Fig 4. Axial slice of phase contrast x-ray tomography (a).

Dose for the full tomography scan (1000 projections) was 0.23 mGy. Detailed axial section is shown in (b) and, for comparison, its corresponding optical microscope image in (c). Clear delineation of each nerve fascicle and surrounding structures are possible without sectioning, fixation or staining procedures with PC tomography. In the images, nerve fascicles (nf), an artery (arrow head), arterioles (thin arrow), venules (thick arrow), epineurium (square) and perineurium (ellipse) can be easily distinguished.