Coherent X-ray scattering profiles of blood samples

The potential applications of coherent X-ray scattering measurements are currently of great interest among the medical physics community. Low-angle scattering for blood characterization is based on molecular and intermolecular interferences that provide a unique and characteristic profile. In this work, scattering signatures obtained from lyophilized blood samples are presented. The signatures presented in this work have two broad peaks, which are typical of amorphous samples. The position of the peaks, their FWHM, and relative intensities were measured and related to gender, age, hemoglobin A1c level, and types of variant hemoglobins. Statistical analysis shows that the variations found in the characterization parameters for plasma are significant when compared to whole blood, formed elements, and hemoglobins. The t-test suggests variations in the whole blood signature considering the patient's age.