Implementation of a benchtop energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction computed tomography system for in vitro tissue characterisation

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The project will develop novel geometries for Energy-Dispersive X-ray Diffraction Computed Tomography (EDXRDCT) for the characterisation of biological tissue, with specific focus on breast tissue. It will be carried out in collaboration with the School of Materials of the University of Manchester, the Cellular Pathology Department at Royal Surrey County Hospital, the National Coordinating Centre for Physics in Mammography and the Breast Screening Unit at Barts and The London NHS Trust and with the support of industrial collaborators (Morpho Detection, Inc. and South East Health Technology Alliance).X-ray diffraction allows identification of low-contrast lesions and their characterisation, including cancer identification and staging. Due to the intrinsic non-uniformity of biological tissue, characterisation of typical specimens based on X-ray diffraction requires the use of Computed Tomography (CT). However, work so far in the field of diffraction CT using polychromatic sources was limited to the first generation CT geometry, requiring overall acquisition times incompatible with clinical requirements.The present work will be based around the development and optimisation of two novel geometries that will reduce the acquisition times to a few minutes/slice. A system based on the combination of the two geometries could be used in the future for fast biopsy or characterisation of post-operatory specimens with a short enough timescale to guarantee minimum disruption to the clinical routine. This will allow fast and effective diagnosis of cancer, targeted treatment and reduction of unnecessary operations, thus contributing to an optimised use of resources in the Healthcare Service and to the general welfare of the population.The two geometries proposed will rely on a combination of cutting-edge technology and advanced data processing algorithms.Custom test objects will be designed and built to simulate the diffraction and geometrical properties of breast lesions. The two geometries proposed will be evaluated initially on these objects, and then, in the final stages of the project, on formalin-fixed breast tissue samples provided form the Cellular Pathology Department at Royal Surrey County Hospital. Tests on tissue samples will assess the repeatability of results from the same specimen using different geometries, and the repeatability of diffraction patterns from tissue regions from different specimens with the same histological properties.Results from these lab-based systems will be compared to those obtained using synchrotron radiation in collaborative experiments with the School of Materials at the University of Manchester, and to histological assessment using conventional methods.