One of the most intriguing and historic forensic examinations of a human skull was that of King Richard III’s, the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. King Richard III’s death in the final battle of the Wars of the Roses marked the end of …
Examining the internal structure of archaeological artifacts can provide unique insights that can help us understand the people who made them, their culture, and the technology they developed to shape the world around them. Archaeometry, or the application of scientific techniques to the analysis of archaeological artifacts, is transforming modern archaeology and …
Corrosion in metals can affect a wide array of man-made materials, from reinforced steel in concrete to historic monuments and implanted medical devices. Corrosion causes a loss of strength that can lead to safety hazards in bridges, buildings, and pipelines, as well as in medical devices. The annual direct cost of metallic …
Precious artifacts and historical art objects are often affected by decay, environmental pollution, vandalism, or just simple age and neglect. Micro-CT is well suited to analyze historical artifacts for restoration and preservation, allowing conservators to inspect the exterior surfaces and interior structures without destroying the original objects. Unlike ordinary 2D radiography, …
New High-Capacity 3D X-ray Microscopy Generates Excellent Image Quality in Just Seconds Now it is possible to scan larger, dense objects with a desktop micro-CT instrument, obtaining excellent image quality in as little as 12 seconds. Bruker’s new SkyScan 1273 handles objects up to 500 mm length, 300 mm diameter, and a …
Semiconductor and electronics manufacturers are continually introducing new processing technologies and materials in order to make devices smaller, faster, cheaper, and more efficient. With decreasing length scales and the challenges of introducing new materials, new characterization techniques are required to develop next-generation materials and validate new processes. Micro-CT is well suited for …
The discipline of taxonomy has been transformed from the traditional morphology-based approach, using written descriptions and line drawings, to a complementary mixture of several types of data, including micro-CT scanning. Micro-CT provides the detail and resolution necessary to enhance species descriptions or enable species identifications. Detailed assessments of both external and internal …
Micro-CT for the Study of Plant Root Function in a Cactus Root biology research has been ongoing for more than a century but has rarely been the focus of research by mainstream biologists. Recently, however, micro-CT and other newer technologies have led to numerous insights and stimulated a new generation of root …
Micro-CT for Digital Dissections of Biological Samples Micro-CT is increasingly used by biologists to describe, compare, and identify new species. Micro-CT’s noninvasive nature means that even extinct examples can be virtually dissected without harming precious specimens. In the case of sea stars, commonly called starfish, there are more than 2,000 species living …
Micro-CT for Inspection of Assembled Products As Additive Manufacturing (AM) is changing the manufacturing landscape, it has become important to be able to inspect an entire part because of AM’s layer-based processes. In a single scan, micro-CT can provide high resolution images and dimensional information of both the internal and external surfaces …