Nikon-UCL Prosperity Partnership on Next-Generation X-Ray Imaging

尼康与伦敦大学学院就下一代 X 射线成像达成繁荣合作伙伴关系

• 批准号: EP/T005408/1
• 负责人: Alessandro Olivo
• 金额: $ 303万
• 依托单位: University College London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FT005408%2F1
• 关键词: Nikon; UCL; Prosperity; Partnership; Next

X-Ray Imaging (XRI) has a fundamental role in medicine and security, and is instrumental in the automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical industries and in manufacturing in general. Cultural heritage relies on XRI, as do materials science, biology, and many other scientific fields. Through our established collaboration between Nikon X-Tek Systems (NXTS, Nikon's UK based x-ray division) and UCL, we are targeting the next paradigm shift in XRI. Our vision is that this will involve the incorporation of phase effects in the image formation process ("Phase-based" XRI) coupled with energy-resolved ("colour") XRI and new data reconstruction and interpretation algorithms. "Colour" XRI could be seen as the x-ray equivalent of the transition from black and white to colour photography, meaning a much wider spectrum of information can be obtained from the imaged sample. Phase-based XRI enables contrast increases of up to two orders of magnitude, thus allowing the detection of features classically considered "x-ray invisible".Our vision is to marry UCL's world-class research and expertise on phase-based XRI, inverse problems and nanofabrication with NXTS's innovation on scatter analysis, image reconstruction and colour x-ray imaging in order to achieve the next step change in XRI technology, with the UK industrial and academic communities firmly at the centre. This will deliver transformative solutions that are practicable in an industrial context and beneficial to a wide user base, while also enabling new science. Our ambition is to replace conventional attenuation based XRI with energy-resolved, phase-based technology combined with scatter retrieval and novel algorithms in most application areas.At synchrotron facilities, UCL researchers have used phase-based XRI to image rocks, metals, tissues, animals, humans, cells, foams, fabrics, batteries, manufacturing processes, food, and heritage artefacts. They have done this statically and dynamically, in situ and in operando, in vivo and ex vivo, invariably detecting key features that were invisible to other methods. Making this available through standard, lab-size machines would be nothing short of a revolution, leading to economic and societal impact through the multi-disciplinary applications, making NXTS the commercial leader in the field, and cementing UK's leading research status. In our vision this will be strengthen even further by its combination with "colour" imaging, and with new ways of handling scattered radiation such that the "structured" scatter signal leading to additional information is exploited, while the uniform background that limits image contrast and therefore detail visibility is rejected.We will pursue this vision through a combination of modelling and experimental work. Using experimentally validated simulation software developed jointly by the UCL and NXTS teams, we will model experiments before they are carried out, compare simulated and experimental results, refine models and setups until all discrepancies are clarified, and only then proceed to the next step. This will enable us to develop systems where i) we keep all parameters under control and have full understanding of their effects and implications, and ii) we can steer the design towards effective solutions to specific problems. Cutting-edge nanofabrication methods (available at UCL's Photonic Innovations Lab and London Centre for Nanotechnology) will enable the development of beam modulators that allow the exploitation of phase effects with the conventional x-ray sources routinely used by NXTS.We will apply the novel technologies to a range of high-impact applications, including non-destructive testing of composite materials and additive manufacturing processes and products, biomaterials and tissue-engineered organs, digital histology, improved detection of concealed explosives and forensics.

X射线成像（XRI）在医学和安全领域发挥着重要作用，并在汽车、航空航天、制药行业和一般制造业中发挥着重要作用。文化遗产依赖于XRI，材料科学，生物学和许多其他科学领域也是如此。通过尼康X-Tek Systems（NXTS，尼康英国X射线部门）和UCL之间的合作，我们的目标是XRI的下一个范式转变。我们的愿景是，这将涉及在图像形成过程中结合相位效应（“基于相位”的XRI），再加上能量分辨（“颜色”）XRI和新的数据重建和解释算法。“彩色”XRI可以被看作是从黑色和白色到彩色摄影的转变的X射线等价物，这意味着可以从成像样品中获得更宽的信息光谱。基于相位的XRI可以将对比度提高两个数量级，从而可以检测传统上被认为是“X射线不可见”的特征。我们的愿景是将UCL在基于相位的XRI、逆问题和纳米纤维方面的世界级研究和专业知识与NXTS在散射分析、图像重建和彩色X射线成像方面的创新相结合，以实现XRI技术的下一步变革。英国工业界和学术界坚定地处于中心地位。这将提供变革性的解决方案，这些解决方案在工业环境中是可行的，有利于广泛的用户群，同时也促进了新的科学。我们的目标是在大多数应用领域用能量分辨、基于相位的技术结合散射恢复和新颖的算法来取代传统的基于衰减的XRI。在同步加速器设施中，UCL的研究人员已经使用基于相位的XRI对岩石、金属、组织、动物、人类、细胞、泡沫、织物、电池、制造过程、食物和文物进行成像。他们静态地和动态地，在原位和在操作中，在体内和体外，总是检测到其他方法不可见的关键特征。通过标准的实验室大小的机器实现这一点将是一场革命，通过多学科应用带来经济和社会影响，使NXTS成为该领域的商业领导者，并巩固英国的领先研究地位。在我们的设想中，这将通过与“彩色”成像的结合以及处理散射辐射的新方法得到进一步加强，从而利用导致额外信息的“结构化”散射信号，同时拒绝限制图像对比度和细节可见性的均匀背景。我们将通过建模和实验工作的结合来实现这一设想。使用UCL和NXTS团队联合开发的经过实验验证的模拟软件，我们将在进行实验之前对实验进行建模，比较模拟和实验结果，完善模型和设置，直到澄清所有差异，然后才进行下一步。这将使我们能够开发这样的系统：i）我们控制所有参数，并充分了解它们的影响和含义，ii）我们可以引导设计有效地解决特定问题。尖端的纳米制造方法（可在UCL的光子创新实验室和伦敦纳米技术中心获得）将使光束调制器的开发成为可能，该调制器允许利用NXTS常规使用的传统X射线源的相位效应。我们将把新技术应用于一系列高影响力的应用，包括复合材料的无损检测和增材制造工艺和产品，生物材料和组织工程器官，数字组织学，改进隐藏爆炸物的检测和法医学。

项目成果

The effect of a variable focal spot size on the contrast channels retrieved in edge-illumination X-ray phase contrast imaging.

• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07376-0
• 发表时间: 2022-03-01
• 期刊: Scientific reports
• 影响因子: 4.6
• 作者: Astolfo A;Buchanan I;Partridge T;Kallon GK;Hagen CK;Munro PRT;Endrizzi M;Bate D;Olivo A
• 通讯作者: Olivo A

Effective modeling of high-energy laboratory-based x-ray phase contrast imaging utilizing absorption masks or gratings

利用吸收掩模或光栅对基于高能实验室的 X 射线相衬成像进行有效建模

• DOI: 10.1063/5.0024475
• 发表时间: 2020
• 期刊: Journal of Applied Physics
• 影响因子: 3.2
• 作者: Buchanan I

Direct x-ray scattering signal measurements in edge-illumination/beam-tracking imaging and their interplay with the variance of the refraction signals

边缘照明/光束跟踪成像中的直接 X 射线散射信号测量及其与折射信号方差的相互作用

• DOI: 10.1063/5.0168049
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Applied Physics Reviews
• 影响因子: 15
• 作者: Buchanan I

Increased material differentiation through multi-contrast x-ray imaging: a preliminary evaluation of potential applications to the detection of threat materials

通过多对比 X 射线成像增加材料区分：对检测威胁材料的潜在应用的初步评估

• DOI: 10.1088/1402-4896/ace939
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Physica Scripta
• 影响因子: 2.9
• 作者: Astolfo A

Optimal and automated mask alignment for use in edge illumination X-ray differential-phase and dark-field imaging techniques

• DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2020.164602
• 发表时间: 2020-12-21
• 期刊: NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION A-ACCELERATORS SPECTROMETERS DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT
• 影响因子: 1.4
• 作者: Doherty, Adam;Massimi, Lorenzo;Endrizzi, Marco
• 通讯作者: Endrizzi, Marco