Hierarchical phase-contrast tomography: a non-destructive multiscale imaging approach for whole human organs

Abstract

Achieving cellular-resolution imaging of intact human organs is critical for improving our understanding of anatomy and pathology. Traditional clinical imaging and histological methods often fail to provide both global and detailed views of entire organs. Hierarchical Phase-Contrast Tomography (HiP-CT), an approach leveraging the ESRF’s Extremely Brilliant Source upgrade to perform non-destructive, high-resolution imaging of intact human organs addresses these limitations. HiP-CT allows for whole organ scans at <20μm/voxel, with localized zooms down to 2μm/voxel, bridging the gap between clinical imaging and histology. This multi-scale capability enables detailed examination of anatomical structures and pathologies. We provide here the last developments of HiP-CT, along with various applications on human organs. HiP-CT has shown potential in research areas such as COVID-19 affected lungs and cardiac studies. Despite challenges like high radiation doses and data management, HiP-CT represents a significant advancement in biomedical imaging, with future research aiming to extend its application, correlative imaging upscale and downscale, and enhance data accessibility.

Authors 10

1. Joseph Brunet

   University College London · European Synchrotron Radiation Facility

   Affiliation as printed

   ESRF - The European Synchrotron (France)

   Univ. College London (United Kingdom)

2. Claire Walsh

   University College London

   Affiliation as printed

   Univ. College London (United Kingdom)

3. Paul Tafforeau

   European Synchrotron Radiation Facility

   Affiliation as printed

   ESRF - The European Synchrotron (France)

4. Hector Dejea

   European Synchrotron Radiation Facility

   Affiliation as printed

   ESRF - The European Synchrotron (France)

5. Andrew C. Cook

   University College London

   Affiliation as printed

   Univ. College London (United Kingdom)

6. Alexandre Bellier

   Université Grenoble Alpes

   Affiliation as printed

   Univ. Grenoble Alpes (France)

7. Klaus Engel

   Siemens Healthineers (Germany)

   Affiliation as printed

   Siemens Healthineers (Germany)

8. Danny D. Jonigkf Aachen Aachen Univ. (Germany)

   RWTH Aachen University · German Center for Lung Research

   Affiliation as printed

   Aachen Univ. (Germany)

   German Ctr. for Lung Research (DZL) (Germany)

9. Maximilian Ackermann Aachen Aachen Univ. (Germany)

   RWTH Aachen University · Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz · Witten/Herdecke University · University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

   Affiliation as printed

   Aachen Univ. (Germany)

   Univ. Medical Ctr. of the Johannes Gutenberg–Univ. Mainz (Germany)

   Univ. Witten/Herdecke (Germany)

10. Peter David Lee

    University College London · Research Complex at Harwell

    Affiliation as printed

    Research Complex at Harwell (United Kingdom)

    Univ. College London (United Kingdom)