Three-dimensional synchrotron x-ray particle image velocimetry

There is great potential to vastly improve biological flow measurement by using a combination of synchrotron imaging and the latest experimental flow measurement techniques. In the current paper, the three-dimensional velocity field within a cylindrical tube is measured using a combination of phase-contrast x-ray imaging and particle image velocimetry (PIV). We greatly refine the techniques previously used to undertake velocity measurements with a synchrotron light source, substantially enhancing accuracy. Furthermore a PIV correlation peak analysis is developed to allow three-dimensional measurement of the velocity field.