High-resolution extraction of absorption, refraction and scattering properties using x-ray scanning absorption grid imaging

Abstract Absorption grid imaging (AGI) is a promising x-ray differential phase-contrast imaging technique that offers high-contrast sample information for weakly absorbing materials. This approach reduces the complexity of optical component fabrication and facilitates large field-of-view x-ray phase contrast imaging. With these advantages, AGI has tremendous potential for applications in various fields, such as clinical medicine and security screening. However, traditional single-shot AGI, developed to enable low-dose or time-resolved imaging, often sacrifices image quality, resulting in limited spatial resolution and inadequate signal-to-noise ratio. To address this limitation, this work introduces a scanning AGI technique combined with a novel algorithm for obtaining absorption, refraction, and directional scattering images of samples with enhanced resolution and quality. Experimental validation with representative samples demonstrates the approach’s capability to provide high-resolution images and highlights its potential for a wide range of biomedical imaging applications.