Computed tomography in various fields outside medicine

Abstract

CT has been widely used for non-medical purposes, for which, as in medicine, it has the advantage of being non-destructive and having a high spatial and density resolution. CT may help to generate 3-D views which could otherwise be obtained only by dissecting the object. There is almost no limitation with regard to X-ray exposure and scanning time. Dedicated techniques, e. g., rotating the specimen between stationary tube and detector, have been developed. Micro-CT may provide a spatial resolution up to 1 µm. Fields where CT has been successfully applied are archaeology, soil science, the timber industry, biology, industrial X-ray inspection and aviation security.