Single-shot grating-based x-ray differential phase contrast imaging with a modified analyzer grating

X-ray grating interferometer has attracted widely attention in the past years due to its capability in achieving x-ray phase contrast imaging with low brilliance source. However, the widely used phase stepping information extraction method reduces system stability and prolongs data acquisition time by several times compared with conventional x-ray absorptionbased imaging. The mechanical stepping can be avoided by using a staggered grating, but at the cost of low vertical spatial resolution. In this paper, employing a modified staggered grating and the angular signal radiography, we proposed a single-shot grating-based x-ray differential phase contrast imaging with decent vertical spatial resolution. The theoretical framework was deduced and proved by numerical experiments. Absorption, phase, and scattering computed tomography can be performed without phase stepping. Therefore, we believe this fast and highly stable imaging method with decent resolution would be widely applied in x-ray grating-based phase contrast imaging.     

Boundary normal pressure-based electrical conductivity reconstruction for magneto–acoustic tomography with magnetic induction

As a kind of multi-physics imaging approach integrating the advantages of electrical impedance tomography and ultrasound imaging with the improved spatial resolution and image contrast, magneto–acoustic tomography with magnetic induction(MAT-MI) is demonstrated to have the capability of electrical impedance contrast imaging for biological tissues with conductivity differences. By being detected with a strong directional transducer, abrupt pressure change is proved to be generated by the gradient of the induced Lorentz force along the force direction at conductivity boundary. A simplified boundary normal pressure(BNP)-based conductivity reconstruction algorithm is proposed and the formula for conductivity distribution inside the object with the clear physical meaning of pressure derivative, is derived. Numerical simulations of acoustic pressure and conductivity reconstruction are conducted based on a 2-layer eccentric cylindrical phantom model using Hilbert transform. The reconstructed two-dimensional conductivity images accord well with the model, thus successfully making up the deficiency of only imaging conductivity boundary in traditional MAT-MI. The proposed method is also demonstrated to have a spatial resolution of one wavelength. This study provides a new method of reconstructing accurate electrical conductivity and suggests the potential applications of MAT-MI in imaging biological tissues with conductivity difference.     

Adaptive optimization on ultrasonic transmission tomography-based temperature image for biomedical treatment

Hyperthermia has proven to be beneficial to treating superficial malignancies, particularly chest wall recurrences of breast cancer. During hyperthermia, monitoring the time–temperature profiles in the target and surrounding areas is of great significance for the effect of therapy. An ultrasound-based temperature imaging method has advantages over other approaches. When the temperature around the tumor is calculated by using the propagation speed of ultrasound, there always exist overshoot artifacts along the boundary between different tissues. In this paper, we present a new method combined with empirical mode decomposition(EDM), similarity constraint, and continuity constraint to optimize the temperature images. Simulation and phantom experiment results compared with those from our previously proposed method prove that the EMD-based method can build a better temperature field image, which can adaptively yield better temperature images with less computation for assistant medical treatment control.     

基于逆卷积神经网络的等离子体辐射分布断层重建方法

发展了一种基于逆卷积神经网络的图像级重建方法用于聚变等离子体辐射分布的断层反演。通过引 入结构相似度(SSIM)作为损失函数,该方法在模拟数据实验中表现出了较好的重建效果。模拟实验结果表明,在 弦积分信号噪声强度为10%、15%及20%时,该方法的重建结果依然具有良好的精确度和鲁棒性。     

南海一号出水景德镇窑与龙泉窑青瓷特征的无损分析研究

古代陶瓷产地研究是陶瓷考古的重要内容,也是科技考古工作者研究的重点。目前国内古代陶瓷产地研究主要依赖化学成分分析技术,对陶瓷釉层结构特征的无损分析研究却相对缺乏,难以对古代陶瓷进行全方位的认知。该研究首次将光学相干层析(OCT)与X射线荧光(XRF)光谱分析技术相结合,对南海一号沉船出水的南宋初期景德镇窑和龙泉窑青瓷瓷釉的断层结构特征和化学成分特征进行综合无损分析研究。首先采用扫频OCT成像系统对两个窑址青瓷瓷釉断层结构及装饰工艺特征进行了研究,分析了青瓷瓷釉类型、釉层厚度、釉层内气泡、包裹体、表面裂纹等特征及分布状况,对比了两窑址青瓷瓷釉断层结构特征,确定了可能采用的装饰工艺。其次,利用X射线荧光(XRF)光谱分析获得了两窑址青瓷胎釉的化学成分,对比研究了两个窑址青瓷胎釉化学成分差异,进而探讨了瓷釉断层OCT图像特征与釉层化学成分之间存在的联系。实验结果表明,景德镇青瓷和龙泉青瓷样品在釉层厚度、气泡、裂纹、包裹体等瓷釉断层结构特征上差异明显,在胎釉化学成分方面,两类青瓷在胎釉着色相关元素、釉层碱性氧化物等成分含量上也存在差异。同时,瓷釉断面结构特征差异与釉层化学成分差异存在紧密联系。实验证明,将OCT与XRF相结合是一种有效的辨别瓷器窑口的科学技术方法。     

Reconstruction of Smoke Plume Concentration Peaks Based on Modified MAX-DOAS Tomography

Optical tomography system based on modified simultaneous iterative reconstruction tech-nique is designed to real-time monitor spatial distribution and diffusion process of smoke plume in a power plant. Concentration profiles, rather than just a point value, of smoke plume concentrations are the goal of this method, and the tomography algorithm is ana-lyzed. According to incomplete projection data in the process of reconstruction and exiting noise interference, the modified simultaneous iterative reconstruction technique (SIRT) is adopted to extract the information of the trace gas concentration by a fan beam scanning and is compared to the conventional SIRT. Three evaluation indexes show that the recon-struction effect is the best by choosing proper relaxation factor, which reduces the index d to 0.044 from 0.435 and reduces the index r to 0.044 from 0.376 for 5500 iterations. Hence, the modified algorithm performs better in estimating the shape of the plume, this method is used to process the measured spectra in field campaign, the reconstruction results and the measured data are basically consistent, which is further confirmed by the experimental results.     

Flame propagation speed and Markstein length of spherically expanding flames: Assessment of extrapolation and measurement techniques

Laminar burning velocities are of great importance in many combustion models as well as for validation and improvement of chemical kinetic schemes. Determining laminar burning velocities with high accuracy is quite challenging and different approaches exist. Hence, a comparison of existing methods measuring and evaluating laminar burning velocities is of interest. Here, two optical diagnostics, high speed tomography and Schlieren cinematography, are simultaneously set up to investigate methods for evaluating laminar flame speed in a spherical flame configuration. The hypothesis to obtain the same flame propagation radii over time with the two different techniques is addressed. Another important aspect is the estimation of flame properties, such as the unstretched flame propagation speed and Markstein length in the burnt gas phase and if these are estimated satisfactorily by common experimental approaches. Thorough evaluation of the data with several extrapolation techniques is undertaken. A systematic extrapolation approach is presented to give more confidence into results generated experimentally. The significance of the linear extrapolation routine is highlighted in this context. Measurements of spherically expanding flames are carried out in two high-pressure, high-temperature, constant-volume vessels at RWTH in Aachen, Germany and at ICARE in Orleans, France. For the discussion of the systematic extrapolation approach, flame speed measurements of methane / air mixtures with mixture Lewis numbers moderately away from unity are used. Conditions were varied from lean to rich mixtures, at temperatures of 298–373 K, and pressures of 1 atm and 5 bar.     

Experimental investigation on the flame front resistance of gas channel growth with melt formation in iron ore sinter beds

The resistance of the flame front within the solid bed constitutes a fundamental and crucial area in porous bed combustion as the flame front propagation is highly related to the productivity and product quality. This paper focuses on the iron ore sintering, a thermal agglomeration process in steel mills. The results from a detailed experimental study of the pilot-scale pot tests under the conditions of a wide range of fuel rate are presented. The primary objective is to provide better understanding of the growth of gas channels relating to melt formation in the flame front and its resistance to flow. The sintering bed was divided into several zones based on the temperature profile and component distribution. Even though there is a continuous one-to-one replacement of humidified zone with porous sintered zone, a constant air flow rate during sintering could be obtained, indicating the ～100?mm high-temperature zone has a controlling effect on sintering bed permeability. The specific pressure drop value in high-temperature zone increases from ～3?kPa in upper bed to ～7?kPa in bottom bed, which varies with the bed temperature and structure properties. Both the green bed and sintered bed were scanned by X-ray computed tomography, the reconstruction and image analysis showed that the sintered bed has large gas channels and many more closed pores due to solid-melt-gas coalescence. More melt is generated when the heat is accumulated along the bed or input higher coke content, showing a propensity to suppress the gas channel growth and amplify the mismatch of gas transportation along the bed. Higher coke rate leads to a higher resistance in flame front, resulting in a slower flame front speed. These results are aimed to provide quantitative validation for improvements of a numerical sintering model in a future work.     

Photochemical Conjugation and One‐Pot Radiolabelling of Antibodies for Immuno‐PET

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), immunoglobulin fragments, and other proteins are important scaffolds in the development of radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic immuno‐positron emission tomography (immuno‐PET) and targeted radioimmunotherapy (RIT). Conventional methods for radiolabelling proteins with metal ions such as ⁶⁸Ga, ⁶⁴Cu, ⁸⁹Zr, and ⁹⁰Y require multi‐step procedures involving pre‐purification, functionalisation with a chelate, and subsequent radiolabelling. Standard coupling chemistries are time‐consuming, difficult to automate, and involve synthesis, isolation, and storage of an intermediate, new molecular entity (the conjugated mAb) whose biochemical properties can differ from those of the parent protein. To circumvent these issues, we developed a photoradiochemical approach that uses fast, chemoselective, light‐induced protein modification under mild conditions with novel metal‐ion‐binding chelates derivatised with aryl azide (ArN₃) groups. Experiments show that one‐pot photochemical conjugation and radiolabelling of formulated mAbs can be achieved in <20 min.