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 …
A New Approach for Analyzing Instruments of the Violin Family What about Stradivarius violins produces the rich, resonant sound associated with these 300-year-old instruments? Violin-making has changed very little since that time, but today micro-CT offers modern violin producers and acoustic scientists a unique tool for nondestructively evaluating an instrument’s structure, as …
New Multiscale X-ray Nano-CT Generates Unprecedented, Ultra-High Resolution Images for Larger Objects Imagine the widest range of object sizes and spatial resolutions in one single micro-CT system! The Bruker SkyScan 2214 is a new multi-scale nano-CT instrument with a large field of view for scanning larger objects at ultra-high resolution. It opens …
Micro-CT for Entomology Can the built environment mimic the natural world? Biomimicry — analyzing structures in nature in order to understand how they function — allows engineers to bridge the gap between designers and nature but requires a deep knowledge of the structures being analyzed. One way to learn more about these …
Micro-CT of a Firework Fountain Using the Bruker SkyScan 1173 Micro-CT for Particle Size Analysis Summer fireworks displays are actually made up of systems of burning particles flying through the nighttime sky. In most firework fountains — the devices that send showers of sparks high in the air — there is a …
Comparative Biology: Using Micro-CT to Examine Shark Teeth In honor of SharkWeek, we used the power of micro-CT to compare and contrast a modern day shark tooth and a fossilized megalodon tooth. Teeth are important in both modern and fossil studies of sharks and other fish, providing information such as feeding habits, …
Product Development: Using Micro-CT to Examine Medical Devices The manufacturing of medical devices involves long processes that face global competition. Requirements for the highest levels of quality, reliability, and safety continue to rise as new technologies are evolving. Micro-CT allows for a deep investigation of products through nondestructive testing (NDT) and is …