Generating XACT images with a single-shot X-ray pulse in nanoseconds

By: Aili McConnon
Photo by: AIP Scilight

X-ray induced acoustic computed tomography can image the body at faster speeds and with smaller doses of radiation compared to traditional CT imaging

Siqi Wong, a graduate student in the lab of UCI Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic’s Shawn Liangzhong, published a paper in Applied Physics Letters.  The paper was chosen as an Editor’s Pick and highlighted by the American Institute of Physics.

X-ray imaging is widely deployed in scientific and medical realms, but the harm of radiation and slow imaging speed remain key limitations.  Wang et al. developed a new type imaging modality called XACT (X-ray induced acoustic computed tomography) that is a promising alternative to traditional X-rays. XACT is similar to CT scans, but XACT can image the human body at a much faster speed and a much smaller radiation dose compared to traditional CT imaging.

“The innovation here is that we only need a single-shot X-ray pulse in nanoseconds to generate an XACT image, which typically requires around 1,000 pulses for averaging,” said author Siqi Wang.

The researchers used a 128-channel ring-shaped ultrasound array and a 150 kilovoltage peak X-ray source with a 50-nanosecond pulse width to achieve full tomographic imaging capability from a single pulse with a spatial resolution of 0.97 millimeters.  The team plans to develop a portable 3D X-ray fluoroscopy, which could have a large impact in interventional radiology in clinical practice.

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