Acquisition of Phase-Contrast X-Ray Images With Commercial Off-the-Shelf CMOS Image Sensors

This article presents a system to obtain X-ray phase-contrast images using a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS), low-cost, CMOS image sensor as a direct radiation detector. The 5.2- $\mu $ m pixel pitch allows the detection of Fresnel diffraction fringes, which enables the observation of borders and interfaces in samples. A simple experimental setup comprising a microfocus, tungsten anode, X-ray source, an image sensor, and the sample placed at tens of centimeters from the detector is used to measure Fresnel diffraction patterns in opaque and semi-transparent samples on semi-infinite planes. In addition, two biological samples are presented as case studies. The sensor’s spectral resolution allows for a better understanding of the results.