XRadia MicroXCT-400 Hardware Component Upgrade Options
Löövi, Samu (2025)
2025
Sähkötekniikan DI-ohjelma - Master's Programme in Electrical Engineering
Informaatioteknologian ja viestinnän tiedekunta - Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences
Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2025-08-20
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202506117103
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202506117103
Tiivistelmä
Micro-computed tomography is a widely used research method in various applications, including medicine. Imaging device and the materials used are constantly evolving and updating the devices, their components, or the applications used becomes necessary at some point as the materials and components wear out and become outdated.
The purpose of this was to explore potential component upgrades for Tampere university’s old XRadia microXCT-400 micro-CT device, which is acquired in 2012. Most of the components are original, but the X-ray source was replaced in 2018 after the original one broke down. Initially, the components used in the current setup were examined, and alternative options were explored by contacting the component manufacturers. Hamamatsu provided offers for two camera options with different technologies, but testing and replacing them was deemed too complicated, as the device needed to remain operational for scheduled research projects.
Since the device has two unused slots for potential new objective lenses, the focus was on exploring new objectives and scintillators. Each objective has its own scintillator, which means that the new objective needed a new scintillator too. And also a custom-build, adjustable scintillator mount in front of the objective was needed.
There are also many different scintillator materials on the market. So it was necessary to determine the material of the original scintillators and define the desired properties for the new scintillator to find a suitable replacement material. For this, a modular transfer function technique was applied to the selected objective, after which the new scintillator was custom-manufactured by Scintacor. In addition, light yield measurements were conducted for all existing objectives and scintillators.
The measurement results show that as energy increases, the performance of the new P43 phosphor scintillator does not remain at the same level as the old CsI scintillator. Additionally, the properties of the new scintillator were not entirely as wanted, but it was made to function to some extent. There were challenges in fine-tuning the scintillator settings due to the lack of a suitable calibration grid, and no technical support was available for the device apart from old manuals. As a result, the resolution could not be calibrated with sufficient accuracy.
The purpose of this was to explore potential component upgrades for Tampere university’s old XRadia microXCT-400 micro-CT device, which is acquired in 2012. Most of the components are original, but the X-ray source was replaced in 2018 after the original one broke down. Initially, the components used in the current setup were examined, and alternative options were explored by contacting the component manufacturers. Hamamatsu provided offers for two camera options with different technologies, but testing and replacing them was deemed too complicated, as the device needed to remain operational for scheduled research projects.
Since the device has two unused slots for potential new objective lenses, the focus was on exploring new objectives and scintillators. Each objective has its own scintillator, which means that the new objective needed a new scintillator too. And also a custom-build, adjustable scintillator mount in front of the objective was needed.
There are also many different scintillator materials on the market. So it was necessary to determine the material of the original scintillators and define the desired properties for the new scintillator to find a suitable replacement material. For this, a modular transfer function technique was applied to the selected objective, after which the new scintillator was custom-manufactured by Scintacor. In addition, light yield measurements were conducted for all existing objectives and scintillators.
The measurement results show that as energy increases, the performance of the new P43 phosphor scintillator does not remain at the same level as the old CsI scintillator. Additionally, the properties of the new scintillator were not entirely as wanted, but it was made to function to some extent. There were challenges in fine-tuning the scintillator settings due to the lack of a suitable calibration grid, and no technical support was available for the device apart from old manuals. As a result, the resolution could not be calibrated with sufficient accuracy.