Murrie, R.Morgan, K.Maksimenko, A.Fouras, A.Paganin, D.Hall, C.Siu, K.Parsons, D.Donnelley, M.2015-11-122015-11-122015Journal of Synchrotron Radiation, 2015; 22(4):1049-10550909-04951600-5775http://hdl.handle.net/2440/96475The high flux and coherence produced at long synchrotron beamlines makes them well suited to performing phase-contrast X-ray imaging of the airways and lungs of live small animals. Here, findings of the first live-animal imaging on the Imaging and Medical Beamline (IMBL) at the Australian Synchrotron are reported, demonstrating the feasibility of performing dynamic lung motion measurement and high-resolution micro-tomography. Live anaesthetized mice were imaged using 30 keV monochromatic X-rays at a range of sample-to-detector propagation distances. A frame rate of 100 frames s(-1) allowed lung motion to be determined using X-ray velocimetry. A separate group of humanely killed mice and rats were imaged by computed tomography at high resolution. Images were reconstructed and rendered to demonstrate the capacity for detailed, user-directed display of relevant respiratory anatomy. The ability to perform X-ray velocimetry on live mice at the IMBL was successfully demonstrated. High-quality renderings of the head and lungs visualized both large structures and fine details of the nasal and respiratory anatomy. The effect of sample-to-detector propagation distance on contrast and resolution was also investigated, demonstrating that soft tissue contrast increases, and resolution decreases, with increasing propagation distance. This new capability to perform live-animal imaging and high-resolution micro-tomography at the IMBL enhances the capability for investigation of respiratory diseases and the acceleration of treatment development in Australia.en© 2015 International Union of CrystallographyX-raylungmicrotomographyphase contrastvelocimetryLive small-animal X-ray lung velocimetry and lung micro-tomography at the Australian Synchrotron Imaging and Medical BeamlineJournal article003003394210.1107/S16005775150060010003574079000222-s2.0-84937395095192208Parsons, D. [0000-0002-8775-3501] [0000-0003-1746-3290]Donnelley, M. [0000-0002-5320-7756]