A specimen holding and positioning apparatus operable to substantially non-movably maintain a specimen (e.g., an excised tissue specimen) in a fixed or stable orientation with respect to the apparatus during imaging operations (e.g., x-ray imaging), transport (e.g., from a surgery room to a pathologist's laboratory), and the like for use in facilitating accurate detection and diagnosis of cancers and/or other abnormalities of the specimen.

Systems and methods are provided for improved intra-operative micro-CT imaging of explanted tissue samples and for improved visualization of such samples. These embodiments provide for reduced scan times and the ability for radiologists to quickly receive useful scan imagery and to provide accurately-communicated recommendations to the operating surgeon. Improved scan visualization methods facilitate surgeon and radiologist interaction with the scan data, including of annotation, viewing, and reorientation to accurately reflect the orientation of imaged tissue samples relative to the body prior to explantation. Improved visualization methods include color-coded sample texturing to indicate sample orientation, color-coded tumor visualization to indicate proximity to sample margins, and intuitive methods for adjusting the location and orientation of two-dimensional visualizations relative to the sample.

A detection scheme for x-ray small angle scattering is described. An x-ray small angle scattering apparatus may include a first grating and a complementary second grating. The first grating includes a plurality of first grating cells. The complementary second grating includes a plurality of second grating cells. The second grating is positioned relative to the first grating. A configuration of the first grating, a configuration of the second grating and the relative positioning of the gratings are configured to pass one or more small angle scattered photons and to block one or more Compton scattered photons and one or more main x-ray photons.

Proposed is a non-destructive osteochondral graft quality analysis method using a Micro-CT assay, rather than using an existing biochemical assay involving destructive pretreatment of osteochondral tissue samples. Since the GAG content of the osteochondral graft can be measured by the non-destructive method through the Micro-CT assay, the quality analysis of the osteochondral graft provided by a donor can be easily performed, and the therapeutic effect of the osteochondral transplantation can be improved by enabling the use of a graft with a GAG content of 70% or more.

A surgical specimen imaging system includes a micro-X-ray computed tomography (CT) unit for CT imaging of the specimen and a structured light imaging (SLI) unit for optical imaging at multiple wavelengths, multiple phase offsets, and multiple structured-light pattern periods including unstructured light. The system's image processing unit receives CT and optical images and is configured by firmware in memory to co-register the images and process the optical images to determine texture at multiple subimages of the optical images, determined textures forming a texture map. The texture map is processed by a machine-learning-based classifier to determine a tissue type map of the specimen, and the tissue type map is processed with the CT images to give a 3D tissue-type map. In embodiments, the firmware extracts optical properties including scattering and absorption at multiple wavelengths and the classifier also uses these properties in generating the tissue type map.

A method for preparing a sample of organic material for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) may include obtaining granular organic material, forming a portion of the granular organic material into a sample pellet, and searing the organic material. The searing may include searing only an exposed end surface of the sample pellet on which LIBS analysis is to be performed. The method may include pressing the seared sample pellet to consolidate the material comprising the seared end surface.

An image processing apparatus comprises a processing unit configured to performing energy subtraction processing using information concerning a plurality of attenuation rates corresponding to a plurality of radiation energies that are different from each other and are obtained by performing imaging in which an object is irradiated with radiation. The processing unit estimates attenuation information of a decomposition target material contained in the object using at least one image obtained by the energy subtraction processing, and generates an image concerning the decomposition target material using the attenuation information and the information concerning the plurality of attenuation rates.

A specimen holding and positioning apparatus operable to substantially non-movably maintain a specimen (e.g., an excised tissue specimen) in a fixed or stable orientation with respect to the apparatus during imaging operations (e.g., x-ray imaging), transport (e.g., from a surgery room to a pathologist's laboratory), and the like for use in facilitating accurate detection and diagnosis of cancers and/or other abnormalities of the specimen.

Provided herein are diffractometer-based global diagnostic systems and uses thereof. The systems may comprise one or more diffraction apparatus operatively coupled to a computer database over a network. The one or more diffraction apparatus may be configured for transfer of data such as pathology lab image data, diffraction pattern data, subject data, or any combination thereof to the computer database over the network. The systems may further comprise one or more computer processors operatively coupled to the one or more diffraction apparatus, which computer processors may be configured to receive the data from the diffraction apparatus, transmit the data to the computer database, and process the data using a data analytics algorithm which may provide a computer-aided diagnostic indicator for the individual subject.

Methods and devices are disclosed for the tomographic imaging of a biological sample from almost all rotational perspectives in three-dimensional space and with multiple imaging modalities. A biological sample is positioned on an imaging stage that is capable of nearly full 360-degree rotation in at least one of two substantially orthogonal axes. Positioned about the stage is an X-ray imaging module enabling the recording of a series of images. A reflected light imaging module can also be positioned about the stage to enable recording of black and white or color white light images. A computer can use the images to construct three-dimensional models of the sample and to render images of the sample conveying information from one or more imaging channels.