Researchers Set Up, Test New MicroCT Imaging System
Researchers in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering recently installed and tested the University of Arkansas’ new MicroCT imaging system located in the J.B. Hunt Center of Academic Excellence Building.
Commonly referred to as “CT” — the same sort of scanning used for medical-imaging — computed tomography uses X-ray technology to generate high-resolution 2-D and 3-D representations of an object’s internal and external structure. MicroCT produces images that allow researchers to examine materials down to the micro- (less than or equal to 0.1 millimeter) and even nano-scale (less than 0.001 millimeter).
MicroCT enables researchers to visualize bones, teeth and archeological artifacts up close and internally, without dismantling or destroying them, and will thus help researchers gain new and exciting information about evolution, human behavior and cognitive function. But these applications only scratch the surface. MicroCT can also be used for analysis of additive-manufacturing techniques, aerospace technologies, biomedically engineered bone and soft tissue structures, and many other items — basically any object the size of a basketball or smaller and weighing no more than 110 pounds.
Managed by the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies and supported by a $625,000 grant from the National Science Foundation and the University of Arkansas, the MicroCT Imaging Consortium for Research and Outreach is committed to sharing its work with the public. Educators and students can submit samples for scanning at no charge.
To learn more about the consortium and system, and to view additional images, visit Research Frontiers.
This story originally appeared in the University of Arkansas’ Newswire publication. Please visit news.uark.edu for more stories like this.
Claire Terhune
Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology
479-575-3529 // cterhune@uark.edu
Matt McGowan
Science and Research Writer, University Relations
479-575-4246 // dmcgowa@uark.edu