New instrument for x-ray tomography

The “micro CT VtomeX” is located at the Chair of Prof. Dr. Franz Pfeiffer who received the most renowned German research prize, the Leibniz-prize, in 2010. The new computer tomography facility is also available for FRM II users.

Samples, that can be examined, include geo and composite materials, semiconductors and biomedical specimens.

First test measurements with a screw in rabbit bones simulating a metal implant show good results (see figure). Usually, artefacts occur around metal implants in medical tomography. Using the new facility, on the contrary, the bone structure close to the screw is still well differentiated.

The x-ray tomography station is featured by its high flexibility: Due to two different exchangeable x-ray tubes, both, pictures with high resolution and pictures with lower resolution but higher contrast, can be taken. The detector allows for fast and highly contrasted pictures. The reconstruction of the data is accomplished within a few minutes due to a cluster of four computers using graphic cards to calculate the images.