Design and development of a 3D X-ray microscope

Abstract

The rapid development of needle-free injection systems demands better and faster imaging systems, capable of imaging the transient and steady state response of an injection into real tissue. X-ray radiography, x-ray microscopy, and computerized tomography (CT) were identified as the most appropriate imaging techniques used for non-invasive imaging of opaque objects and an instrument was constructed, utilizing all of those techniques. The instrument was capable of producing x-ray radiographies with native resolution of less than 30 [mu]m, frame rate of 32 frames per second and a field of view of 30 mm by 40 mm. Using magnifying cone-beam x-ray source the ultimate resolution of the system exceeded 5 [mu]m, while maintaining image sharpness and clarity. Digital image reconstruction techniques, based on the inverse Radon transformation and the Fourier slice theorem were used to regenerate conventional CT images as well as contrast volumetric 3D images of the internal structures of opaque objects. This paper presents the design and development of the 3D x-ray microscope together with experimental results obtained during the calibration and initial testing of the instrument.