Desktop X-ray tomography for low contrast samples

Based on the experience in the use of polycapillary optical systems, recently XLab Frascati LNF and IM CNR have been strongly involved in studying the techniques for high resolution X-ray Imaging and micro-tomography that intends in the development of a new imaging instrument to examine low contrast samples complicated by fast developing processes. In order to get the reliable signal to noise ratio, typically available via synchrotron radiation (SR) dedicated X-ray optical devices, for the desktop solutions we have to increase the radiation fluxes from conventional sources. As known, manipulated through polycapillary optics beams result in getting higher fluxes with respect to a pin-hole (with a gain factor of 10(2)-10(3)). Moreover, polycapillary semi lenses can provide low divergent beams comparable by the divergence with synchrotron radiation beams (mrad order). These features make possible the realization of high resolution imaging of low contrast samples in the transmission mode without various algorithmic processes as typically done, for instance, for phase contrast imaging. This work presents the results on X-ray micro tomography for both static biological and fast dynamic samples as well as a possible future development of a polycapillary-based experimental layout for biomedical imaging diagnostics, for the studies in material and environmental sciences, for diagnostics of hi-tech samples, etc. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.