Two-dimensional gratings-based phase-contrast imaging using a conventional x-ray tube.

A Talbot-Lau interferometer using two-dimensional gratings and a conventional x-ray tube has been used to investigate a phase-contrast imaging technique that is sensitive to phase gradients in two orthogonal directions. Fourier analysis of Moiré fringe patterns was introduced to obtain differential phase images and scattering images from a single exposure. Two-dimensional structures of plastic phantoms and characteristic features of soft tissue were clearly obtained at 17.5 keV. The phase-stepping technique was also examined to investigate the spatial resolution of different phase retrieval methods. In the presented setup we found that the choice of phase retrieval method made little difference in image blur, and a large effective source size was found to give a high intensity in the image plane.