Evaluation of an In-line Phase-Contrast and Phase Shift Digital Tomosynthesis System

Abstract

In the first part of this dissertation, I look at (1) the possibility of using a conventional x-ray source for phase-contrast digital tomosynthesis, (2) that the reconstructed tomosynthesis images demonstrate and retain the edge enhancement as compared to planar phase-contrast radiographs, and (3) tomosynthesis improves object contrast by reducing the effects of superimposed structures. In the second part of the dissertation, I look at the experimental factors required to distinguish between aluminum and aluminum oxide using an x-ray imaging system. This x-ray imaging system will incorporate elements of attenuation radiography, phase-contrast radiography and phase-contrast digital tomosynthesis. Finally, for the third part of the dissertation, I (1) demonstrate laboratory measurements of phase shift images derived from in-line phase-contrast radiographs using the Attenuation-Partition Based Algorithm (APBA), 2) verify that the APBA reconstructed images obey the linearity principle, and 3) reconstruct tomosynthesis phase shift images from a collection of angularly-sampled planar phase shift images.