X-ray tensor tomography

¹ Lehrstuhl für Biomedizinische Physik, Physik- Department and Institut für Medizintechnik, Technische Universität München - 85748 Garching, Germany
² Chair for Computer Aided Medical Procedures (CAMP), Technische Universität München 85748 Garching, Germany
³ Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Applied Materials - WK, Engelbert-Arnold Straβe 4, 76128 Karlsruhe, Germany

^(b) Andreas.Malecki@ph.tum.de

Received: 12 November 2013
Accepted: 29 January 2014

Abstract

Here we introduce a new concept for x-ray computed tomography that yields information about the local micro-morphology and its orientation in each voxel of the reconstructed 3D tomogram. Contrary to conventional x-ray CT, which only reconstructs a single scalar value for each point in the 3D image, our approach provides a full scattering tensor with multiple independent structural parameters in each volume element. In the application example shown in this study, we highlight that our method can visualize sub-pixel fiber orientations in a carbon composite sample, hence demonstrating its value for non-destructive testing applications. Moreover, as the method is based on the use of a conventional x-ray tube, we believe that it will also have a great impact in the wider range of material science investigations and in future medical diagnostics.