Typical Microstructures of Chinese Medicines with X-Ray Microscopy in Phase Contrast

Due to the low absorption contrast of plant tissues, traditional x-ray radiography has not been included in the microscopic techniques used in the identification of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). With the development of x-ray phase contrast imaging (XPCI) in recent years, weakly absorbing materials could also be imaged by x-rays. Here we investigate microstructures of TCMs utilizing XPCI based on a nano-focus x-ray tube. The results demonstrated that XPCI is capable of revealing the microstructures of TCMs used as judging criteria in the identification of TCMs. The major advantages of the new method are nondestructivity, no special demand for sample preparation and suitability for thick samples.