Measurement system and method for the noninvasive determination of properties of an object to be examined and contrast medium X-ray phase-contrast measurement

A contrast medium for use in an X-ray contrast measurement, comprising:

• a base liquid and a multiplicity of particles contained therein, the refractive index nB of the base liquid being different to the refractive Index nP of the particles, wherein
• a particle size is provided which satisfies the following geometrical relation
• 2
• ⁢
• ⁢
• r
• =
• κ
• ⁢
• λ
• δ
• P
• -
• δ
• B
• ,
• where r is the parameter radius, k is a value range of from 1% to 99%, and δP and δB respectively correspond to the real decrements of the refractive indices nP and nB and λ represents the wavelength of the X-radiation being used.

A method, comprising:

• using a contrast medium for X-ray phase-contrast measurement, the contrast medium consisting of a base liquid and a multiplicity of particles contained therein, the refractive index nB of the base liquid being different to the refractive index nP of the particles, wherein
• a particle size is used which satisfies the following geometrical relation
• 2
• ⁢
• ⁢
• r
• =
• κ
• ⁢
• λ
• δ
• P
• -
• δ
• B
• ,
• where r is the parameter radius, k is a value range of from 1% to 99%, and δP and δB respectively correspond to the real decrements of the refractive indices nP and nB and λ represents the wavelength of the X-radiation being used.

A method for the noninvasive determination of at least one of properties of an object to be examined, processes in an object to be examined and states in an object to be examined by determining the relative phase shift of at least two neighboring coherent X-ray beams which pass through the object to be examined on a defined path, the method comprising:

• applying a contrast medium, consisting of a suspension with a base liquid and a multiplicity of particles contained therein, into the object to be examined, the refractive index of the base liquid being different to the refractive index of the particles;
• generating at least two mutually coherent X-ray beams with a wavelength with the aid of an X-ray source and propagating them through the object to be examined, including the applied contrast medium;
• and
• determining a relative phase shift of the at least two X-ray beams, when they pass through the object to be examined and through the particles in the contrast medium, using a detector system, arranged at a distance from the object to be examined.