Definition
X-ray computed tomography, or simply computed tomography (CT), is an imaging method using X-ray transmission and computer algorithms to reconstruct two-dimensional (2D) images of an object, representing object’s slices, or three-dimensional (3D) representations of the object’s structure, including inner geometries.
In this context, the term “tomography” refers to nondestructive imaging of sections. The term derives from two Greek words: tomos, meaning “section,” and graphein, meaning “to write.”
Although the term “computed tomography” is very general and could refer even to tomographic techniques not using X-rays, in practice it usually refers to the computation of tomographic images by X-ray transmission. The term “X-ray computed tomography” is more specific.
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Carmignato, S. (2019). Computed Tomography. In: Chatti, S., Laperrière, L., Reinhart, G., Tolio, T. (eds) CIRP Encyclopedia of Production Engineering. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-53120-4_6681
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