Transforming the use of x-rays in science and society

该项目旨在建立一个研究小组，通过取代一个多世纪以来基于x射线吸收的机制，推动x射线在科学和社会中使用的转变。x射线是电磁波，因此其特征不仅在于其振幅（振幅会因吸收而改变），还在于其相位。90年代在大型昂贵的同步加速器设备上进行的开创性实验表明，相位效应可以解决x射线成像的主要问题，即由于吸收差小而导致的图像对比度低。这既增强了图像中所有细节的可见性，又允许检测传统x射线方法无法检测到的特征。这可能给医学、生物学、材料科学等领域带来的好处立即被理解，但有效转化为现实世界的应用失败了，因为看起来必须使用同步加速器才能获得显著的图像增强。最近，PI开发了一种技术（编码孔径相衬成像），表明这是不正确的。这种技术可以获得与传统x射线源同步加速器相当的优势。这使上述转变第一次成为具体的可能。虽然彻底的转变将需要超过五年的时间，但我们将通过开展一系列试点实验来播种，这些实验将：1)探索拟议方法的潜力，并使其适应于各种重要领域的应用；2)开发新的科学仪器，使到目前为止只能在同步加速器上进行的研究能够在传统实验室中进行；3)发展新的x射线方法，使研究目前无法进入的新科学领域成为可能。PI发明的技术将应用于医学、安全、材料科学等新领域。在医学方面，我们将解决诸如无需造影剂成像血管的问题，使乳腺癌和其他癌症以及骨质疏松症的早期检测成为可能，以及开发新的造影剂使x射线生理学研究成为可能。我们将制定战略，大幅减少x射线剂量，这将使放射学更安全，并允许扩大筛查活动。在保安方面，我们将加强威胁侦测和物料识别。在材料科学方面，我们将开发检测新材料缺陷的工具（例如复合材料，未来航空航天和运输工业的基础，目前对现有测试工具构成挑战），并允许早期检测金属中的裂纹和腐蚀以及塑料中的缺陷。将开发基于相位的x射线扫描仪，以便在常规实验室环境中对细胞进行微观研究，并检测组织中的斑块和金属浓度。x射线相方法将与其他功能成像模式相结合，开发新一代的小动物扫描仪，将用于生物学和药物开发。在同步加速器上，我们将把PI开发的方法增加的相位灵敏度与其他尖端方法结合起来，进一步推动相位技术的灵敏度。这些方法将用于研究目前无法进入的重要科学领域，例如肿瘤侵袭机制。该小组将向专门受众（通过科学出版物和会议发言）和公众（通过公众参与活动）传播所取得的成果。我们将与工业界合作，确保研究方案的应用要素的成果进入开发阶段，从而实现其全部影响。该团队将成为世界领先的团队，并在x射线科学及其应用方面产生重大变化，以造福整个社会，特别是英国公司。

This project aims to build a research group to drive a transformation in the use of x-rays in science and society by replacing the mechanism upon which this has been based for over a century, x-ray absorption. X-rays are electromagnetic waves, and are therefore characterized not only by their amplitude, which is changed by absorption, but also by their phase. Pioneering experiments carried out in the nineties at large and expensive facilities called synchrotrons showed that phase effects can solve the main problem of x-ray imaging, low image contrast due to small absorption differences. This both enhances the visibility of all details in an image, and allows the detection of features invisible to conventional x-ray methods. The benefits this could bring to fields as diverse as medicine, biology, material science, etc were immediately understood, but an effective translation into real-world applications failed because it looked like using a synchrotron was necessary to obtain significant image enhancements.Recently, the PI developed a technique (coded-aperture phase contrast imaging) which showed that this is not true. This technique allows achieving advantages comparable to those obtained at synchrotrons with conventional x-ray sources. This makes the above transformation a concrete possibility for the first time.Although a complete transformation will take longer than the five years of the project, we will seed it by running a series of pilot experiments which will:1) explore the potential of the proposed approach and adapt it to applications in a variety of important fields;2) develop new scientific instruments allowing studies which until now were only possible at synchrotrons to be carried out in conventional labs;3) develop new x-ray methods which will allow the investigation of new scientific fields currently inaccessible.The technique invented by the PI will be applied in new areas of medicine, security, material science, and others. In medicine, we will tackle problems such as imaging blood vessels without contrast agents, enabling earlier detection of breast and other cancers and of osteoporosis, and developing new contrast agents to allow physiological studies with x-rays. We will develop strategies to substantially reduce x-ray dose, which would make radiology safer and allow the expansion of screening campaigns. In security, we will improve threat detection and material recognition. In material science, we will develop tools to detect defects in new materials (e.g. composites, the basis of future aerospace and transport industry, currently posing a challenge to existing test tools) and to allow earlier detection of cracks and corrosion in metals and defects in plastics.Phase-based x-ray scanners will be developed to enable microscopic studies of cells and detection of plaques and metal concentration in tissues in a conventional laboratory setting. X-ray phase methods will be combined with other, functional imaging modalities to develop a new generation of small-animal scanners which will be used in biology and drug development.At synchrotrons, we will combine the increased phase sensitivity of the method developed by the PI with other, cutting-edge methods to push the sensitivity of phase techniques further. These methods will be used to study important scientific areas currently inaccessible, e.g. the mechanisms of tumour invasion.The group will disseminate the obtained results both to specialized audiences (through scientific publications and conference presentations) and to the general public (through public engagement activities). We will collaborate with industry to ensure that the outcome of the applied elements of the research programme are taken to the exploitation stage, and therefore that its full impact is realized. The group will become a world-leading team and produce a step change in x-ray science and its application, to the benefit of society as a whole and UK plc in particular.