Project description
Unlocking hidden data in X-ray microtomography
Imaging techniques at synchrotron sources produce highly detailed 3D pictures of materials, but much of the data remains underutilised. For instance, X-ray microtomography, a powerful tool in these facilities, captures stunning images but struggles to separate overlapping signals from attenuation, refraction, and scattering. This prevents the extraction of key information about material composition and structure. As a result, the full potential of these imaging systems remains untapped. With this in mind, the ERC-funded DEPICT project will develop a new algorithm to separate these mixed signals. By unlocking the hidden information, the project aims to make fast, quantitative, and material-specific imaging the standard in synchrotron-based research.
Objective
X-ray microtomography is increasingly popular at synchrotron sources worldwide. The high flux and excellent beam properties allow for a fast three-dimensional visualization of various kinds of specimens at micrometre spatial resolution and exceptionally high image quality. But all these imaging instruments use the unique synchrotron sources merely to depict the objects’ internal structure. All further quantitative information encoded into the data remains unused. The reason is a lack of an image retrieval method, which accurately models the whole image formation process with highly-coherent radiation on the micrometre scale to extract all contained information from a single exposure. Consequently, these microtomographic images always contain a mixture of different signals based on various interaction effects – namely attenuation, refraction and scattering. Accurately separating all the signals will allow to quantify concentration and microstructure of materials of interest and to locate them inside the object, which is unattainable in a single exposure at the moment.
The main goal of this project is to enable simple and fast X-ray microtomography at highly-coherent sources to fully exploit the disregarded information contained in the imaging data. My team will develop a robust algorithm for accurate signal separation modelling all interaction effects and demonstrate the benefit of material decomposition for highlighted applications. With this tool at hand our ambition is to fundamentally change the way of imaging at modern synchrotron sources: Imaging will no longer be solely a morphological method, as quantitative and material-specific information will become standardly available in fast microtomography at all coherent sources worldwide.
Keywords
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2023-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
80333 Muenchen
Germany
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