A trial for fine and low-dose imaging of biological specimens using quasi-monochromatic laser-Compton X-rays

The laser-Compton X/gamma-rays produced through the inverse-Compton scattering process are acknowledged as excellent tools in basic science and industrial technologies. At the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), two Compton systems based on a compact S-band linac and a versatile storage ring are working in photon energy ranges of 10-40 keV and 1-40 MeV. Compton X-rays in the lower energy range are thought to be suitable to make the fine and low-dose imaging in biology or medicine due to their partial spatial coherence and quasi-monochromaticity. Here we report some typical examples for medical imaging by Compton X-rays using the phase-contrast and K-edge-contrast schemes. It will be also shown that a distinctive image was taken by a single-shot picosecond Compton X-ray pulse which will enable us not only to take a still-shot of dynamic behaviour in organs but also to achieve a real-time motion picture using successively obtained single-shot images. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.