2011 Volume 37 Issue 2 Pages 111-117
Overview will be given on X-ray dark-field imaging under development since 2000. An early diagnosis of breast caner and rheumatoid arthritis has been fixed as a final goal of the system development. X-ray absorption based visualization of soft tissue has been difficult for long. Challenge for visualizing soft tissue with high contrast and high spatial resolution is of significant importance. Technique of 2-D, pseudo 3-D and 3-D imaging has been recently successfully developed. The current x-ray energy is 35 keV with intension of suppressing skin radiation dose as much as possible such as in mammography. Breast tissue excised, articular cartilege of rat foot injected with adjubant have successfully been visualized. Extension to other organs will naturally be expected. Attempt at visualizing kidney and liver has started. A current FOV (field of view) size is 33mm in height and 49mm in horizontal. We need its further extension. Whether or not this system will be able to lead to a clinical success in a first place is not sure. How much distance to the clinical goal may exist is not yet known. Nevertheless this topic together with other issues will be discussed.
