The development of an anthropomorphic phantom for the validation of dark field lung imaging

Lung imaging is the most promising application of dark field phase contrast imaging. In practice, however, there is not yet system available for routine use in a hospital. Most tests are performed at large synchrotron facilities. A lot of investigations are into the design of systems for a (normal size) hospital. The company Agfa will install a new type of system in our hospital. It will be investigated whether the system offers any benefit in comparison to classical x-ray units. The lung is a particularly challenging organ. It has to be inflated in order to study the pulmonary function. This puts limitations to the use of ex vivo tissue samples. We have a unique access to deep frozen inflated lungs. This is however a very fragile tissue, that will serve as gold standard. Animal work is a next possibility, that we have to avoid if other means are available. In present thesis, an anthropomorphic test object will be developed. X-ray properties, of absorption and phase contrast imaging should represent real lungs. In addition, also the morphology of the microstructures, and more specifically the distribution of air, should be respected. Many of the properties can probably be obtained from detailed scans of the deep frozen lung tissue. Candidate models should be verified in simulation experiments, and if appropriate should then be realized in practice and then tested. In a next phase, also pathological conditions should be monitored.