Nikon-UCL Prosperity Partnership on Next-Generation X-Ray Imaging
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
Department Name: Medical Physics and Biomedical Eng
Abstract
X-Ray Imaging (XRI) has a fundamental role in medicine and security, and is instrumental in the automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical industries and in manufacturing in general. Cultural heritage relies on XRI, as do materials science, biology, and many other scientific fields. Through our established collaboration between Nikon X-Tek Systems (NXTS, Nikon's UK based x-ray division) and UCL, we are targeting the next paradigm shift in XRI. Our vision is that this will involve the incorporation of phase effects in the image formation process ("Phase-based" XRI) coupled with energy-resolved ("colour") XRI and new data reconstruction and interpretation algorithms. "Colour" XRI could be seen as the x-ray equivalent of the transition from black and white to colour photography, meaning a much wider spectrum of information can be obtained from the imaged sample. Phase-based XRI enables contrast increases of up to two orders of magnitude, thus allowing the detection of features classically considered "x-ray invisible".
Our vision is to marry UCL's world-class research and expertise on phase-based XRI, inverse problems and nanofabrication with NXTS's innovation on scatter analysis, image reconstruction and colour x-ray imaging in order to achieve the next step change in XRI technology, with the UK industrial and academic communities firmly at the centre. This will deliver transformative solutions that are practicable in an industrial context and beneficial to a wide user base, while also enabling new science. Our ambition is to replace conventional attenuation based XRI with energy-resolved, phase-based technology combined with scatter retrieval and novel algorithms in most application areas.
At synchrotron facilities, UCL researchers have used phase-based XRI to image rocks, metals, tissues, animals, humans, cells, foams, fabrics, batteries, manufacturing processes, food, and heritage artefacts. They have done this statically and dynamically, in situ and in operando, in vivo and ex vivo, invariably detecting key features that were invisible to other methods. Making this available through standard, lab-size machines would be nothing short of a revolution, leading to economic and societal impact through the multi-disciplinary applications, making NXTS the commercial leader in the field, and cementing UK's leading research status. In our vision this will be strengthen even further by its combination with "colour" imaging, and with new ways of handling scattered radiation such that the "structured" scatter signal leading to additional information is exploited, while the uniform background that limits image contrast and therefore detail visibility is rejected.
We will pursue this vision through a combination of modelling and experimental work. Using experimentally validated simulation software developed jointly by the UCL and NXTS teams, we will model experiments before they are carried out, compare simulated and experimental results, refine models and setups until all discrepancies are clarified, and only then proceed to the next step. This will enable us to develop systems where i) we keep all parameters under control and have full understanding of their effects and implications, and ii) we can steer the design towards effective solutions to specific problems. Cutting-edge nanofabrication methods (available at UCL's Photonic Innovations Lab and London Centre for Nanotechnology) will enable the development of beam modulators that allow the exploitation of phase effects with the conventional x-ray sources routinely used by NXTS.
We will apply the novel technologies to a range of high-impact applications, including non-destructive testing of composite materials and additive manufacturing processes and products, biomaterials and tissue-engineered organs, digital histology, improved detection of concealed explosives and forensics.
Our vision is to marry UCL's world-class research and expertise on phase-based XRI, inverse problems and nanofabrication with NXTS's innovation on scatter analysis, image reconstruction and colour x-ray imaging in order to achieve the next step change in XRI technology, with the UK industrial and academic communities firmly at the centre. This will deliver transformative solutions that are practicable in an industrial context and beneficial to a wide user base, while also enabling new science. Our ambition is to replace conventional attenuation based XRI with energy-resolved, phase-based technology combined with scatter retrieval and novel algorithms in most application areas.
At synchrotron facilities, UCL researchers have used phase-based XRI to image rocks, metals, tissues, animals, humans, cells, foams, fabrics, batteries, manufacturing processes, food, and heritage artefacts. They have done this statically and dynamically, in situ and in operando, in vivo and ex vivo, invariably detecting key features that were invisible to other methods. Making this available through standard, lab-size machines would be nothing short of a revolution, leading to economic and societal impact through the multi-disciplinary applications, making NXTS the commercial leader in the field, and cementing UK's leading research status. In our vision this will be strengthen even further by its combination with "colour" imaging, and with new ways of handling scattered radiation such that the "structured" scatter signal leading to additional information is exploited, while the uniform background that limits image contrast and therefore detail visibility is rejected.
We will pursue this vision through a combination of modelling and experimental work. Using experimentally validated simulation software developed jointly by the UCL and NXTS teams, we will model experiments before they are carried out, compare simulated and experimental results, refine models and setups until all discrepancies are clarified, and only then proceed to the next step. This will enable us to develop systems where i) we keep all parameters under control and have full understanding of their effects and implications, and ii) we can steer the design towards effective solutions to specific problems. Cutting-edge nanofabrication methods (available at UCL's Photonic Innovations Lab and London Centre for Nanotechnology) will enable the development of beam modulators that allow the exploitation of phase effects with the conventional x-ray sources routinely used by NXTS.
We will apply the novel technologies to a range of high-impact applications, including non-destructive testing of composite materials and additive manufacturing processes and products, biomaterials and tissue-engineered organs, digital histology, improved detection of concealed explosives and forensics.
Planned Impact
The areas this partnership will have impact on are wide and diverse. X-Ray Imaging (XRI) has a fundamental role not just in medicine and security, but also in the automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical industries and in manufacturing in general. These are all key areas of the UK's Industrial Strategy, and indeed advanced imaging underpins many of the themes highlighted by the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and by Sector Deals such as those in life sciences, automotive, creative industries. Moreover, cultural heritage relies on XRI, as do materials science, biology, and many other scientific fields. We expect this partnership to deliver impact on all of these fields, and to keep the UK on the forefront of the development of new imaging techniques. Through the close interaction between academic and industrial researchers, it will deliver innovation that can be directly applied to real world problems, with UK Plc set to reap the benefits. It will enable the UK's leading manufacturer of x-ray micro-CT systems to rise from its current position as world's third to world's first, and re-invigorate the entire field of non-destructive testing by opening opportunities to test and detect features which are currently inaccessible. It will create a knock-on beneficial effect on neighbouring industries such as x-ray sensors (with some of the UK's leading companies involved in the programme from the beginning) and microfabrication. This will result in both wealth and job creation. It will also deliver a unique, inter-disciplinary training opportunity for students and early career researchers in this area, and reach out at the general public and policymakers through an intense engagement activity.
Notable example of application areas include:
- Industry, e.g. for assessing and monitoring processes and products in additive manufacturing;
- Medicine, e.g. for the detection of life-threatening diseases such as cancer;
- Energy, e.g. for understanding failure mechanisms and developing fail-safe batteries;
- Security, e.g. for higher detection rate of threat objects at airports, with fewer false alarms.
The key strategy we will pursue to deliver this impact is through the creation of a consortium around the NXTS/UCL partnership to ensure maximum development, application and ultimately exploitation of the developed technologies. As far as applications to industry and energy are concerned, NXTS already has an impressive customer base, including many leading UK companies such as Rolls Royce and Mc Laren. Recently, NXTS has expanded their range of interests to include significant aspects in biomedicine and in the life sciences in general. This is an area where the UCL team is particularly strong, and has a wide range of collaborators both at UCL and beyond (for a partial list see https://www.ucl.ac.uk/medical-physics-biomedical-engineering/research/groups-and-centres/advanced-x-ray-imaging-group-axim), who will act as "champions" for the various biomedical applications and provide the required, relevant samples. The NXTS and UCL teams have also recently engaged with various Authorities to look into the development of solutions for security, especially as far as the detection of concealed explosives is concerned. This wide range of multidisciplinary contacts will enable us to create a community of stakeholders and opinion leaders, facilitating the realisation of impact in all its forms.
Importantly, industry will not be the only beneficiary. For example in medical applications, clinicians will have access to better diagnostic tools, the NHS and other health services worldwide could reduce costs and provide better healthcare and, ultimately and most importantly, the patients would receive better care leading to improved life quality/expectancy. A similarly "multilayered" impact is expected in most of the other application areas, e.g. through improved security at airports or the availability of better industrial products.
Notable example of application areas include:
- Industry, e.g. for assessing and monitoring processes and products in additive manufacturing;
- Medicine, e.g. for the detection of life-threatening diseases such as cancer;
- Energy, e.g. for understanding failure mechanisms and developing fail-safe batteries;
- Security, e.g. for higher detection rate of threat objects at airports, with fewer false alarms.
The key strategy we will pursue to deliver this impact is through the creation of a consortium around the NXTS/UCL partnership to ensure maximum development, application and ultimately exploitation of the developed technologies. As far as applications to industry and energy are concerned, NXTS already has an impressive customer base, including many leading UK companies such as Rolls Royce and Mc Laren. Recently, NXTS has expanded their range of interests to include significant aspects in biomedicine and in the life sciences in general. This is an area where the UCL team is particularly strong, and has a wide range of collaborators both at UCL and beyond (for a partial list see https://www.ucl.ac.uk/medical-physics-biomedical-engineering/research/groups-and-centres/advanced-x-ray-imaging-group-axim), who will act as "champions" for the various biomedical applications and provide the required, relevant samples. The NXTS and UCL teams have also recently engaged with various Authorities to look into the development of solutions for security, especially as far as the detection of concealed explosives is concerned. This wide range of multidisciplinary contacts will enable us to create a community of stakeholders and opinion leaders, facilitating the realisation of impact in all its forms.
Importantly, industry will not be the only beneficiary. For example in medical applications, clinicians will have access to better diagnostic tools, the NHS and other health services worldwide could reduce costs and provide better healthcare and, ultimately and most importantly, the patients would receive better care leading to improved life quality/expectancy. A similarly "multilayered" impact is expected in most of the other application areas, e.g. through improved security at airports or the availability of better industrial products.
Organisations
- UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON (Lead Research Organisation)
- Catholic University of Louvain (Collaboration)
- ANGLO SCIENTIFIC LTD (Collaboration)
- University of the Andes (Collaboration)
- MicroWorks (Collaboration)
- CMP Information (Collaboration)
- Agfa HealthCare (Collaboration)
- Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste (Collaboration)
- DIAMOND LIGHT SOURCE (Collaboration)
- Argonne National Laboratory (Collaboration)
- Quantum Detectors (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON (Collaboration)
- University of Siegen (Collaboration)
- National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) (Collaboration)
- Royal Veterinary College (RVC) (Collaboration)
- Rigaku (Collaboration)
- University of Milano-Bicocca (Collaboration)
- Francis Crick Institute (Collaboration)
- Direct Conversion AB (Collaboration)
- University College London (Collaboration)
- Leiden University (Collaboration)
- University of Copenhagen (Collaboration)
- Nikon (Collaboration)
- Paul Scherrer Institute (Collaboration)
- Photonic Science (Collaboration)
- Scintacor (Collaboration)
- INRS (Collaboration)
- Lackland Independent School District (Collaboration)
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (Collaboration)
- Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (Collaboration)
- Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO (Collaboration)
- Unilever (Collaboration)
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (Collaboration)
- University of Antwerp (Collaboration)
- Creatv MicroTech (Collaboration)
- European Synch Radiation Facility - ESRF (Project Partner)
- Sincrotrone Trieste SCpA (Project Partner)
- Diamond Light Source (Project Partner)
- ISDI LtD (Project Partner)
- Scintacor Ltd (Project Partner)
- X-Tek Systems Ltd (Project Partner)
- Empa (Swiss Fed Labs of Mat Sci Tech) (Project Partner)
Publications
Alikunju R
(2023)
Effect of different scintillator choices on the X-ray imaging performance of CMOS sensors
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Alikunju R
(2024)
Design and fabrication of a sandwich detector for material discrimination and contrast cancellation in dual-energy based x-ray imaging
in Journal of Applied Physics
Astolfo A
(2022)
The effect of a variable focal spot size on the contrast channels retrieved in edge-illumination X-ray phase contrast imaging
in Scientific Reports
Brombal L
(2024)
Edge-illumination spectral phase-contrast tomography.
in Physics in medicine and biology
Buchanan I
(2022)
Reliable material characterization at low x-ray energy through the phase-attenuation duality
in Applied Physics Letters
Buchanan I
(2020)
Effective modeling of high-energy laboratory-based x-ray phase contrast imaging utilizing absorption masks or gratings
in Journal of Applied Physics
Buchanan I
(2023)
Direct x-ray scattering signal measurements in edge-illumination/beam-tracking imaging and their interplay with the variance of the refraction signals
in Applied Physics Reviews
| Description | Our programme has made significant progress every year, with an associated, significant number of new findings, a brief summary of which is provided below. During year 1 of the programme, which was severely disrupted by covid, we managed to make progress in a number of directions, including: - cycloidal computed tomography: this is a new type of CT in which the object is roto-translated in a structured x-ray beam. It increases resolution at no dose/time cost, and indeed holds promise for dose reductions. The first paper on cycloidal CT was picked up by a large number of media outlets worldwide; - we have developed novel approaches to the testing of composite materials - a staple of the automotive and areospace industries. Work is still underway, but we have clear evidence of the ability to pick up defects and damage undetected by previous test methods; - we have made great strides with "aperture driven resolution" - a new approach to x-ray imaging where, unlike conventional methods, the spatial resolution in the image is not determined by the detector pixels nor focal spot size; - we have developed a dynamic multimodal x-ray imaging method and shown it can bear advantages in the field of additive manufacturing; - we have developed a novel, non-iterative method to integrate differential phase images that does not create image artefacts. Year 2 of the award brought some additional significant results, namely: - determination that intra-operative scanners can be used to perform digital histology through a minor hardware adaptation - use of the same to perform digital histology on breast tumours, which provided results beyond expectations (e.g. direct visualisation of the impact of chemotherapy on tissue) - development of new tools to support protocols for regenerative medicine - development of a low x-ray energy phase-based microscope based on aperture-driven resolution and early applications to biomedical specimens - development of phase-attenuation duality as an alternative to dual energy (DE), which can be used for applications requiring low x-ray energy at which conventional DE breaks down - further advances on applications to composites, with demonstration that phase-based methods can be used to benchmark the porosity content Year 3 is our last "exploratory" year - our programme is divided in two parts, a first one where we cast the net broadly, explore multiple possibilities and develop new technological ideas, and a second one in which we select the most promising directions for exploitation and develop them in full. Initially we were envisaging a 50/50 split between exploration and development (i.e. two 2.5 year phases for each activity), but we extended the exploratory phase to 3 years to compensate for the time lost during the covid lockdowns. At this stage we were contemplating a 6-month extension (so that the development phase could last 2.5 years as initially envisaged), in the end we opted for a 9-month one to ensure we can complete all activities without additional extensions. Innovations developed in year 3 include: - An extension of the study/analysis of direct conversion/"colour" x-ray detector solutions, inclusive of data collection at some of the prospective vendors, the analysis of which will determine what technology Nikon will incorporate in their scanners - this is part of their exploitation plan (see below). - The development of quantitative dark-field microscopy, through which properties on the nanometric features that produce the (averaged) dark-field signal can be extracted from the signal itself. More generally, the microscopy-based implementation has been used to collect what are, to the best of our knowledge, the first phase-based images of (cartilage) cells in a standard lab. - The linking of the dark-field signal obtained with our methods to classic scattering theory, which also enabled casting new light on the recently developed "standard deviation of refraction" signal and its possible applications. This was made possible by the collaboration with synchrotrons ESRF and Elettra. - Following demonstration on additive manufacturing at Diamond (see year 1 results), the dynamic multi-modal method was developed further, with a new application to molten pool dynamics (still at Diamond), the first test on a life science application at the ESRF, and early tests on adaptation for use in conventional laboratories which are currently under way. - The development of a new approach combining phase-based and energy-resolved methods, for material discrimination and identification. Its combination with deep learning methods led to extremely high detection rates against threat materials, which was widely reported by media and has spawned a series of new studies, including with new collaborators. - The development of a new edge illumination mask with a "slanted" design enabling isotropic super-resolution with sample and/or mask scanning in one direction only (as opposed to two). - The refinement of the "cycloidal CT" method (see year 1) by using positional tracking to improve its robustness and the reliability of the reconstructions, in view of commercial adaptation by Nikon (this is also part of their exploitation plan). - The development of directional dark-field imaging and its application to a series of areas. As anticipated, review of the results obtained up to this point has enabled Nikon to develop an exploitation plan which will be developed further in the second part of this programme. This is a 4-phase plan commencing with 1. the introduction of direct conversion/"colour" x-ray detector solutions in their system, followed by 2. "maskless" (i.e. propagation-based) x-ray phase contrast, 3. use of masks to implement cycloidal CT, 4. mask-based x-ray phase contrast. Work will now focus on these 4 areas to ensure a rapid and successful translation. Indeed innovation has continued in year 4 tailored primarily around the agreed exploitation plan, and involving optimization of the "maskless" approaches, development of hybrid "single mask" methods, extension of the combination of mask-based methods and energy-resolved x-ray imaging to CT for better material discrimination in 3D, combination of the cycloidal CT approach with (clinically-used) spiral scanning in a novel "cycloidal-spiral" approach. On top of this, new detector prototypes have been developed with two of the collaborating companies (Scintacor and ISDI), and we are in discussions with a host of additional companies to take forward the exploitation areas Nikon does not plan to tackle in first person (e.g microscopy with low-energy x-rays and security applications). Collaborations with synchrotrons will lead to new imaging methods becoming available to their user base. |
| Exploitation Route | This work is a direct collaboration with Nikon X-Tek Systems and has three more companies as "external" partners, which will be the main conduit for exploitation of the obtained results. Discussions with additional companies are underway to maximise translation of all findings developed in this programme. |
| Sectors | Aerospace Defence and Marine Education Electronics Healthcare Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology Security and Diplomacy Transport Other |
| URL | https://www.next-generation-x-ray-imaging.com/ |
| Description | 4-step exploitation plan developed by Nikon X-Tek Systems to take the new technologies we have developed to the market (see "Key Findings" for details). In parallel, new product prototypes have also been developed with collaborating companies Scintacor and ISDI. In particular a dual-layer detector developed with ISDI is currently being considered for joint development with a large EU company. Concurrently Rigaku has developed a pre-commercial prototype and (for the moment explorative) joint developments have commenced with Unilever and Testing Industries. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2023 |
| Sector | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Chemicals,Construction,Electronics,Energy,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Transport |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | A new approach to material identification with x-rays based on the attenuation/phase duality |
| Amount | £69,321 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2021 |
| End | 07/2021 |
| Description | Complete Material Characterisation Through A Single Polychromatic X-ray Scan |
| Amount | £202,246 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/X018377/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2023 |
| End | 07/2025 |
| Description | In-process Carbon Fibre Alignment Monitoring |
| Amount | £49,566 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | part of EP/P006930/1 |
| Organisation | University of Huddersfield |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2021 |
| End | 05/2022 |
| Description | National Research Facility for Lab X-ray CT |
| Amount | £10,097,652 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/T02593X/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2020 |
| End | 10/2025 |
| Description | Textural analysis of explosive materials by high-resolution imaging and machine learning |
| Amount | £69,027 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2024 |
| End | 05/2024 |
| Description | custom targeted award |
| Amount | £123,748 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Unilever |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2023 |
| End | 09/2029 |
| Title | Cycloidal Computed Tomography |
| Description | This is a new CT method in which the object is rototranslated in a structured beam. It increases resolution and there is prelimnary evidence that it can lead to dose reductions. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | This has been the subject of a UCL press release, and picked up by several media worldwide, e.g.: https://physicstoday.scitation.org/do/10.1063/PT.6.1.20200730a/full/ https://physicsworld.com/a/cycloidal-ct-boosts-image-quality-while-reducing-radiation-dose/ https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200724/Novel-CT-scan-method-reduces-radiation-exposure.aspx https://www.medimaging.net/general-imaging/articles/294783761/innovative-ct-scan-technique-reduces-radiation-exposure.html https://medicaldialogues.in/radiology/news/new-ct-scan-technique-may-help-lower-radiation-exposure-67943 https://www.wbmirror.com/2020/07/24/new-ct-scan-method-lowers-radiation-exposure/ https://www.theimagingwire.com/2020/07/27/pocus-alternative-cv19-pxs-pain-change/ https://www.itnonline.com/content/new-ct-scan-method-lowers-radiation-exposure https://www.diagnosticimaging.com/view/new-ct-method-could-lower-radiation-exposure https://www.auntminnieeurope.com/index.aspx?sec=ser?=def&pag=dis&ItemID=619072 https://www.healthimaging.com/topics/diagnostic-imaging/ct-slashes-radiation-retaining-image-quality?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=hi_diagnostic_imaging https://www.plexusmd.com/md/post/cycloidal-computed-tomography-a-novel/56502 http://colgatephys111.blogspot.com/2020/11/dr-charlotte-hagen.html https://www.mazree.com/article/the-most-innovative-medical-equipment-in-2020/74 https://qsstudy.com/technology/new-ct-scan-technique-reduces-radiation-exposure https://www.dotmed.com/news/story/52036 |
| URL | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2020/jul/new-ct-scan-method-lowers-radiation-exposure |
| Title | dynamic multi-modal x-ray imaging |
| Description | We have developed a method that simultaneously acquires three complementary dynamic sequences (x-ray videos) of an evolving phenomenon based on x-ray attenuation, phase and scattering |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | No impact yet but the method is available to the wider research community and we will strive to adapt it to laboratopry sources for a wider reach |
| Title | laboratory based, low energy, monochromatic phase contrast x-ray microscope |
| Description | A new phase-based x-ray microscope capable of visualising cells and their nuclei without staining built using standard laboratory equipment |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | At the moment it is offered as a research tool to other users. A company is developing a pre-commercial prototype. |
| Title | Non-iterative phase integration |
| Description | Most x-ray phase imaging methods are "differential" i.e. yield the first derivative of the phase change - this has to be integrated to obtaine the phase, and direct integration results in significant image artefacts. Up to now the only way to obtain artefact-free integration was through iterative approaches, which are extremely computationally intensive - making applications in CT very difficult, as in that case many images (one per projection angle) need to be integrated. We have developed a non-iterative method that yields equivalently artefact-free results. |
| Type Of Material | Data analysis technique |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | It is too early to say but we expect it will be widely adopted; our group and our collaborators are already using it. |
| Title | comparison of USAXS signal obtained with beam tracking and analyser based imaging |
| Description | Raw image data from synchrotron experiment using analyser based imaging and beam tracking. The angular sampling of the rocking curve has a step step size of 4microradians whereas in beam tracking the pixel size was 9micrometers and the sample to detector distance was 140cm. 20 dithering steps were used for beam tracking. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | no impact yet |
| URL | https://rdr.ucl.ac.uk/articles/dataset/comparison_of_USAXS_signal_obtained_with_beam_tracking_and_an... |
| Description | AGFA |
| Organisation | Agfa HealthCare |
| Country | Belgium |
| Sector | Hospitals |
| PI Contribution | We have helped them develop a prototype to investigate translation of our technology into a clinical system |
| Collaborator Contribution | They have given us access to their prototype that casts new lights on the implications of using larger focal spots and mask apertures - this provided useful new insight on how to move the technology towards clinical implementation. They are exploring new fabrication options to manufacture the x-ray masks and sharing the information with us. They are in the process of funding a PhD studentship in my group. |
| Impact | It is multidisciplinary - physics engineering and medicine. Outputs are new ideas/plans for a) clinical translation b) fabrication of the optical elements. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Anglo-Scientific |
| Organisation | Anglo Scientific Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We have developed a joint commercialisation strategy, initially in the area of security. This area is currently licensed out to Nikon, and Nikon and Anglo-Scientific are developing a collaboration agreement to jointly pursue exploitation in this field. Anglo-Scientific has set up a dedicated company to do so (XPCI Technology Ltd), and we have also jointly submitted an application to the first call of the Future Aviation Security Solutions (FASS) scheme, which was successful. |
| Collaborator Contribution | They helped us scope out exploitation routes in security and conducted a "mini-due-diligence" study on the technology, to be followed shortly by full due diligence. This brings our technology closer to the market and increases its value. |
| Impact | new company founded and collaboration/exploitation framework under development |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Argonne National Labs |
| Organisation | Argonne National Laboratory |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | New imaging techniques |
| Collaborator Contribution | Development of optical elements |
| Impact | Some of the optical elements developed at the Argonne Labs to our design are part of the Rigaku pre-commercial prototype mentioned elsewhere in this submission |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Catholic University of Louvain |
| Organisation | Catholic University of Louvain |
| Country | Belgium |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have provided access to our new soft x-ray phase based microscope |
| Collaborator Contribution | They have provided samples and opened up a new research direction |
| Impact | none yet |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Central Laser Facility |
| Organisation | Rutherford Appleton Laboratory |
| Department | Central Laser Facility |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Provision of new source technology and imaging method |
| Collaborator Contribution | Support in hosting source tech, including by facility refurbiishment |
| Impact | Still in setup phase |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica |
| Organisation | CMP Information |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We are providing datasets on which to flexibly implement and further develop their machine learning solutions |
| Collaborator Contribution | They are providing us with access to their machine learning solutions |
| Impact | Still early but we have a first joint paper in preparation |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Creatv Microtech |
| Organisation | Creatv MicroTech |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Creatv Microtech has fabricated most of the masks we have used so far in our edge-illuminaiton approach. I have effectively opened a new line of business for them, since other groups have ordered similar devices since. I have visited them in two occasions and held lectures to explain how we use the masks and why, which culminated in meetings aimed at improving the mask fabrication process. The first iteration has already taken place resulting in masks with less defects and better gold/substrate adhesion; another is imminent which will be aimed at the fabrication of masks with larger areas. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Creatv Microtech has fabricated for free a number of test structures, which we used in several experiments. In one occasions, they have invited me over at their expenses and showed me their facilities, which enabled a much better understanding of the mask fabrication process and especially of what can and cannot be done with the technology. They have also brokered contacts with the FDA (wit which the terms of a collaboration are under discussion which, if successful, will result in their endorsement of our technology) and with the Frederick Cancer Institute, again a very valuable contact for future collaborations. |
| Impact | Papers are not particularly relevant in this case although one could argue that most edge-illumination phase contrast papers would not have been possible without Creatv Microtech. One important outcome is the availability of mask-based systems not only in our labs but also at Elettra, Diamond and the ESRF (for what concerns our collaborators), plus other labs worldwide e.g. the Universities of Houston and Saskatchewan and soon the FDA and possibly DESY in Hamburg, Germany; considering that out technology is very young we expect this to keep growing in the near future. |
| Start Year | 2006 |
| Description | Diamond |
| Organisation | Diamond Light Source |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | I have been involved in the beamline design phase as a member of the user working group. When the beamtime became operational, I have installed an edge illumination system at beamline I13 and developed two other new phase-based imaging methods which will become available to the user community. |
| Collaborator Contribution | They have provided access to beamtime, sample preparation and other labs, analysis software, computational resources, participated in the data analyse sand in proposal and paper writing. |
| Impact | So far this has resulted in 6 joint publications; moreover a long (6 days) beamtime has recently (Nov 2014) been concluded and analysis of the data is underway, which we expect to lead to more publications. As well as physics and engineering, applications of the new imaging methods have so far included medicine, biology and material science. |
| Start Year | 2008 |
| Description | Direct Conversion |
| Organisation | Direct Conversion AB |
| Country | Sweden |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We are opening new areas of application for their detection technology |
| Collaborator Contribution | They provide us with access to, and training on, new detector technology |
| Impact | We have published some papers based on their detection technology, and one of their detectors is currently part of a pre-commercial prototype develop (with mutual knowledge) by a 3rd party - details are still confidential at this stage |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Elettra Synchrotron |
| Organisation | Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste |
| Country | Italy |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I have installed an edge illumination phase contrast system at beamline 6.1 "SYRMEP" at ELETTRA. This is now available also to other users (e.g. a paper is currently (Nov 2014) in press on Phys. Med. Biol., for the first time without the direct involvement of my group); for the time being on a collaborative basis, in the longer term to all users. ELETTRA is the only beamline in the world where phase contrast mammography is performed in vivo on human patients: plans are currently underway to include edge-illumination in the clinical experimentation for additional phase sensitivity. A large EU grant has recently been submitted as a first step in this direction. |
| Collaborator Contribution | They have provided free beamtime in many occasions, as well as access to support labs, sample preparation, fabrication, bench top CT machines etc. They have participated in the data analysis and writing of the papers. |
| Impact | So far this resulted in 9 joint papers (see publication list), with more in preparation. The collaboration is interdisciplinary as it combines physics, engineering, medicine, biology, material science. |
| Start Year | 2006 |
| Description | European Synchrotron Radiation Facility |
| Organisation | European Synchrotron Radiation Facility |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | I have installed an edge illumination phase contrast system at beam lie ID17 at the ESRF. This is now available also to other users, for the time being on a collaborative basis, in the longer term to all users. This system enabled establishing a new world record in phase sensitivity (1.9 nano radians) which led to a prestigious paper in PRL. This was reported in the ESRF's research highlights for 2013. In addition, we have opened new areas of research e.g. in palaeontology and have currently established a task force for the minimisation of the delivered dose in mammography. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The repeatedly offered in-house research time with full support of the technical and scientific staff, access to analysis and reconstruction software (including remotely from UCL), data storage, access to ancillary instrumentation and to their animal facility. They also participated in the data analysis, paper writing as well as writing of beamtime and grant proposals. |
| Impact | So far, 5 joint papers (see publication list) including in leading journals such as Physical Review Letters and Optics Letters, additional extension of the collaboration network (e.g. with the ESRF detector group and with the Ludwig-Maximillian University of Munich) and recently the submission of a large EU collaborative grant (pending). The collaboration is highly interdisciplinary and combines physics and engineering with medicine, biology, palaeontology, material science and other disciplines. |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Great Ormond Street Hospital |
| Organisation | Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Hospitals |
| PI Contribution | This is yet another outstanding problem which our imaging method can solve. Prof. Sebire from GOSH has an interest in imaging stillbirth foetuses, since ascertaining the cause of death is of mandatory importance but many parents object to post-mortems. The only imaging method that could (partly) satisfy this need is high-res MRI but this is very expensive and acquisition times are very long if sufficiently high resolution has to be reached. In a preliminary proof-of-concept experiment I have demonstrated that phase-contrast x-ray imaging could solve this problem. |
| Collaborator Contribution | They have significantly contributed to the design of the experiment, to writing the proposal to get access to beamtime at the ESRF (we obtained proof of concept at a synchrotron and the nest step will be lab-based translation), have travelled to Grenoble at their own expenses to participate in the experiment and are currently helping with the data analysis. |
| Impact | Again a recent addition to our range of collaborations so no outputs yet, but a paper is in preparation and we are laying down plans for future (lab-based) developments of the research - which is again interdisciplinary (physics/engineering and medicine). |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | ISDI |
| Organisation | Lackland Independent School District |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We are helping develop and test new detection technology, as well as developing new application areas. |
| Collaborator Contribution | They provide us access to their detection technology and design know-how; they are also currently co-funding a PhD student |
| Impact | This collaboration has only just started, and mutual training is underway. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Institut national de la recherche scientifique |
| Organisation | INRS |
| Country | Canada |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have introduced a new imaging technique to their unique laser-plasma x-ray source |
| Collaborator Contribution | They hosted us for an experiment using their unique laser-plasma x-ray source |
| Impact | Too early - the first experiment just took place and analysis is underway |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Institute of Child Health |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Department | Institute of Child Health |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The research of the group we collaborate with focuses on stem cell-based regenerative medicine. I have started to solve one of their key problems which is the visualisation of scaffold repopulation processes post cell implantation, as well as structure of the scaffolds themselves (they use very peculiar scaffolds obtained from decellularized animal or cadaveric tissue). |
| Collaborator Contribution | They have provided a large number of extremely valuable, refined and unique samples for both our synchrotron and lab-based experiments, plus key data interpretation as this is a completely new area for us. They have contributed to the data analysis and paper writing. |
| Impact | This is a very recent collaboration however one paper is currently under review with a high impact factor journal (Journal of Hepatology, IF 10.4) and two more are in preparation. The collaboration is exquisitely interdisciplinary - physics, engineering and imaging science meet medicine and biology. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Microworks |
| Organisation | MicroWorks |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We are suggesting new x-ray mask designs to target new application, and testing them once they have been produced |
| Collaborator Contribution | They stretched their design capabilities to design "ad hoc" masks, and provide test structures |
| Impact | Too early - first experiments extremely promising. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | NIST |
| Organisation | National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | New imaging technology, options/ideas to use their unique tools for new optical elements |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contribution to the development of optical elements |
| Impact | Still developing first devices |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Nikon Japan and Nikon Metrology UK |
| Organisation | Nikon |
| Department | Nikon UK |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | I have introduced Nikon to our new imaging technology, provided them with access to our labs, explored together new areas of application in metrology and industrial testing. The next steps will be to extend this to new applications and help them with the design of a prototype that will be installed in Japan. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Nikon team has funded x-ray phase contrast research at UCL in three successive instalments, for the overall total indicated above. A team from Nikon has repeatedly visited us and we have performed a series of experiments together, as well as joint data analysis. They have provided several samples as well as new analysis tools, especially for dark field imaging. They have installed a new x-ray source in our labs and repeatedly given access to their labs in Tring for preliminary tests. |
| Impact | Albeit most of the specific sample-orientated research is unpublished for confidentiality reasons, this research led to the development of the first lab-based hard x-ray phase contrast imaging microscope (See Endrizzi et al 2014 Opt. Lett. paper in outputs, where Nikon appears in the acknowledgments). It led to a new instrument being available in the UCL phase contrast labs which has successfully been used by other communities (e.g. for the development of electrochemical devices, where we have demonstrated detection of dendritic formation in lithium-based batteries - paper in preparation). In this sense this collaboration is interdisciplinary as it covers physics, mathematics of image reconstruction, industrial testing, energy materials, materials for transport (e.g. composites). We have plans to expand this in the area of biology soon. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | PSI |
| Organisation | Paul Scherrer Institute |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I have hosted one staff from PSI to conduct a joint experiment |
| Collaborator Contribution | Staff time, novel detector technology, meetings, data analysis |
| Impact | Too early - data analysis is still underway |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Photonic Science |
| Organisation | Photonic Science |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We have modified a design of one of their cameras by intriducing a structured scintillator matching the requirements of our phase-based imaging methods |
| Collaborator Contribution | They run preliminary tests on the camera to our requests then made the camera available for testing in our labs |
| Impact | We have developed new detection technology and proven it works, including tests on a medical application (hence the interdisciplinary angle). We are currently making plans to take this forward. |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | QMUL |
| Organisation | Queen Mary University of London |
| Department | Barts Cancer Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I have proposed the use of our new imaging techniques for a) the earlier diagnosis of breast cancer and b) a tool to detect tumour micro-invasion in tissue contrast. I have imaged ~100 tissue specimens with our laboratory setup, and a few tens of tissue constructs with synchrotron radiation (at Diamond). |
| Collaborator Contribution | They have provided hundreds of samples, trained my team on tissue histology and tumour formation, image interpretation, histological confirmation. |
| Impact | We have published 2 papers together and co-written a successful grant application. The research is at the interface between physics/engineering and medicine/biology. |
| Start Year | 2008 |
| Description | Quantum Detectors |
| Organisation | Quantum Detectors |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We have agreed to collaborate and actions have not started yet; we will use their detector technology in a radically new application. |
| Collaborator Contribution | They will provide access to and training on their unique detector technology. |
| Impact | None yet (see above) |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Rigaku |
| Organisation | Rigaku |
| Country | Japan |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Guidelines on adaptation/use of their x-ray source technology in x-ray phase contrast imaging, brokered and run tests for new contacts with additional collaborators. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Source modifications to meet our needs, advice on source use, insight on source technology, simulaiton software, datasheets |
| Impact | Many of teh outcomes listed elsewhere in this portfolio have been enabled by this collaboration. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Royal Veterinary College |
| Organisation | Royal Veterinary College (RVC) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Novel methods to study cartilage and tendons |
| Collaborator Contribution | samples, new research direction |
| Impact | One joint paper has been submitted |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Scintacor |
| Organisation | Scintacor |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We are providing them access to our technology, co-developing a completely new application |
| Collaborator Contribution | They are developing a new process for a structured scintillator that would transform our x-ray phase contrast imaging method |
| Impact | We have set up the process and are currently refining it; this will be followed by tests which will clarify the potential of the application. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Sloan Kettering |
| Organisation | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Providing new technology for their digital histology activities |
| Collaborator Contribution | Samples, staff time, know-how |
| Impact | No outputs yet |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Unilever |
| Organisation | Unilever |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | New technology to develop their products and processes |
| Collaborator Contribution | A PhD studentship, funding to cover a cold cell, lab consumables, info on their sample development processes, access to their facilities |
| Impact | Still early |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | University of Antwerp |
| Organisation | University of Antwerp |
| Country | Belgium |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have hosted one of their researchers for a month; this researcher has performed successful experiments and data analysis is underway |
| Collaborator Contribution | Offer of manpower (staff time), technicla meetings, joint data analysis |
| Impact | This is too early to say as analysis is still under way |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | University of Copenhagen and Technical University of Denmark |
| Organisation | University of Copenhagen |
| Country | Denmark |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have hosted one of their team who has carried an experiment with our kit, data analysis is underway and the results are expected to lead to a publication |
| Collaborator Contribution | Offer of staff time, collaboratuion in data analysis |
| Impact | see above - analysis still underway |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | University of Leiden |
| Organisation | Leiden University |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Introduction to our phase imaging methods |
| Collaborator Contribution | Introduction to the use of machine learning approaches to improve the reconstruction of images obtained with our methods |
| Impact | We have published a first joint paper and we are planning to expand on our collaboration in the future |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | University of Les Andes |
| Organisation | University of the Andes |
| Country | Colombia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We have helped them design and set up a phase-based x-ray imaging system and lent them the necessary optical element |
| Collaborator Contribution | they have made detector technology (still to be used) and student/staff time available. |
| Impact | We have published papers and given conference presentations as a result of our joint work; the student who did the hands-on part of the work (a former student of mine while an affiliate at UCL) won the Dean's Prize and is now undertaking a PhD with us. We have planned to continue with more student exchanges, joint system development and new applications; while work so far was mostly in engineering/physics applications will be multi-disciplinary (medicine, etc). |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | University of Milano Bicocca |
| Organisation | University of Milano-Bicocca |
| Country | Italy |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Provided descriptions of technology and outline setups |
| Collaborator Contribution | Visited us repeatedly, invited us to topical conferences including to chair sessions, recruiting personnel to set up lab based on our technology |
| Impact | Their main aim is to use our (physics) methods to medicine and cultural heritage science. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | University of Siegen |
| Organisation | University of Siegen |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Input on system design |
| Collaborator Contribution | Access to software and facilities |
| Impact | We have published a joint paper and are considering tools for further developments (eg EU funding) |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | University of Waterloo |
| Organisation | University of Waterloo |
| Country | Canada |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | New imaging technique, loan of optical elements, training on data analysis |
| Collaborator Contribution | Access to staff time/facilities, new detector tech |
| Impact | We have published a joint paper and are looking into mechanisms to further develop the collabration |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | crick institute |
| Organisation | Francis Crick Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Offered new tech for 3D analysis of thymi |
| Collaborator Contribution | Samples, know-how |
| Impact | A paper is currently under review, additional activities are planned. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Title | COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IMAGING |
| Description | A computed tomography method seeking higher resolutions without imposing a dose increase is described. A mask (10) forms a plurality of X-ray beam lets (14) which are passed through a subject (6), and images are captured on X-ray detector (8). The subject (6) is moved with respect to the X-ray detector and mask, including a rotation around a y axis, and a computed tomography image is reconstructed from the plurality of measured datapoints. The beam lets (14) are of small size. Figures 4-8 are blurred, figures 10, 11 and 16b contain too small letters/numbers. |
| IP Reference | WO2020120705 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | 2020 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | See other sections for wider impact of cycloidal CT innovation - a partial list of media outlet which have reported it is appended here. We are currently in negotiations with several companies wrt licensing agreements. https://physicstoday.scitation.org/do/10.1063/PT.6.1.20200730a/full/ https://physicsworld.com/a/cycloidal-ct-boosts-image-quality-while-reducing-radiation-dose/ https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200724/Novel-CT-scan-method-reduces-radiation-exposure.aspx https://www. |
| Description | 150 magazines reporting our findings on "ehnahced detection of threat objects..." |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Rather than trying to create one entry for every magazine that reported our work on threat detection, we have chosen the MIT Technology Review as an example of the many others that did (Independent, Evening Standard, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Engineer, Yahoo, AOL, etc) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/09/09/1059146/a-new-x-ray-technique-for-detecting-explosives-c... |
| Description | A talk or presentation - A talk or presentation - Lecture and detailed discussion on prospective use of technology in new areas of application with interested 3rd party (3DHISTECH) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Develop plans to take our intra-operative imaging technology into clinical trials |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | A talk or presentation - A talk or presentation - Lecture and detailed discussion on prospective use of technology in security scans with interested 3rd party (Rapiscan) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | discussions on prospective implementation of technology for security scans |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | A talk or presentation - Lecture and detailed discussion on prospective use of technology in new areas of application with interested 3rd party (Boeing) through their "Distinguished Research and Scholar Seminar Series" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Engagement with new industrial actor |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Academic PI Prof Olivo repeatedly interviewed with regards to our findings on "ehnahced detection of threat objects..." |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Rather than creating an eentry for every single interview, we are choosing the Daily Mail one (link below) as representative of the several interviews Prof Olivo gave to various outlets when our paper on "ehnahced detection of threat objects..." was published by Nature Communications |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-11196563/Scientists-develop-new-X-ray-method-detect-... |
| Description | Basic principles and recent developments of edge-illumination x-ray phase contrast imaging, Antwerp University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The University of Antwerp is adopting our technology and this was an opportunity to make their student population aware; the seminar was followed by 1-1 meetings with the students directly involved in the activities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Creation of a dedicated website |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Creation of a dedicated website |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.next-generation-x-ray-imaging.com/ |
| Description | Invited lecture for Medical Physics 50th Anniversary Celebrations, University of Surrey, Guildford |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This was an event to celebrate 50 years of Medical Physics at Surrey, there were three talks on various aspects amoing which mine was the one about "future technology", presented in lay terms to a wide and diverse audience |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Lecture and detailed discussion on prospective use of technology in new areas of application with interested 3rd party (Metrix Ltd) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | ongoing discussion on possible exploitation routes |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Lecture and discussion to large international Homeland Security community through the "SWISS" online seminar series |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Making the wider security community aware of our achievements in that field |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Lecture and discussion with prospective users of the National Research Facility on X-Ray CT |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | An opportunity to explain prospective users of the National Research Facility on X-Ray CT that different ways to do x-ray imaging exist, and what advantages/additional application they could access by using them. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Practical deployment of AI-assisted dark-field imaging for explosive detection talk delivered to Dubai Police Dept |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Discussion of implications of use of AI-assisted dark-field imaging for explosive detection with prospective end users |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Press release on Cycloidal Computed Tomography |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | UCL issued a press release on our new method when this was published, and this has been rapidly picked up by a large number of outlets worldwide, including: https://physicstoday.scitation.org/do/10.1063/PT.6.1.20200730a/full/ https://physicsworld.com/a/cycloidal-ct-boosts-image-quality-while-reducing-radiation-dose/ https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200724/Novel-CT-scan-method-reduces-radiation-exposure.aspx https://www.medimaging.net/general-imaging/articles/294783761/innovative-ct-scan-technique-reduces-radiation-exposure.html https://medicaldialogues.in/radiology/news/new-ct-scan-technique-may-help-lower-radiation-exposure-67943 https://www.wbmirror.com/2020/07/24/new-ct-scan-method-lowers-radiation-exposure/ https://www.theimagingwire.com/2020/07/27/pocus-alternative-cv19-pxs-pain-change/ https://www.itnonline.com/content/new-ct-scan-method-lowers-radiation-exposure https://www.diagnosticimaging.com/view/new-ct-method-could-lower-radiation-exposure https://www.auntminnieeurope.com/index.aspx?sec=ser?=def&pag=dis&ItemID=619072 https://www.healthimaging.com/topics/diagnostic-imaging/ct-slashes-radiation-retaining-image-quality?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=hi_diagnostic_imaging https://www.plexusmd.com/md/post/cycloidal-computed-tomography-a-novel/56502 http://colgatephys111.blogspot.com/2020/11/dr-charlotte-hagen.html https://www.mazree.com/article/the-most-innovative-medical-equipment-in-2020/74 https://qsstudy.com/technology/new-ct-scan-technique-reduces-radiation-exposure https://www.dotmed.com/news/story/52036 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2020/jul/new-ct-scan-method-lowers-radiation-exposure |
| Description | Press release on our innovative method for intra-operative specimen imaging |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Our work on intra-operative specimen imaging was particuarly successful and UCL decided to run a press released when the first paper on this work was published. Although the work itself has been mostly funded by the Wellcome Trust, the seeds of the technology were developed through EPSRC funding, and its future directions are explored as part of our Prosperity Partnership with Nikon (which was also our partner in the Wellcome Trust grant). A partial list of media outlets which have run pieces on our technology includes: https://www.caperay.com/blog/index.php/2021/phase-contrast-imaging-and-breast-surgery/ https://www.diagnosticimaging.com/view/new-x-ray-scanner-could-reduce-repeat-breast-conserving-operations https://www.theengineer.co.uk/new-x-ray-scanner-could-improve-breast-cancer-surgery/ https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-02-advances-x-ray-imaging-patients-breast.html https://www.itnonline.com/content/advances-x-ray-imaging-can-help-patients-breast-cancer https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2021/02/x-ray-scanner-could-improve-breast-cancer-surgery/. https://www.theimagingwire.com/2021/02/22/ai-guided-milestone-watson-options-the-unmatched/ https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-02/ucl-aix021721.php https://scienmag.com/advances-in-x-ray-imaging-can-help-patients-with-breast-cancer/ https://infosurhoy.com/health/advances-in-x-ray-imaging-can-help-patients-with-breast-cancer.html |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2021/feb/advances-x-ray-imaging-can-help-patients-breast-cancer |
| Description | Seminar to Nuctech: AI-assisted dark-field imaging for explosive detection: requirements for prototype development |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Invited presentation on my explosive detection technology, part of the selection process to identify prospective collaborator |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Seminar to Smiths Detection: dark-field imaging for explosive detection, prototype development considerations |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | part of a search for an industrial partner to prototype baggage scanning systems |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Translating phase-based x-ray imaging modalities from the synchrotron to the benchtop: challenges and opportunities, Lund University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The University of Lund is developing techniques similar to ours and this was a mechanism to make their student population aware of what we are doing and discuss possible overlaps and prospective collaborations |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | UCL Physics and Engineering in Medicine Podcast "How to advance x-ray imaging, seeing the unseen" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | A blog explaining teh developed technology and its applications in lay terms |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://soundcloud.com/user-857709813/5-how-to-advance-x-ray-imaging-seeing-the-unseen |
| Description | invited seminar at Rigaku Americas HQs |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of tech capabilities to Rigaku and resulting discussion on possible commercial translation |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | press release on ehnanced detection of threat materials using phase-based x-ray imaging |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | UCL run a press release on our Nature Communication paper on ehnanced detection of threat object using phase-based x-ray imaging. Even before this was issued, the Academic PI Prof A Olivo had been interviewed by a number of media outlets, and several media worldwide were starting to report the story. Through our limited ability to track coverage we have seen that well over 150 news outlet worldwide had picked up this story, including major one such as the Observer, the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail. It was the 3rd most reported article by Nature Communications for several weeks and Springer Nature posted a separate press release on it to highlight this. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2022/sep/explosives-detection-improved-new-x-ray-technique |