Nano‐Focus Micro‐CT Scanner

The Larsson Lab maintains a nano‐focus X-ray micro‐computed tomography (micro-CT) system housed within the Redpath Museum facilities. This instrument enables high-resolution, three‐dimensional X-ray imaging of small specimens—particularly fossils, mineral samples, and delicate biological tissues—down to the submicron scale. The micro-CT is routinely used for quantitative morphological analyses and virtual sectioning of paleontological and biological materials.

1. Imaging Capabilities

1. Nano‐Focus X-ray Source: Capability for geometrical magnification up to >200×, achieving voxel sizes as small as 0.5 µm (depending on sample geometry).
2. Variable Tube Voltage: 40 kV–160 kV range to optimize contrast across high- and low-density materials (e.g., fossil bone versus embedding matrix).
3. High‐Precision Stage: Six-axis sample manipulator enabling repeatable rotation and translation (step‐size < 0.1 µm) for stitching large specimens or performing subregion scans.
4. Detector System: High-resolution flat-panel or photon-counting detector (2000×2000 pixels, pixel pitch ~50 µm) capable of capturing projection images at frame rates up to 10 fps for rapid scan modes.
5. Software Suite: Includes reconstruction software (e.g., Feldkamp–Davis–Kress algorithm) and volume‐rendering/analysis tools (e.g., VGStudio, Dragonfly) for segmentation, virtual slicing, and quantitative morphometrics.

2. Typical Applications

1. Fossil Morphology & Paleontology: Non‐destructive investigation of internal skeletal microstructures of microvertebrate fossils, invertebrate exoskeletons, and rare museum specimens; virtual preparation of delicate material before mechanical extraction.
2. Mineralogy & Petrology: Determination of pore networks, grain boundaries, and mineral phase distributions in small rock samples (≤ 10 mm in diameter), including thin‐section–like virtual slices.
3. Small‐Animal and Comparative Anatomy: High-contrast imaging of preserved soft tissues (e.g., embryonic specimens) using contrast agents (iodine or phosphotungstic acid) to highlight differential attenuation; 3D reconstructions of vascular or neural networks in small vertebrates.
4. Materials Science: Inspection of heterogeneous composite samples (e.g., biomineralized cuticle, small engineered artifacts) for failure analysis, density variations, and microfractures.