Factors Affecting the Spatial Resolution in 2D Grating–Based X-Ray Phase Contrast Imaging

Abstract

X-ray phase contrast imaging is a promising technique in X-ray biological microscopy, as it improves the contrast of images for materials with low electron density compared to traditional X-ray imaging. The spatial resolution is an important parameter to evaluate the image quality. In this paper, simulation of factors which may affect the spatial resolution in a typical 2D grating–based phase contrast imaging system is conducted. This simulation is based on scalar diffraction theory and the operator theory of imaging. Absorption, differential phase contrast, and dark-field images are retrieved via the Fourier transform method. Furthermore, the limitation of the grating-to-detector distance in the spatial harmonic method is discussed in detail.

Water refilling along vessels at initial stage of willow cuttage revealed by move contrast CT

“…Compared to above imaging methods, X-ray phase contrast imaging (2D/3D) with its large penetration depth, high spatial resolution, and excellent density resolution [28], allows tracking changes at the gas-water interface. Therefore, it is suitable for imaging refilling processes in plant leaves [20,22,26] and opaque stems [21, [23][24][25].…”