• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.95-101
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• 2007

Recently, small-animal imaging technology has been rapidly developed for longitudinal screening of laboratory animals such as mice and rats. One of newly developed imaging modalities for small animals is an x-ray micro-CT (computed tomography). We have developed two types of x-ray micro-CT systems for small animal imaging. Both systems use flat-panel x-ray detectors and micro-focus x-ray sources to obtain high spatial resolution of $10{\mu}m$. In spite of the relatively large field-of-view (FOV) of flat-panel detectors, the spatial resolution in the whole-body imaging of rats should be sacrificed down to the order of $100{\mu}m$ due to the limited number of x-ray detector pixels. Though the spatial resolution of cone-beam CTs can be improved by moving an object toward an x-ray source, the FOV should be reduced and the object size is also limited. To overcome the limitation of the object size and resolution, we introduce zoom-in micro-tomography for high-resolution imaging of a local region-of-interest (ROI) inside a large object. For zoom-in imaging, we use two kinds of projection data in combination, one from a full FOV scan of the whole object and the other from a limited FOV scan of the ROI. Both of our micro-CT systems have zoom-in micro-tomography capability. One of both is a micro-CT system with a fixed gantry mounted with an x-ray source and a detector. An imaged object is laid on a rotating table between a source and a detector. The other micro-CT system has a rotating gantry with a fixed object table, which makes whole scans without rotating an object. In this paper, we report the results of in vivo small animal study using the developed micro-CTs.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.403-408
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• 2011

To develop the MFX (Micro-Focus X-ray) tube, the trajectories of electrons emitted from the field emission cathode was simulated using SIMION program. Regardless of starting position of the electron in emitter, we found out the fact that there is the optimum extractor voltage Ve, which can focus the electron beam on one place. Extractor voltage Ve varies depending on the source voltage Vs, but the ratio of two voltages (Ve/Vs) is always constant, its value was 99.4%. When the ratio of two voltages (Ve/Vs) was 99.4%, the beam diameter in the cross-over point was $1.2{\mu}m$. Because the focal spot size in MFXG (Micro-Focus X-ray Generator) can not be less than the cross-over diameter within MFX tube, it is important to find out the conditions that can make a smaller beam diameter. Therefore, the above results is considered to be a very important ones in the development of the MFXG.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.295-300
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• 2005

We introduce an x-ray micro tomography system capable of high resolution imaging of a local region inside a small animal. By combining two kinds of projection data, one from a full field-of-view (FOV) scan of the whole body and the other from a limited FOV scan of the region of interest, we have obtained zoomed-in images of the region of interest without any contrast a nomalies. We have integrated a micro tomography system using a micro-focus x-ray source, a $1248\times1248$ flat-panel x-ray detector, and a precision scan mechanism. Using the cross-sectional images taken with the zoom-in micro tomography system, we measured trabecular thicknesses of femur bones in postmortem rats. To compensate the limited spatial resolution in the zoom-in micro tomography images, we used the fuzzy distance transform for the calculation of the trabecular thickness. To validate the trabecular thickness measurement with the zoom-in micro tomography images, we compared the measurement results with the ones obtained from the conventional micro tomography images of the extracted bone samples.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.97-102
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• 2004

We developed an x-ray cone-beam micro computed tomography (micro-CT) system for small-animal imaging. The micro-CT system consists of a 2-D flat-panel x-ray detector with a field-of-view (FOV) of 120${\times}$120 mm2, a micro-focus x-ray source, a scan controller and a parallel image reconstruction system. Imaging performances of the micro-CT system have been evaluated in terms of contrast and spatial resolution. The minimum resolvable contrast has been found to be less than 36 CT numbers at the dose of 95 mGy and the spatial resolution about 14 lp/mm. As small animal imaging results, we present high resolution 3-D images of rat organs including a femur, a heart and vessels. We expected that the developed micro-CT system can be greatly used in biomedical studies using small animals.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.205-210
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• 2000

Measurements of phase identification and degree of orientation for fine-grained (about 0.3 mm in diameter) minerals in rock samples performed by micro-area X-ray diffractometer.$Al_{2}SiO_{5}$ polymorphs (andalusite, kyanite and sillimanite) were chosen for the measurements and target minerals were existed on thin sections. Micro-area X-ray diffractometer is composed of 3(${\omega}\;{\chi}\;{\phi}$)-circle oscillating goniometer and position sensitive proportional counter (PSPC). $CuK_{\alpha}$ radiation was used as X-ray source and a pin hole ($50\;\mu\textrm{m}$$ in diameter) collimator was selected to focus radiation X-ray onto the target minerals. Phase identification and diffracted X-ray peak indexing were carried out by 3(${\omega}\;{\chi}\;{\phi}$)-circle oscillation measurement. Then, 2(${\omega}\;{\phi}$)-circle oscillation measurement was made for the purpose of searching the prevailing lattice plane of the minerals on thin section surface. Finally, for a selected peak by 2-circle oscillation measurement, X-ray pole figure measurement was executed for the purpose of check the degree of orientation of the single lattice direction and examine its pole distribution. As a result of 3-circle oscillation measurement, it was possible that phase identification among $Al_{2}SiO_{5}$ polymorphs. And from the results of 2-circle oscillation measurement and X-ray pole figure measurement, we recognized that poles of andalusite (122), kyanite (200) and sillimanite (310) lattice plances were well developed with direction normal to each mineral surface plane respectively. Therfore, the measurements used with micro-area X-ray diffractometer in this study will be a useful tool of phase identification and degree of orientation measurement for fine-grained rock forming minerals.