The Ideal MicroCT for Core Facility Labs – Combining Versatility and Performance

By Dr Cameron Chai and Dr Kamran Khajehpour

Choosing an instrument for a central or core facility lab is always challenging. Catering to the needs of the many normally requires compromises to be made. If you are looking for a new microCT, you may not actually have to compromise! The TESCAN UniTOM HR offers 600nm spatial resolution with exceptional contrast at much faster speeds than other high-resolution CT’s. It accommodates up to 3 different detectors for different applications and energy ranges enabling for example large samples (100cm tall x 60cm diametre) with a high energy large area detector and low contrast biological materials with a specialised low energy detector. With continuous capture <5sec temporal resolution the systems are 4D CT/dynamic CT ready. Sometimes manufacturers make claims that seem a bit outrageous. Following a thorough review of commercially available high-speed lab-based CT’s by researchers at the University of Warwick (UK), here’s what researchers had to say about the scanning speed of the TESCAN UniTOM:

“The only systems currently available on the market that can seemingly achieve these sorts of speeds are all made by TESCAN that has 4D scanning as their marketed unique selling point.” This was in reference to an acquisition time of 9.4 seconds, which was much faster than the next competitor at 1 minute.

• Ideal for PMI • Alloy grade libraries • Carbon in steel •Argon or air analysis •Lightweight & rugged

•Rapid large area mapping •Element and phase maps •Variable resolution •Automatic sample changer •Depth analysis