Monochromatic Propagation-Based Phase-Contrast Microscale Computed-Tomography System with a Rotating-Anode Source

We present an experimental setup for monochromatic propagation-based x-ray phase-contrast imaging based on a conventional rotating-copper-anode source, capable of an integrated flux up to 10(8) photons/s at 8 keV. In our study, the system is characterized in terms of spatial coherence, resolution, contrast sensitivity, and stability. Its quantitativeness is demonstrated by comparing theoretical predictions with experimental data on simple wire phantoms both in planar and computerized-tomography-scan geometries. Application to two biological samples of medical interest shows the potential for bioimaging on the millimeter scale with spatial resolution of the order of 10 mu m and contrast resolution below 1%. All the scans are performed within laboratory-compatible exposure times, from 10 min to a few hours, and trade-offs between scan time and image quality are discussed.