X-ray dark-field computed tomography using a grating interferometer setup

Dark-field x-ray projection imaging and dark-field neutron computed tomography have both recently been demonstrated. Such techniques provide insight into the small-angle scattering properties of the image objects. In this work, the dark-field x-ray imaging method is extended to x-ray computed tomography in order to provide unique and complementary information to the previously reported phase contrast and absorption contrast CT images. Dark-field reconstructions are presented and compared to these two other contrast mechanisms, all three of which can be obtained from a single acquisition using an x-ray grating interferometer setup. Objects which provide little absorption contrast, but have a significant small-angle scattering component, are better visualized in a dark-field CT reconstruction.