Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jadick, Giavanna, La Rivière, Patrick
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.12505
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866912541272178688
author Jadick, Giavanna
La Rivière, Patrick
author_facet Jadick, Giavanna
La Rivière, Patrick
contents X-ray phase-contrast imaging has the potential to improve image contrast with lower dose by probing an object's refractive properties as well as its absorptive properties. To reconstruct a phase-contrast image from a raw dataset, a phase retrieval algorithm must be applied to invert the forward model of the image acquisition scheme. Discrete forward modeling presents unique computational challenges due to high x-ray wave field sampling requirements. At the cost of accuracy, approximations are often applied for the sake of simplicity and experimental convenience. One of the most ubiquitous simplifications is the projection approximation, which neglects refractive effects within an object. The approximation's validity decreases when imaging thicker objects or using a detector with higher spatial resolution. For greater accuracy, one might use the multislice model instead. In this work, we explore the accuracy of the projection approximation in simulated synchrotron micro-CT images. We simulated images using two detector resolutions (0.5 and 2 micron) with either the projection approximation or multislice forward model. Paganin phase retrieval was applied to the resulting datasets, and the final phase-contrast images were reconstructed using filtered back-projection. The 2-micron resolution detector images showed little difference between forward models, indicating the projection approximation is satisfied. With sub-micron resolution, there is a noticeable difference in the phase-contrast images, especially around fine details. An accurate phase retrieval algorithm for such high-resolution data likely requires more detailed forward modeling that avoids making the projection approximation.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_12505
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Accuracy of propagation-based phase-contrast CT under the projection approximation
Jadick, Giavanna
La Rivière, Patrick
Medical Physics
X-ray phase-contrast imaging has the potential to improve image contrast with lower dose by probing an object's refractive properties as well as its absorptive properties. To reconstruct a phase-contrast image from a raw dataset, a phase retrieval algorithm must be applied to invert the forward model of the image acquisition scheme. Discrete forward modeling presents unique computational challenges due to high x-ray wave field sampling requirements. At the cost of accuracy, approximations are often applied for the sake of simplicity and experimental convenience. One of the most ubiquitous simplifications is the projection approximation, which neglects refractive effects within an object. The approximation's validity decreases when imaging thicker objects or using a detector with higher spatial resolution. For greater accuracy, one might use the multislice model instead. In this work, we explore the accuracy of the projection approximation in simulated synchrotron micro-CT images. We simulated images using two detector resolutions (0.5 and 2 micron) with either the projection approximation or multislice forward model. Paganin phase retrieval was applied to the resulting datasets, and the final phase-contrast images were reconstructed using filtered back-projection. The 2-micron resolution detector images showed little difference between forward models, indicating the projection approximation is satisfied. With sub-micron resolution, there is a noticeable difference in the phase-contrast images, especially around fine details. An accurate phase retrieval algorithm for such high-resolution data likely requires more detailed forward modeling that avoids making the projection approximation.
title Accuracy of propagation-based phase-contrast CT under the projection approximation
topic Medical Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.12505