incident X-ray energy was 36.0 keV. The X-ray optics for XDFI comprised two Si crystals: an asymmetric cut Si (220) monochromator-collimator and a 1.1-mm thick Si (220) Laue-case analyzer. The object was an intact cadaveric proximal interphalangeal joint fixed in formalin. Raw projection data were acquired by XDFI in a total of 41 views through an angle of 20 degrees in 0.5 degrees increments. The object and detector were synchronously rotated such that the fulcrum plane in the object and detector plane remained parallel. The X-ray dose for one piece of raw projection data was set to one-eleventh of that for one standard projection image by XDFI. Eleven views through an angle of 10 degrees in increments of 1 degrees of all 41 appropriately shifted raw projection data were added to produce arbitrary tomograms parallel to the fulcrum plane. We obtained a clear tomogram of the finger joint including the articular cartilage with the moderate artifact peculiar to tomosynthesis. Consequently, arbitrary tomograms can be obtained for the same X-ray dose as that received for one standard projection image by XDFI. The fact that an inner structure such as articular cartilage, which is invisible to conventional X-ray imaging methods, has been visualized on a tomogram with preserved refraction-enhanced contrast, is of considerable significance to clinical medicine.

X-ray dark field imaging of human articular cartilage: Possible clinical application to orthopedic surgery

Despite its convenience and non-invasiveness on daily clinical use, standard X-ray radiography cannot show articular cartilage. We developed a novel type of X-ray dark field imaging (DFI), which forms images only by a refracted beam with very low background illumination. We examined a disarticulated distal femur and a shoulder joint with surrounding soft tissue and skin, both excised from a human cadaver at the BL20B2 synchrotron beamline at SPring-8. The field was 90 mm wide and 90 mm high. Articular cartilage of the disarticulated distal femur was obvious on DFI, but not on standard X-ray images. Furthermore, DFI allowed visualization in situ of articular cartilage of the shoulder while covered with soft tissue and skin. The gross appearance of the articular cartilage on the dissected section of the proximal humerus was identical to the cartilage shown on the DFI image. These results suggested that DFI could provide a clinically accurate method of assessing articular cartilage. Hence, DFI would be a useful imaging tool for diagnosing joint disease such as osteoarthritis.

Refraction-Contrast Articular Cartilage Image: Comparison of Depiction Abilities between In-Line Holographic Method and a Laue Type Analyzer Method

Two kinds of refraction-contrast image, one obtained using the in-line holographic method and the other obtained using an analyzer crystal in the Laue geometry, from a specimen of a human articular cartilage were investigated using synchrotron X-rays at 30 keV. The former image was superior in spatial resolution and the latter image was superior in contrast regarding the delineation of the articular cartilage, which is invisible by the absorption contrast.