Imaging in the modern age

This report of the 2011 James L. Waters Symposium at Pittcon 2011 highlights the powerful imaging technologies of electron microscopy (EM) and ion microscopy (IM). The four speakers each provided a window into a specific subset of the field:

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David Bell described the history, development, application, and commercialization of transmission EM (TEM) and scanning TEM (STEM);

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David Martin presented the challenges and methodologies of imaging ordered polymers and biomaterials with TEM;

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Joseph Michael explained the history of the commercialization of scanning EM (SEM) and its modern applications; and,

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David Joy, who submitted his talk in absentia, provided a history of EM and a summary of the advantages of IM versus EM.

     

基于成像差分吸收光谱技术和压缩感知理论的烟囱烟羽断层重建研究

烟羽断层重建质量受两方面条件限制：其中一个限制条件是遥感设备的时间分辨率。以往的研究多使用多轴差分吸收光谱仪（MAX-DOAS）进行CT重建,受采集数据速度的限制,重建图像的时间分辨率较低。另一个限制条件是,采集到的数据量有限,是典型的不完全角度重建。过去多使用代数迭代重建算法或统计迭代重建算法,重建图像受测量误差的影响比较大,分辨率较低且伪影较多。构造了基于成像差分吸收光谱技术（IDOAS）的光谱数据采集系统,与多轴差分吸收光谱仪构造的系统相比,数据采集的时间分辨率提高了160多倍,基本解决了时间分辨率的问题。提出了一种基于压缩感知理论和低三阶导数模型的烟羽断层重建算法--投影凸函数集低三阶导数法,简称为POCS-LTD。在投影的过程中,使用代数重建算法使重建图像符合投影方程;在全变分迭代的过程中使用了优化算法,将低三阶导数模型的全变分归一化值作为优化算法的迭代方向,前次迭代运算结果与本次投影运算的差值的模作为迭代步长。对重建算法进行了数值模拟,并以重建图像的接近度和一致性相关因子为指标,对重建结果进行了分析。数值模拟表明,算法具有良好的抗误差能力,与传统的低三阶导数法相比,本文提出的算法将重建接近度减小了80%以上。使用烟羽数据采集系统进行了外场实验,用POCS-LTD算法对外场实验的数据进行了烟羽重建,重建图像显示烟羽图像清晰,伪影得到了较好的抑制。介绍的烟羽断层数据采集系统和烟羽断层重建算法,提高了烟羽断层重建图像的时间分辨率,减少了重建图像的伪影,扩大了光谱测量技术的应用范围。     

Ultimate quantum limits for resolution of beam displacements

We compare two high sensitivity techniques which are used to measure very small displacements of physical objects by optical techniques: the interferometric devices, measuring longitudinal phase shifts, and the devices used to monitor transverse displacement of light beams. We detail the differences and the similarities for the quantum limits on the resolution of both systems. In both cases squeezed light can be used to resolve beyond the standard quantum limit and number correlated states allow us to reach the “Heisenberg” limit. Received 12 September 2002 Published online 21 January 2003     

Contrast manipulation in NMR imaging

The past few years have shown rapid growth of NMR imaging in both image quality and diagnostic usefulness. It has become apparent, as the images have been published, that both inter- and intra-group imaging of the same underlying pathology produces images which can have vastly differing appearance. This effect is mainly due to imaging techniques which use different pulse sequence types and timings thus varying the relative contribution of the protpn density, T1, and T2 properties of the tissues. In this paper we investigate the contrast manipulation effects and methods for SNR optimization for the saturation recovery, inversion recovery, spin echo, and inversion recovery spin echo pulse sequences when applied to three clinically relevant imaging tasks.     

Gadolinium oxide: a protoype agent for contrast enhanced imaging of the liver and spleen with magnetic resonance

Gd2O3 particles (less than 2 microns) in suspension were evaluated as a potential contrast agent for liver-spleen imaging with magnetic resonance. The agent was administered IV to rabbits in doses ranging from 10 to 120 mumol/kg and the tissues removed after sacrifice for in vitro T1 and T2 analysis. The temporal response was determined in liver and spleen samples of rabbits given a fixed dose (60 mumol/kg) and sacrificed at intervals from 15 min to 60 hr later. Documentation of the subanatomic location of Gd2O3 particles in tissue was accomplished by electron microscopy and x-ray dispersion microanalysis. T1 weighted images were obtained at 0.12T on a prototype resistive scanner. The liver, spleen, and lung relaxation times are very responsive to Gd2O3 IV and the effect is dose related. A peak effect is observed between 3-7 hr after injection and relaxation times may normalize by 60 hr. By electron microscopic and x-ray analysis, Gd2O3 is most prominently found in the hepatic and splenic sinusoids. The images show marked enhancement of liver and splenic tissues, aiding in the clear delineation of these tissues from neighboring structures.     

Design and application of phase photon sieve

The imaging principle of Fresnel zone plate and photon sieve were analyzed in this paper. The design and fabrication of phase photon sieve were discussed. The feasibility of using phase photon sieve to realize nano-lithography was analyzed, a novel lithography experiment system based on phase photon sieve was presented, which not only has higher resolution and image contrast than the Fresnel zone plate lithography but also have higher diffractive efficiency than the amplitude photon sieve lithography.     

Decoding neural events from fMRI BOLD signal: A comparison of existing approaches and development of a new algorithm

Neuroimaging methodology predominantly relies on the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal. While the BOLD signal is a valid measure of neuronal activity, variances in fluctuations of the BOLD signal are not only due to fluctuations in neural activity. Thus, a remaining problem in neuroimaging analyses is developing methods that ensure specific inferences about neural activity that are not confounded by unrelated sources of noise in the BOLD signal. Here, we develop and test a new algorithm for performing semiblind (i.e., no knowledge of stimulus timings) deconvolution of the BOLD signal that treats the neural event as an observable, but intermediate, probabilistic representation of the system's state. We test and compare this new algorithm against three other recent deconvolution algorithms under varied levels of autocorrelated and Gaussian noise, hemodynamic response function (HRF) misspecification and observation sampling rate. Further, we compare the algorithms' performance using two models to simulate BOLD data: a convolution of neural events with a known (or misspecified) HRF versus a biophysically accurate balloon model of hemodynamics. We also examine the algorithms' performance on real task data. The results demonstrated good performance of all algorithms, though the new algorithm generally outperformed the others (3.0% improvement) under simulated resting-state experimental conditions exhibiting multiple, realistic confounding factors (as well as 10.3% improvement on a real Stroop task). The simulations also demonstrate that the greatest negative influence on deconvolution accuracy is observation sampling rate. Practical and theoretical implications of these results for improving inferences about neural activity from fMRI BOLD signal are discussed.