Spectral Virtual Histology of the Thyroid: New Study Published in IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging

The PEPI Lab research group combines spectral micro-CT and phase-contrast imaging to map iodine distribution in thyroid tissue, validated at the ESRF synchrotron in Grenoble

The research, carried out at the PEPI Lab of the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) in Trieste, combines for the first time spectral X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and phase-contrast imaging techniques, enabling the production of three-dimensional maps of iodine distribution in thyroid tissue at a spatial resolution on the order of ten microns, together with detailed visualization of soft tissue capable of distinguishing healthy from pathological areas.

The study, coordinated by Dr. Luca Brombal, researcher at the Department of Physics of the University of Trieste and INFN, is the result of a collaboration between the Departments of Physics, Engineering and Architecture, and Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences of the University of Trieste, the Surgical Pathology Unit of Cattinara Hospital (ASUGI), the University of Calabria, and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble. The work was supported by the Projects of National Relevant Interest “MUST” and “Micro-CT,” funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research with the contribution of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) – NextGenerationEU.