A German collaboration between researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching, the Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, and the Technical University Munich has combined the capabilities of a new high energy laser X-ray source with phase-contrast X-ray tomography to effectively create a new tissue imaging modality. While initial experiments with the technology has been applied to imaging flies, the researchers believe that it can be applied to distinguishing different tissue types, in particular detecting cancerous cells among healthy ones.
The technique combines hundreds of unique images into a high resolution volumetric reconstruction of the tissues being examined in the X-ray spectrum.
The laser setup allows bright X-rays to be generated in a small setup that previously could only be achieved with large particle accelerators, in essence opening it up to clinical applications.
Press release: X-ray source for minute details…