Chinese researchers have developed a compact CT scanner that weighs only 6kg and is designed for imaging small objects outside conventional laboratories.
The device, called Xtomo-Cube, was developed by Shandong-based Rayim with support from researchers linked to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Its developers say the system is the world’s smallest and lightest CT scanner, with applications ranging from fossils and archaeological relics to small industrial and medical objects.
The scanner is about the size of a desktop speaker and can be carried in one hand.
Liu Baodong, a senior engineer at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and general manager of Rayim, told Science and Technology Daily that the device has been nicknamed a palm-sized CT scanner. The previous record holder for the smallest CT scanner was a German-developed system weighing about 19kg, according to the publication.
READ ALSO: https://modernmechanics24.com/post/lockheed-agm-158-flex-modular-airframe/
The Xtomo-Cube has a spatial resolution of 80 micrometres, roughly the width of a human hair. It is designed to produce detailed images of small objects, including fossils, snail shells and medicine capsules. Researchers can use the images to examine internal structures without cutting or damaging the samples.
Built For Field Operations
The scanner consumes about 200 watts of power, allowing it to operate from an ordinary portable power bank during fieldwork. This makes it possible to take the equipment to excavation sites and other locations where conventional CT scanners are not practical. The device is also intended for use in university classrooms and research laboratories.
Liu said the X-ray source, rotating platform and detector were all developed and manufactured in China. These components were fitted into a package with a volume of about four litres. The main engineering challenge was to reduce the size of the system while maintaining sufficient imaging detail.
CT Technology In Simple Terms
Computed Tomography ( CT) uses X-rays to take images of an object from multiple angles. A computer combines those images to create a three-dimensional representation of its internal structure. The method allows researchers to inspect objects without physically opening them.
The technology was first introduced for clinical use in 1971, when a CT scanner was used on a patient in London to identify a brain tumour.
British engineer Godfrey Hounsfield developed the machine, which was about 3 metres long and required around five minutes to produce two-dimensional images of a patient’s head. Modern CT systems are now routinely used in hospitals to detect tumours, internal bleeding and other medical conditions.
WATCH ALSO: https://modernmechanics24.com/post/gen-1-5-robots-one-shot-learning-ai/
From Hospitals To Research
CT scanning has also become a tool for examining fossils, archaeological discoveries and industrial components. Conventional systems, however, are generally large and heavy. A typical hospital CT scanner is about 2 metres tall and wide and weighs around two tonnes, while some industrial machines weigh several tonnes.
The Xtomo-Cube is aimed at a different part of the market. It is designed for small objects and situations where portability matters more than the ability to scan large subjects.
The system also gives researchers access to its settings and raw imaging data, according to Liu. Students and researchers can use the information to study image collection, reconstruction and processing.
The development gives researchers a portable way to carry out high-resolution CT imaging closer to excavation sites, classrooms and laboratories. Its use in these settings will depend on how widely the system is adopted and how it performs across different types of samples.
