This proposal is to provide partial support for Prof. Leroy Chapman to pursue a program of study to apply Diffraction Enhanced X-ray Imaging (DEI) to mammography and other areas of medical imaging.

Prof. Chapman is a co-developer of the technique and intends to determine the applicability of that technique to the imaging of cancerous tissue in hopes that it will provide contrast to allow earlier or more reliable detection. Being a new researcher in breast cancer imaging, he intends to become more proficient in mammography and look for opportunities to apply the DEI technique to other areas of medical imaging.

DEI is a new imaging technology that our preliminary work suggests has application to breast imaging. Pilot experiments have been performed at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory that have explored the use of x-ray optics to mammography. The unique feature of the technique is that it will simultaneously deliver an enhanced image of the absorption and refraction characteristics. Images of a test object have shown contrast enhancements in excess of a factor of 25.

The sensitivity of the DEI technique to refraction and extinction contrast is optimal at higher x-ray imaging energies. This will allow a reduction in the x-ray source requirements and also possibly allow reduced breast compression.

This award will allow Prof. Chapman to (1) explore the potential application of DEI to mammography; (2) understand at a fundamental level the DEI process and the sources of contrast; (3) become more aware of the current state-of-the-art in mammography, breast cancer research, and medical imaging; (4) explore the possibility of developing a dedicated imaging program at the Advanced Photon Source, with the major imaging research program being the application of DEI to medical imaging; and (5) pursue the development of a laboratory/clinic-based DEI imaging system.