Spectroscopic imaging at compact inverse Compton X-ray sources

Abstract

While K-edge subtraction (KES) imaging is a commonly applied technique at synchrotron sources, the application of this imaging method in clinical imaging is limited although results have shown its superiority to conventional clinical subtraction imaging. Over the past decades, compact synchrotron X-ray sources, based on inverse Compton scattering, have been developed to fill the gap between conventional X-ray tubes and synchrotron facilities. These so called inverse Compton sources (ICSs) provide a tunable, quasi-monochromatic X-ray beam in a laboratory setting with reduced spatial and financial requirements. This allows for the transfer of imaging techniques that have been limited to synchrotrons until now, like KES imaging, into a laboratory environment. This review article presents the first studies that have successfully performed KES at ICSs. These have shown that KES provides improved image quality in comparison to conventional X-ray imaging. The results indicate that medical imaging could benefit from monochromatic imaging and KES techniques. Currently, the clinical application of KES is limited by the low K-edge energy of available iodine contrast agents. However, several ICSs are under development or already in commissioning which will provide monochromatic X-ray beams with higher X-ray energies and will enable KES using high-Z elements as contrast media. With these developments, KES at an ICS has the ability to become an important tool in pre-clinical research and potentially advancing existing clinical imaging techniques.

Feasibility of Monitoring Tumor Response by Tracking Nanoparticle-Labelled T Cells Using X-ray Fluorescence Imaging—A Numerical Study

“…Aiming at narrowing the gap between traditional X-ray tubes and synchrotron facilities, inverse Compton X-ray sources (ICS) have been thoroughly studied over the last decades [56]. While offering quasi-monochromatic photon beams and a significantly increased photon flux in an affordable and compact size, they are often limited to lower energies [57]. To overcome these limits, our group also works on ultra-compact laser-driven Thomson X-ray sources [58], an approach envisaged for clinical use in the future.…”

Monochromatic X-rays: The future of breast imaging

“…Investigators postulated that this would provide access to pulsed tunable X-rays to a wider range of users and ultimately accrue benefits for clinical patients, X-ray crystallographers, industrial radiographers, and others who routinely use X rays. A recent review presented the potential of spectroscopic imaging using compact inverse Compton X-ray sources [69].…”

Editorial

“…However, to overcome the complexity of a synchrotron and to bring KES into the clinical environment, the inverse Compton sources have been suggested, based on the principle of inverse Compton scattering. The review paper by S. Kulpe et al [7] presents an extensive coverage of the advantage of this new technique and describes possible clinical applications.…”