Fratini, Michela;
Massimi, Lorenzo;
Brun, Francesco;
Batey, Darren;
Bukreeva, Inna;
Mittone, Alberto;
Bravin, Alberto;
... Sierra, Alejandra; + view all
(2025)
Optimising sample preparation to enhance contrast-to-noise ratio in X-ray phase contrast tomography white matter (WM) imaging of the central nervous system.
Frontiers in Physics
, 13
, Article 1479573. 10.3389/fphy.2025.1479573.
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Abstract
The choice of fixative is critical in X-ray phase-contrast tomography (XPCT) because it affects tissue preservation, contrast enhancement and compatibility with other imaging techniques. A careful selection and optimization of fixatives can lead to significant improvements in the quality and accuracy of imaging results, which is especially important when studying complex biological systems such as those involved in neurodegeneration, where it is crucial to maintain the fine details of the Grey Matter (GM) and White Matter (WM) structures. Dehydration with ethanol and xylene is commonly used as it effectively removes water while minimising structural alterations. Using perfusion in ethanol and dehydration in xylene as a secondary fixative can increase the contrast, thereby improving the visibility of myelinated fibers without using a contrast agent. In this paper we discuss an optimised fixation method to significantly enhance the contrast and boost the signal to noise ratio (SNR) in XPCT images of WM in the central nervous system (CNS).
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Optimising sample preparation to enhance contrast-to-noise ratio in X-ray phase contrast tomography white matter (WM) imaging of the central nervous system |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.3389/fphy.2025.1479573 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.3389/fphy.2025.1479573 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2025 Fratini, Massimi, Brun, Batey, Bukreeva, Mittone, Bravin, Longo, Tromba, Giove, Cipiccia and Sierra. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
| Keywords: | white matter (WM), central nervous system, xylene, X ray phase-contrast tomography, advanced imaging techniques |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Med Phys and Biomedical Eng |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10210582 |
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