Sebastian Kaeppler

Optimisation of image reconstruction for phase-contrast x-ray Talbot-Lau imaging with regard to mechanical robustness.

X-ray grating-based phase-contrast imaging opens new opportunities, inter alia, in medical imaging and non-destructive testing. Because, information about the attenuation properties and about the refractive properties of an object are gained simultaneously. Talbot-Lau imaging requires the knowledge of a reference or free-field image. The long-term stability of a Talbot-Lau interferometer is related to the time span of the validity of a measured reference image. It would be desirable to keep the validity of the reference image for a day or longer to improve feasibility of Talbot-Lau imaging. However, for example thermal and other long-term external influences result in drifting effects of the phase images. Therefore, phases are shifting over time and the reference image is not valid for long-term measurements. Thus, artifacts occur in differential phase-contrast images. We developed an algorithm to determine the differential phase-contrast image with the help of just one calibration image, which is valid for a long time-period. With the help of this algorithm, called phase-plane-fit method, it is possible to save measurement-time, as it is not necessary to take a reference image for each measurement. Additionally, transferring the interferometer technique from laboratory setups to conventional imaging systems the necessary rigidity of the system is difficult to achieve. Therefore, short-term effects like vibrations or distortions of the system lead to imperfections within the phase-stepping procedure. Consequently, artifacts occur in all three image modalities (differential phase-contrast image, attenuation image and dark-field image) of Talbot-Lau imaging. This is a problem with regard to the intended use of phase-contrast imaging for example in clinical routine or non-destructive testing. In this publication an algorithm of Vargas et al is applied and complemented to correct inaccurate phase-step positions with the help of a principal component analysis (PCA). Thus, it is possible to calculate the artifact free images. Subsequently, the whole algorithm is called PCA minimization algorithm.

High-energy x-ray Talbot–Lau radiography of a human knee

We report on a radiographic measurement of an ex vivo human knee using a grating-based phase-contrast imaging setup and a medical x-ray tube at a tube voltage of 70 kV. The measurement has been carried out using a Talbot-Lau setup that is suitable to achieve a high visibility in the energy regime of medical imaging. In a medical reading by an experienced trauma surgeon signatures of chondrocalcinosis in the medial meniscus have been identified more evidently using the dark-field image in comparison to the conventional attenuation image. The analysis has been carried out at various dose levels down to 0.14 mGy measured as air kerma, which is a dose comparable to clinically used radiographic devices. The diagnosis has been confirmed by a histological analysis of the meniscus tissue. In the introduced high-frequency filtered phase-contrast image the anterior and posterior horn of the medial meniscus and the posterior cruciate ligament have also been visible. Furthermore, atherosclerotic plaque is visible in both imaging modalities, attenuation and dark-field, despite the presence of overlaying bone. This measurement, for the first time, proves the feasibility of Talbot-Lau x-ray imaging at high-energy spectra above 40 kVp and reasonable dose levels with regard to spacious and dense objects.

Signal decomposition for X-ray dark-field imaging.

Grating-based X-ray dark-field imaging is a new imaging modality. It allows the visualization of structures at micrometer scale due to small-angle scattering of the X-ray beam. However, reading darkfield images is challenging as absorption and edge-diffraction effects also contribute to the dark-field signal, without adding diagnostic value. In this paper, we present a novel--and to our knowledge the first--algorithm for isolating small-angle scattering in dark-field images, which greatly improves their interpretability. To this end, our algorithm utilizes the information available from the absorption and differential phase images to identify clinically irrelevant contributions to the dark-field image. Experimental results on phantom and ex-vivo breast data promise a greatly enhanced diagnostic value of dark-field images.

Improved reconstruction of phase-stepping data for Talbot–Lau x-ray imaging

Abstract. Grating-based Talbot–Lau x-ray interferometry is a popular method for measuring absorption, phase shift, and small-angle scattering. The standard acquisition method for this modality is phase stepping, where the Talbot pattern is reconstructed from multiple images acquired at different grating positions. We review the implicit assumptions in phase-stepping reconstruction, and find that the assumptions of perfectly known grating positions and homoscedastic noise variance are violated in some scenarios. Additionally, we investigate a recently reported estimation bias in the visibility and dark-field signal. To adapt the phase-stepping reconstruction to these findings, we propose three improvements to the reconstruction. These improvements are (a) to use prior knowledge to compute more accurate grating positions to reduce moiré artifacts, (b) to utilize noise variance information to reduce dark-field and phase noise in high-visibility acquisitions, and (c) to perform correction of an estimation bias in the interferometer visibility, leading to more quantitative dark-field imaging in acquisitions with a low signal-to-noise ratio. We demonstrate the benefit of our methods on simulated data, as well as on images acquired with a Talbot–Lau interferometer.

Shading correction for grating-based differential phase contrast X-ray imaging

Grating-based differential phase-contrast X-ray is a novel imaging modality with excellent soft-tissue contrast. Besides standard X-ray attenuation, it provides complementary information on the differential phase shift and the dark-field signal, which reveals structure variations at (sub-)micron scale. Current experimental setups suffer from a narrow field of view of 2-4cm. Thus, multiple exposures have to be stitched together to image larger objects. However, individual exposures are inherently affected by intensity variations, such that tiling artifacts corrupt the stitched projection. These artifacts are most severe in the differential phase image and highly impact their diagnostic value. To address this issue, we propose a novel optimization-based algorithm for fully compensating these tiling artifacts. Our algorithm estimates a smooth bias field for each individual exposure with a global objective function that minimizes the intensity distortion within and across different tiles in the projection. Compared to a currently widely used heuristic, our algorithm leverages the information available from all exposures to estimate the individual bias fields. The evaluation shows the superiority of the proposed algorithm, as it produces bias-free images. To our knowledge, this is the first bias correction algorithm for differential phase images that yields images with nearly imperceptible transitions between individual exposures.

Motion estimation model for cardiac and respiratory motion compensation

Catheter ablation is widely accepted as the best remaining option for the treatment of atrial fibrillation if drug therapy fails. Ablation procedures can be guided by 3-D overlay images projected onto live fluoroscopic X-ray images. These overlay images are generated from either MR, CT or C-Arm CT volumes. As the alignment of the overlay is often compromised by cardiac and respiratory motion, motion compensation methods are desirable. The most recent and promising approaches use either a catheter in the coronary sinus vein, or a circumferential mapping catheter placed at the ostium of one of the pulmonary veins. As both methods suffer from different problems, we propose a novel method to achieve motion compensation for fluoroscopy guided cardiac ablation procedures. Our new method localizes the coronary sinus catheter. Based on this information, we estimate the position of the circumferential mapping catheter. As the mapping catheter is placed at the site of ablation, it provides a good surrogate for respiratory and cardiac motion. To correlate the motion of both catheters, our method includes a training phase in which both catheters are tracked together. The training information is then used to estimate the cardiac and respiratory motion of the left atrium by observing the coronary sinus catheter only. The approach yields an average 2-D estimation error of 1.99 ± 1.20 mm.

Implementation of a Talbot-Lau interferometer in a clinical-like c-arm setup: A feasibility study

X-ray grating-based phase-contrast imaging has raised interest regarding a variety of potential clinical applications, whereas the method is feasible using a medical x-ray tube. Yet, the transition towards a clinical setup remains challenging due to the requirement of mechanical robustness of the interferometer and high demands applying to medical equipment in clinical use. We demonstrate the successful implementation of a Talbot-Lau interferometer in an interventional c-arm setup. The consequence of vibrations induced by the rotating anode of the tube is discussed and the prototype is shown to provide a visibility of 21.4% at a tube voltage of 60 kV despite the vibrations. Regarding clinical application, the prototype is mainly set back due to the limited size of the field of view covering an area of 17 mm × 46 mm. A c-arm offers the possibility to change the optical axis according to the requirements of the medical examination. We provide a method to correct for artifacts that result from the angulation of the c-arm. Finally, the images of a series of measurements with the c-arm in different angulated positions are shown. Thereby, it is sufficient to perform a single reference measurement in parking position that is valid for the complete series despite angulation.

Talbot‐Lau X‐ray phase contrast for tiling‐based acquisitions without reference scanning

Purpose Grating‐based Talbot‐Lau interferometers are a popular choice for phase‐contrast X‐ray acquisitions. Here, an air reference scan has to be acquired prior to an object scan. This particularly complicates acquisition of large objects: large objects are tiled into multiple scans due to the small field of view of current gratings. However, phase reference drifts occurring between these scans may require to repeatedly move the object in and out of the X‐ray beam to update the reference information. Methods We developed an image processing technique that completely removes the need for phase reference scans in tiled acquisitions. We estimate the reference from object scans using a tailored iterated robust regression, using a novel efficient optimizer. Results Our evaluation indicates that the estimated reference is not only close to the acquired reference but also improves the final image quality. We hypothesize that this is because we mitigate errors that are introduced when actually acquiring the reference phase. Conclusion Phase‐contrast imaging of larger objects may benefit from computational estimation of phase reference data due to reduced scanning complexity and improved image quality.

Semi-automatic catheter model generation using biplane x-ray images

Recently, techniques for the automatic detection or tracking of surgical instruments in X-ray guided computer-assisted interventions have emerged. The purposes of these methods are to facilitate inter-modality registration, motion compensation, enhanced visualization or automatic landmark generation in augmented-reality applications. Most techniques incorporate a model of the device as prior information to evaluate results obtained from a low-level detector. In this paper, we present novel approaches which are able to generate both 2-D and 3-D models of circular and linear catheters from biplane X-ray images with only minimal user input. We apply these methods in the context of Electrophysiology to generate models of ablation and mapping catheters. An evaluation on clinical data sets yielded promising results.

Phase-Sensitive Region-of-Interest Computed Tomography

X-Ray Phase-Contrast Imaging (PCI) yields absorption, differential phase, and dark-field images. Computed Tomography (CT) of grating-based PCI can in principle provide high-resolution soft-tissue contrast. Recently, grating-based PCI took several hurdles towards clinical implementation by addressing, for example, acquisition speed, high X-ray energies, and system vibrations. However, a critical impediment in all grating-based systems lies in limits that constrain the grating diameter to few centimeters. In this work, we propose a system and a reconstruction algorithm to circumvent this constraint in a clinically compatible way. We propose to perform a phase-sensitive Region-of-Interest (ROI) CT within a full-field absorption CT. The biggest advantage of this approach is that it allows to correct for phase truncation artifacts, and to obtain quantitative phase values. Our method is robust, and shows high-quality results on simulated data and on a biological mouse sample. This work is a proof of concept showing the potential to use PCI in CT on large specimen, such as humans, in clinical applications.