Recently, there has been significant progress in the field of soft- and hard-X-ray\r\nimaging for a wide range of applications, both technically and scientifically, via developments\r\nin sources, optics and imaging methodologies. While one community is pursuing extensive\r\napplications of available X-ray tools, others are investigating improvements in techniques,\r\nincluding new optics, higher spatial resolutions and brighter compact sources. For increased\r\nimage quality and more exquisite investigation on characteristic biological phenomena,\r\ncontrast agents have been employed extensively in imaging technologies. Heavy metal\r\nnanoparticles are excellent absorbers of X-rays and can offer excellent improvements in\r\nmedical diagnosis and X-ray imaging. In this context, the role of gold (Au) is important for\r\nadvanced X-ray imaging applications. Au has a long-history in a wide range of medical\r\napplications and exhibits characteristic interactions with X-rays. Therefore, Au can offer a\r\nparticular advantage as a tracer and a contrast enhancer in X-ray imaging technologies by\r\nsensing the variation in X-ray attenuation in a given sample volume. This review\r\nsummarizes basic understanding on X-ray imaging from device set-up to technologies.\r\nThen this review covers recent studies in the development of X-ray imaging techniques\r\nutilizing gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and their relevant applications, including two- and\r\nthree-dimensional biological imaging, dynamical processes in a living system, single cellbased\r\nimaging and quantitative analysis of circulatory systems and so on. In addition to\r\nconventional medical applications, various novel research areas have been developed and\r\nare expected to be further developed through AuNP-based X-ray imaging technologies.
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