My group is focused on the development of X-Ray imaging techniques for clinical and research applications. In the US 72% of medical imaging procedures involve X-rays such as radiography, angiography, CT and image guided interventional procedures. We look for ways to improve the specificity of x-ray tests by adding new measurements from the wave nature of x-rays, which are independent from the conventional attenuation contrast, without reduction of the quality and speed of existing measurements in x-ray scans. This research is dependent on the ability to make x-ray optical elements containing arrays of micro or nano meter structures in overall sizes comparable to the human anatomy. This is a highly challenging area at the very edge of nano-fabrication technologies. Our former fabrication expert Dr. Houxun Miao has left NIH to start a fabrication company in Indiana. We collaborated with him this year to characterize x-ray optical elements made with new technologies that Dr. Miao is developing. In collaboration with Dr. Pushin of University of Waterloo and Dr. Hussey of NIST Neutron Research Center, we contributed to advances in neutron interferometry for material science and precision measurements. At the same time, our postbac student David Nguyen and I evaluated micro structures that naturally occur in nature as potential x-ray optical elements with some particular advantages. We identified some interesting materials, but has not yet find the right application for these materials. Future plan: We will continue to collaborate with Dr. Miao in his development of x-ray optics from his company. The natural structure approach has given us an additional option which is ready to be used when the right application comes into view.
| George, Alex; Chen, Peter Y; Morales-Martinez, Alejandro et al. (2017) Geometric calibration and correction for a lens-coupled detector in x-ray phase-contrast imaging. J Med Imaging (Bellingham) 4:013507 |
| Miao, Houxun; Panna, Alireza; Gomella, Andrew A et al. (2016) A Universal Moiré Effect and Application in X-Ray Phase-Contrast Imaging. Nat Phys 12:830-834 |
| Miao, Houxun; Chen, Lei; Mirzaeimoghri, Mona et al. (2016) Cryogenic Etching of High Aspect Ratio 400 nm Pitch Silicon Gratings. J Microelectromech Syst 25:963-967 |
| Miao, Houxun; Gomella, Andrew A; Harmon, Katherine J et al. (2015) Enhancing Tabletop X-Ray Phase Contrast Imaging with Nano-Fabrication. Sci Rep 5:13581 |
| Nayak, Krishna S; Nielsen, Jon-Fredrik; Bernstein, Matt A et al. (2015) Cardiovascular magnetic resonance phase contrast imaging. J Cardiovasc Magn Reson 17:71 |
| Harmon, Katherine J; Miao, Houxun; Gomella, Andrew A et al. (2015) Motionless electromagnetic phase stepping versus mechanical phase stepping in x-ray phase-contrast imaging with a compact source. Phys Med Biol 60:3031-43 |
| Harmon, Katherine J; Bennett, Eric E; Gomella, Andrew A et al. (2014) Efficient decoding of 2D structured illumination with linear phase stepping in X-ray phase contrast and dark-field imaging. PLoS One 9:e87127 |
| Wen, Han; Gomella, Andrew A; Patel, Ajay et al. (2014) Boosting phase contrast with a grating Bonse-Hart interferometer of 200 nanometre grating period. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 372:20130028 |
| Miao, Houxun; Gomella, Andrew A; Chedid, Nicholas et al. (2014) Fabrication of 200 nm period hard X-ray phase gratings. Nano Lett 14:3453-8 |
| Wei, Hongjiang; Viallon, Magalie; Delattre, Benedicte M A et al. (2013) Assessment of cardiac motion effects on the fiber architecture of the human heart in vivo. IEEE Trans Med Imaging 32:1928-38 |
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