Micro-CT scanning

The X-Ray Imaging Core has access to four micro-CT scanner systems that provide imaging services appropriate to the needs of various research applications. These resources provide high-resolution, nondestructive 3D mapping of a sample's X-ray attenuation properties.

The equipment available is outlined below.

Bruker SkyScan 1272

This commercial scanner offers a compact system design that enables high-resolution micro-CT imaging of in vitro and ex vivo specimens. The scanner is outfitted with a microfocus X-ray source that provides a 20-kilovolt to 100-kilovolt range of operational voltages using a tungsten anode with an automatic filter changer.

The X-ray detector is an 11-megapixel charge-coupled device detector with a fiber-optic-coupled scintillator and includes four pixel binning modes. The system has adjustable magnification settings and can yield effective pixel sizes from 6.35 microns down to 0.45 micron with the 1-pixel binning mode. The system can accommodate maximum specimen sizes of 75 millimeters (mm) in diameter and 70 mm in length.

The scanner console includes installed vendor software that enables reconstruction, 2D or 3D numerical analysis, and 3D visualization.

Bruker SkyScan 1276

This commercial scanner offers a compact system design with a rotating gantry to enable micro-CT imaging with high spatial and temporal resolution. These features accommodate a range of research applications, including ex vivo, in vitro and in vivo imaging scenarios.

The scanner is outfitted with a microfocus X-ray source that provides a 20-kilovolt to 100-kilovolt range of operational voltages using a tungsten anode with an automatic filter changer. The X-ray detector is an 11-megapixel charge-coupled device detector with a fiber-optic-coupled scintillator and includes four pixel binning modes.

The system has adjustable magnification settings and can yield effective pixel sizes from 10 microns down to 3 microns with the 1-pixel binning mode. The system can accommodate maximum specimen sizes of 80 mm in diameter and 300 mm in length.

The scanner console includes installed vendor software that enables reconstruction, 2D or 3D numerical analysis, and 3D visualization. Also, the scanner has integrated physiological monitoring software for in vivo applications. An isoflurane anesthesia system is near the scanner for research procedure preparation.

MCT4 scanner

This commercial scanner offers flexible geometric configurations and can support a wide range of custom applications, such as high-energy micro-CT and scatter experiments. The scanner is outfitted with a microfocus X-ray source that has a tungsten anode. It provides focal spot sizes of 5 microns, 20 microns and 50 microns. It also provides a 40-kilovolt to 150-kilovolt range of operational voltages.

The X-ray detector is a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor flat panel detector that offers a 15-by-12-centimeter active area, 95-micron pixel pitch, three-pixel binning modes and a frame rate of up to 30 frames per second. Flexible positioning of the system hardware enables high-magnification applications yielding effective pixel sizes down to 5 microns.

MCT6 scanner

This micro-CT scanner offers phase-contrast imaging in addition to traditional X-ray absorption imaging. A single acquisition can yield three contrasts: absorption, phase and dark field.

Absorption is sensitive to high-density materials such as bone. Phase is sensitive to low-density materials such as soft tissue. And dark field is sensitive to scatter caused by small structures and edges. Incorporating phase-contrast imaging capabilities enhances preclinical imaging applications by allowing for the extraction of complementary X-ray attenuation and phase information that derives from unique interactions in various tissues.

The scanner is outfitted with a microfocus X-ray source that provides three focus modes: focal spot sizes of 5 microns, 20 microns and 50 microns. The optimal voltage for the phase-contrast grating interferometers is 40-kilovolts peak. The system has a 4-megapixel complementary metal-oxide semiconductor X-ray detector that has a cesium iodide scintillator and a pixel pitch of 23 microns.