A wide-field micro-computed tomography detector: micron resolution at half-centimetre scale

Area of Science:

• * X-ray imaging and tomography
• * Biological and materials science imaging
• * Detector technology development

Background:

• * Current micro-CT (computed tomography) systems achieve sub-micron resolution only for fields of view less than 2 mm.
• * Imaging large samples (mm to cm) with micron-scale structures requires a balance between wide field of view and high resolution.
• * Existing technologies necessitate sectional scanning and computational stitching for large specimens, increasing complexity and time.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To present a unique detector system for micro-CT imaging.
• * To achieve a wide field of view (6 mm) combined with sub-micron pixel resolution (0.5 µm).
• * To demonstrate the system's capability with both synchrotron and commercial X-ray sources.

Main Methods:

• * Development and implementation of a novel detector system with a 6 mm image circle and 0.5 µm pixel size.
• * Imaging of a resolution-test pattern and a whole adult Daphnia magna at the Berkeley Advanced Light Source.
• * Reconstruction of large isotropic volumes (10000 × 10000 × 7096 voxels) at 0.5 µm resolution over a 5.0 mm × 3.5 mm field of view.

Main Results:

• * Achieved a 0.5 µm pixel size within a 6 mm field of view.
• * Reconstructed volumes with isotropic 0.5 µm voxels, demonstrating high-resolution 3D imaging of large samples.
• * Measured spatial resolution of 0.90 µm in the projection domain, largely Nyquist-limited.

Conclusions:

• * The developed detector system offers an unprecedented combination of field of view and resolution for micro-CT.
• * Significantly reduces the need for sectional scans and stitching for large, complex samples.
• * Expected to advance research in biological sciences, materials science, microelectronics, agricultural science, and biomedical engineering.