A high brightness microstructured anode X-ray source for clinical phase contrast imaging

X ray phase contrast imagingXPCIis widely regarded as one of the most exciting techniques to have emerged in x ray physicsand has potential to significantly change the face of biomedical imagingXPCIwhich is based on the refraction of X rays rather than their absorptioncan provide up totimes greater contrast in soft tissues than absorption contrastwhich is the current method employed by x ray equipmentThe technique offers enormous potential for earlier diagnosis of diseases and visualization of features currently not visible through conventional techniquesas well as dramatic reduction in dosage to enable safer screening for cancerOf the several approaches to XPCITalbot interferometry is considered to have the most potential for clinical useas it does not require a synchrotron sourceHoweverthe current approach to Talbot phase contrast requires a grating placed near a conventional laboratory X ray sourcethe addition of the source grating is called the Talbot Lau techniqueThis has led to limits on the X ray energies used in Talbot Lau interferometers of less than ltkeVwhich has restricted its usekeV being more optimal for clinical applicationsin addition to reduced source efficiencyWe propose to develop a high brightness X ray source that is optimized to enable clinical Talbot interferometers at the higher energies that are relevant to clinical applicationsThe source employs a novel microstructured anodewhich is comprised of an array of tungsten micron sized X ray emitters embedded in a material of excellent thermal conductivity and low densitydiamondThese micro emitters act as an array of small sourceswhich would remove the need for the source gratingand the inclusion of diamond provides superior thermal properties for high brightnessThe proposed Phase Imonth project is a proof of principle demonstration that the novel microstructured anode can be manufactured and would provide the desired thermal benefits and x ray outputand the proposed Phase IImonth project would produce two working prototypes of the source