HeliScan microCT


 

HeliScan™ uses advanced helical scanning and iterative reconstruction technology to produce unsurpassed image fidelity on larger volumes. As part of a multi-scale imaging solution, HeliScan™ enables scientists to gain valuable insight from internal structures to explore and validate a wide range of material properties.

The variety of materials that can be easily characterized in this system range from biological specimens to dense metallic, even micro-electronics. The ease of use as well as the high throughput make this system ideal for laboratory groups that need to identify what is within their material (voids, cracks, solutes) without requiring a sacrificial specimen.

 

HeliScan

Key Features:

 

  • Improved Resolution:

The HeliScan’s new high-resolution upgrade will improve the resolution by about a factor of two – decreasing the size of the smallest voxel achievable from 800nm to 400nm. 

The upgrade involves a filament/target change to achieve a smaller spot size.  The higher resolution will come at the expense of total X-ray flux. While it will still be possible to scan larger specimens, the reduced flux will require longer scanning times.  

The plan is to switch the HeliScan between the standard mode (min 800nm voxel) and high-resolution mode (min 400nm voxel) every 3-4 weeks.  Thus, you will be able to schedule your experiments to use the mode that meets your needs. 

 

  • Fast throughput, high-quality analysis:

Helical scanning and a large cone angle combined with proprietary autofocus and drift correction delivers the highest signal-to-noise ratio. Efficient scans of representative volumes provide ready-to-segment raw data that reduces the need for digital manipulation.

  • Advanced Imaging for Quantitative Analysis:

Maintaining the true microstructure of the sample combined with the highest signal-to-noise ratio imaging available in the microCT market provides an ideal solution for quantitative analysis for any sample.

  • Multi-Scale Workflow:

This microCT instrument is a valuable component of a multi-scale, multimodal workflow that may progress through higher-resolution imaging with a focused ionbeam/scanning electron microscope to atomic-scale analysis in a transmission electron microscope. All of these techniques are readily available at CEMAS.

MIPAR is a comprehensive software suite that offers interactive and intuitive applications for the processing, analysis, visualization, and quantification of 2-D microscopic images and 3-D microscopy datasets.  In development since 2007 within the Center for Accelerated Maturation of Materials (CAMM), this software suite has grown rapidly due in large part to the extensive testing and application carried out by many CAMM and CEMAS researchers. It uniquely offers comprehensive environments for both 2-D and 3-D dataset processing/analysis where specific environments are designed for different tasks.

 

Specifications:

 

Homework board for the ECE department
Homework board for the ECE department
  • X-ray source: 20 – 160kV, power 8W
  • X-ray detector: 3072 x 3072 pixels, 16 bit, flat panel
  • Spatial resolution: 800 nm** (400nm ** with high-resolution kit installed)
  • Sample diameter up to 240 mm
  • Load capacity: 15 kg
  • Sample stage
  • Y-range:
  • Source – Stage: 400 mm
  • Source – Detector: 750 mm
  • Z-range: 195 mm
  • R-range: 360° continuous

**(2d) Spatial resolution (or 10% MTF resolution)

Resolution is the distance between objects (or cavities) at which they can still be identified as independent from each other in an image.

 

Example of the 3D visualization capable using the Avizo™ software
Example of the 3D visualization capable using the Avizo™ software

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