Multiscale three-dimensional imaging of intact human organs down to the cellular scale using hierarchical phase-contrast tomography.

ABSTRACT: Human organs are complex, three-dimensional and multiscale systems. Spatially mapping the human body down through its hierarchy, from entire organs to their individual functional units and specialised cells, is a major obstacle to fully understanding health and disease. To meet this challenge, we developed hierarchical phase-contrast tomography (HiP-CT), an X-ray phase propagation technique utilising the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility's Extremely Brilliant Source: the world's first high-energy 4 th generation X-ray source. HiP-CT enabled three-dimensional and non-destructive imaging at near-micron resolution in soft tissues at one hundred thousand times the voxel size whilst maintaining the organ's structure. We applied HiP-CT to image five intact human parenchymal organs: brain,

SUBMITTER: Walsh C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7872374 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature