X-ray scattering tensor tomography with different wavefront modulators to study the 3D arrangement of human auditory ossicles

The two primary goals of this proposal are: demonstrating X-ray tensor tomography (XTT) with speckle-based imaging for the first time and investigating the unknown sub-micron 3D structure of auditory ossicles within the human middle ear at the macro-scale. XTT allows for the 3D visualisation of X-ray scattering (dark field) from features smaller than the resolution of the imaging system and enables the quantitative detection of the orientation of anisotropic structures within the sample. While the method has successfully been demonstrated using gratings, speckle-based XTT has not been achieved to date. We will apply the novel speckle TT method to the investigation of the main orientation of microstructures within healthy and pathological human middle-ear ossicles. The inner structure of ossicles is largely unknown and further knowledge would be an important step towards a better understanding of hearing loss and the planning and assessment of reconstructive ossicle surgery.

本提案的两大核心目标为：首次实现基于散斑成像（speckle-based imaging）的X射线张量层析成像（X-ray tensor tomography, XTT），并在宏观尺度下探究人类中耳内听小骨（auditory ossicles）尚未明确的亚微米级三维结构。XTT可对小于成像系统分辨率的结构特征实现X射线散射（暗场）的三维可视化，并可定量检测样本内各向异性结构的取向。尽管该方法已通过光栅成功验证，但基于散斑成像的XTT至今仍未实现。我们将运用这一新颖的散斑TT方法，探究正常与病变人类中耳听小骨内微观结构的主取向。目前听小骨的内部结构仍鲜为人知，对其开展进一步研究将为加深对听力损失的认知、规划并评估听小骨重建手术提供重要支撑。