Phase-contrast and dark-field CT reconstruction algorithm

1. A signal processing system, comprising:

a memory that stores a plurality of instructions; and

processor circuitry that couples to the memory and is configured to execute the instructions to:

receive interferometric projection data derived from signals acquired by an X-ray detector of an interferometric X-ray imaging apparatus, said signals caused by X-ray radiation after interaction of said X-ray radiation with an interferometer and with an object to be imaged, said interferometer having an inter-grating distance;

perform, based on the projection data and a forward signal model of a phase contrast signal, a reconstruction operation for one or more images in an image domain of a spatial distribution of at least one physical property of said object including a refractive index, wherein the reconstruction operation is an operation in a phase contrast signal channel with the refractive index as an observable, wherein the processor circuitry is configured to perform in the reconstruction operation a scaling operation based on the inter-grating distance of the interferometer and/or on a distance of a location in said image domain from said interferometer; and

output said one or more images.

2. The signal processing system of claim 1 , wherein the interferometer includes a source grating and said inter-grating distance corresponds to a distance between said source grating and a further grating of the interferometer.

3. The signal processing system of claim 1 , wherein the scaling operation is further based on a distance between a source grating and the detector.

4. The signal processing system of claim 1 , wherein said interferometer inter-grating distance corresponds to a distance between two gratings of the interferometer.

5. The signal processing system of claim 1 , wherein said distance between the image domain location and the interferometer corresponds to the distance between said image domain location and a source grating.

6. The signal processing system of claim 1 , wherein said distance between the image domain location and the interferometer corresponds to the distance between said image domain location and a grating of the interferometer.

7. The signal processing system of claim 1 , wherein the projection data has been acquired from different projection directions.

8. The signal processing system of claim 1 , the processor circuitry is configured to fit said interferometric projection data to the signal model by adapting a plurality of fitting variables, said fitting variables including i) the one or more imaging variables for the one or more images and ii), in addition to said one or more imaging variables, a dedicated phase variable for a fluctuation of a reference phase.

9. The system as per claim 1 , wherein said physical property includes any one or more of the following: i) attenuation, or ii) small angle scattering.

10. An imaging arrangement comprising:

a signal processing system of claim 1 ; and

an X-ray imager comprising an interferometer and an X-ray detector for supplying projection data.

11. A signal processing method, comprising:

receiving interferometric projection data derived from signals acquired by an X-ray detector of an interferometric X-ray imaging apparatus, said signals caused by X-ray radiation after interaction of said X-ray radiation with an interferometer and with an object to be imaged, said interferometer having an inter-grating distance;

performing, based on the projection data and a forward signal model of a phase contrast signal, a reconstruction operation for one or more images in an image domain of a spatial distribution of at least one physical property of said object including a refractive index, wherein the reconstruction operation is an operation in a phase contrast signal channel with the refractive index as an observable, wherein the reconstruction operation includes performing a scaling operation based on the inter-grating distance of the interferometer and/or on a distance of a location in said image domain from said interferometer; and

outputting said one or more images.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having one or more executable instructions, which, when executed by processor circuitry, cause the processor circuitry to perform a method comprising:

receiving interferometric projection data derived from signals acquired by an X-ray detector of an interferometric X-ray imaging apparatus, said signals caused by X-ray radiation after interaction of said X-ray radiation with an interferometer and with an object to be imaged, said interferometer having an inter-grating distance;

performing, based on the projection data and a forward signal model of a phase contrast signal, a reconstruction operation for one or more images in an image domain of a spatial distribution of at least one physical property of said object including a refractive index, wherein the reconstruction operation is an operation in a phase contrast signal channel with the refractive index as an observable, wherein the reconstruction operation includes performing a scaling operation based on the inter-grating distance of the interferometer and/or on a distance of a location in said image domain from said interferometer; and

outputting said one or more images.