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Simulation study on X-ray phase contrast imaging with dual-phase gratings

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International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Two phase gratings in an X-ray grating interferometers can solve several technical challenges for clinical use of X-ray phase contrast. In this work, we adapt and evaluate this setup design to clinical X-ray sources and detectors in a simulation study.

Methods

For a given set of gratings, we optimize the remaining parameter space of a dual-phase grating setup using a numerical wave front simulation. The simulation results are validated with experimentally obtained visibility measurements on a setup with a microfocus tube and a clinical X-ray detector. We then confirm by simulation that the Lau condition for the \(G_0\) grating also holds for two phase gratings. Furthermore, we use a \(G_0\) grating with a fixed period to search for periods of matching phase grating configurations.

Results

Simulated and experimental visibilities agree very well. We show that the Lau condition for a dual-phase grating setup requires the interference patterns of the first phase grating to constructively overlay at the second phase grating. Furthermore, a total of three setup variants for given \(G_{0}\) periods were designed with the simulation, resulting in visibilities between 4.5 and 9.1%.

Conclusion

Dual-phase gratings can be used and optimized for a medical X-ray source and detector. The obtained visibilities are somewhat lower than for other Talbot–Lau interferometers and are a tradeoff between setup length and spatial resolution (or additional phase stepping, respectively). However, these disadvantage appears minor compared to the overall better photon statistics, and the fact that dual-phase grating setups can be expected to scale to higher X-ray energies.

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Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge funding by Siemens Healthineers, the German Research Foundation (DFG), and the International Max Planck Research School for the Physics of Light. Funding was provided by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Grant No. 289363653.)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pattern Recognition Lab, Department of Computer Science, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Martensstr. 3, 91058, Erlangen, Germany

    Johannes Bopp, Andreas Maier & Christian Riess

  2. Erlangen Centre for Astroparticle Physics, Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erwin-Rommel-Str. 1, 91058, Erlangen, Germany

    Veronika Ludwig, Maria Seifert, Georg Pelzer & Gisela Anton

Authors
  1. Johannes Bopp
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  2. Veronika Ludwig
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  3. Maria Seifert
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  4. Georg Pelzer
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  5. Andreas Maier
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  6. Gisela Anton
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  7. Christian Riess
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Correspondence to Johannes Bopp.

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Bopp, J., Ludwig, V., Seifert, M. et al. Simulation study on X-ray phase contrast imaging with dual-phase gratings. Int J CARS 14, 3–10 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-018-1872-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-018-1872-x

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