4 Years of X-ray Imaging at 05B1-1 Beamline at BMIT

Abstract

The BioMedical Imaging and Therapy (BMIT) facility located at the Canadian Light Source, provides synchrotron- specific imaging and radiation therapy capabilities [1-5]. There are two separate endstations used for experiments: the Bending Magnet (BM) beamline described here and the Insertion Device (ID) beamline that started general user program in 2015.

The bending magnet beamline 05B1-1 was used to acquire first images in December 2008 and was officially opened for general user program in 2011. This endstation is designed for imaging and therapy research primarily in animals ranging in size from insects to mice to small dogs and cats, as well as tissue specimens including plants.

Core research programs include human and animal reproduction, cancer imaging and therapy, spinal cord injury and repair, cardiovascular and lung imaging and disease, bone and cartilage growth and deterioration, mammography, developmental biology, gene expression research as well as the introduction of new imaging methods.

The monochromatic spectral range spans 15-40 keV, and the beam is more than 200 mm wide in the experimental hutch. Several different X-ray detectors are available with resolutions ranging from 2 μm to 200 μm.