PITRE: Software for phase-sensitive X-ray image processing and tomography reconstruction

Abstract

Synchrotron-radiation computed tomography has been applied in many research fields. Here, PITRE (Phase-sensitive X-ray Image processing and Tomography REconstruction) and PITRE-BM (PITRE Batch Manager) are presented. PITRE supports phase retrieval for propagation-based phase-contrast imaging/tomography (PPCI/PPCT), extracts apparent absorption, refractive and scattering information of diffraction enhanced imaging (DEI), and allows parallel-beam tomography reconstruction for conventional absorption CT data and for PPCT phase retrieved and DEI-CT extracted information. PITRE-BM is a batch processing manager for PITRE: it executes a series of tasks, created via PITRE, without manual intervention. Both PITRE and PITRE-BM are coded in Interactive Data Language (IDL), and have a user-friendly graphical user interface. They are freeware and can run on Microsoft Windows systems via IDL Virtual Machine, which can be downloaded for free and does not require a license. The data-processing principle and some examples of application will be presented. © 2012 International Union of Crystallography Printed in Singapore - all rights reserved.