X-ray imaging of various biological samples using a phase-contrast hard X-ray microscope

Microsc Res Tech. 2008 Sep;71(9):639-43. doi: 10.1002/jemt.20601.

Abstract

In this study, we visualized the internal structures of various bio-samples and found the optimum conditions of test samples for the 7 keV hard X-ray microscope of the Pohang light source. From the captured X-ray images, we could observe the intercellular and intracellular structures of dehydrated human cells and mouse tumor tissues without using any staining materials in a spatial resolution better than 100 nm. The metastasized lung tissue, which was several tens of micrometers in thickness, was found to be very well suited to this hard X-ray microscope system, because it is nearly impossible to observe such a nontransparent and thick sample with a high spatial resolution better than 100 nm using any microscopes such as a soft X-ray microscope, an optical microscope, or an electron microscope.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Diagnostic Imaging / methods
  • Humans
  • Lung / cytology*
  • Lung / pathology
  • Mice
  • Microscopy / instrumentation
  • Microscopy / methods*
  • Microscopy, Phase-Contrast / instrumentation*
  • Microscopy, Phase-Contrast / methods
  • Staining and Labeling / methods
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • X-Rays*