Microtomographic analysis of biological tissues

计算机断层扫描（CT）是一种用于可视化三维结构的非侵入性技术。断层扫描切片是从一系列的投影图像，通过旋转扫描采集重建。X射线显微镜方法在CT分析中的应用使得生物样品的三维微观结构可视化。我们用高原子数探针染色，确定了人类大脑皮层的三维细胞和亚细胞结构。所获得的结构表明，神经网络和毛细血管结构被可视化为X射线吸收系数的三维分布。以毛细血管微结构为模板，制作毛细血管树脂模型。这些结果表明，X射线显微断层扫描是一种潜在的方法可视化人体组织结构。

Computed tomography (CT) is a noninvasive technique for visualizing three-dimensional structures. Tomographic slices are reconstructed from a series of projection images acquired by a rotational scan. The application of x-ray microscopic approaches to CT analysis has led to the visualization of the three-dimensional microstructures of biological samples. We determined three-dimensional cellular and subcellular structure of human cerebral cortex stained with high atomic-number probes. The obtained structure indicated that the neuronal networks and capillary vessel architectures were visualized as the three-dimensional distribution of x-ray absorption coefficients. The capillary microstructures were used as a template to fabricate a resin model of capillary blood vessels. These results indicated that x-ray microtomography is a potential method of visualizing human tissue structures.