Smart Detectors for Darkfield X-ray Imaging

The main objective of this project is to improve the early detection and accuracy of lung disease diagnosis by developing a novel detector concept for dark-field X-ray imaging - a novel method with great potential for the assessment of pathological changes in the alveolar microstructure of the lung as recently discovered in initial patient studies.

Our research will focus on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the third leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for more than 3.2 million deaths each year.

Traditional chest X-rays, while critical for diagnosis, are often inadequate for the early and accurate detection of mild to moderate COPD due to their limited sensitivity.

Similarly, computed tomography (CT) scans are limited in detecting early stages of COPD and are associated with much higher radiation doses.

This highlights a significant diagnostic need, as current methods, including spirometry and conventional imaging, cannot reliably assess the severity of COPD.Our goal is to develop a breakthrough detector technology that overcomes the key challenge of darkfield imaging: the need for a 50% absorbing grating.

By utilizing the latest advances in nanoscintillation materials and single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) sensor technology, we intend to directly resolve the interference patterns characteristic of darkfield imaging.

This new technology not only promises to reduce the radiation dose required by current darkfield techniques by 50%, but also enables integration with single-photon spectral detection.This initiative is a high-risk, high-reward project with the potential to revolutionize X-ray imaging technology, particularly lung imaging, after more than 125-years of practice.

Most notably, it will lay the technological foundation for routine integration into the next generation of medical X-ray and CT imaging technology.