National University of Technology , Islamabad

Electrical Department
Batch - 21

Technical Report Writing

Assignment

Group Members Aijaz Ahmed

IDS F21303030

Subject Technical Report Writing

FM Dr. Qamar Wali

Assignment 04

Date 27-02-23

Topic: A review on X-ray current technology and applications

Since the discovery of a new type of radiation by Wilhelm Rontgen, X-rays have been
used extensively in various research fields. A pertinent feature of this radiation type is
its capability to penetrate material in varying degrees. The latter can only occur at
energies above 1.022 MeV and is thus not relevant in most X-ray CT setups. More
information on this topic can be found in 1. This property was soon used for medical 2
and non-medical 3 applications. In geosciences, the internal structure of a great diversity
of geological samples has been examined by radiographic imaging mainly in the last
50 years 4. Constant improvement of the equipment still makes it a very extensively used
technique in a wide range of applications, of which the most known are medical
radiography and security systems.

A major drawback of this technique is the loss of information in one dimension.

Radiographs, which are sometimes called projection or shadow images, project a 3D
object on a 2D detector plane, losing depth information. This can lead to
misinterpretation of the images. A new technique to overcome this disadvantage was
developed in the 1970s called Computerized transverse axial tomography 5
(abbreviated CAT or CT). By acquiring projection images from different directions, a 3D
volume is reconstructed using dedicated computer algorithms. This 3D reconstruction
technique was almost immediately used for medical applications, allowing visualisation
of the human body and brain 6 . X-ray CT has become more commonplace in the earth
sciences for imaging geological samples at ambient conditions 7. Medical CT and
industrial CT systems, with typical spatial resolutions of 250 μm voxel size, are often
used for their large core scanning capabilities 8 and dual energy scanning possibilities
for the chemical analysis of core samples . When one is performing the study of core
samples, the surface as well as the internal features, including bedding features,
sedimentary structures, natural and coring-induced fractures, cement distribution,
small-scale grain size variation and density variation can now be analysed 9. Over the
years, medical CT scanners have been drastically improved in terms of image quality,
imaging speed and deposited radiation dose. Following technological advances, different
generations of CT scanners have been conceived 10 with recent developments towards
dual-energy 11  with recent developments towards dual-energy ,  and energy selective CT.
Although the possibilities of X-ray micro-CT are increasingly well-known and used in
almost all research fields in earth sciences, several challenges remain to be
tackled. Additionally, new technologies are breaking through, which have the potential
to greatly improve the possibilities of X-ray micro-CT. Techniques that make use of the
energy-dependence of the attenuation coefficient, such as dual-energy CT and spectral
CT, are being explored to improve material identification, one of the main issues in
micro-CT. Besides all these technological advances with increasing use of micro-CT in
geosciences, the standardization will naturally be established, yielding more reliable
results, comparable to medical CT scanning. 

References:
1. (a) Attix, F. H., Introduction to radiological physics and radiation dosimetry. John Wiley & Sons:
2008; (b) Knoll, G. F., Radiation detection and measurement. John Wiley & Sons: 2010.
2. Frost, E. B., Experiments on the X-rays. Science 1896, 3 (59), 235-236.
3. Brühl, L., Über Verwendung von Röntgenischen X-Strahlen zu paläontologische diagnostichen
Zweken. Verhandlungen der Berliner physiologischen Gesellschaft. Archiv für Anatomie und
Physiologie, Physiologischer, Teil 1896, 547-550.
4. Calvert, S.; Veevers, J., MINOR STRUCTURES OF UNCONSOLIDATED MARINE SEDIMENTS
REVEALED BY X‐RADIOGRAPHY 1. Sedimentology 1962, 1 (4), 287-295.
5. Hounsfield, G. N., Computerized transverse axial scanning (tomography): Part I. Description of
system. 1973. The British journal of radiology 1995, 68 (815), H166-72.
6. Gawler, J.; Sanders, M.; Bull, J.; Du Boulay, G.; Marshall, J., Computer assisted tomography in
orbital disease. The British journal of ophthalmology 1974, 58 (6), 571.
7. Lesher, C. E.; Wang, Y.; Gaudio, S.; Clark, A.; Nishiyama, N.; Rivers, M., Volumetric properties of
magnesium silicate glasses and supercooled liquid at high pressure by X-ray microtomography. Physics
of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 2009, 174 (1-4), 292-301.
8. Baraka-Lokmane, S.; Main, I.; Ngwenya, B.; Elphick, S., Application of complementary methods
for more robust characterization of sandstone cores. Marine and Petroleum Geology 2009, 26 (1), 39-
56.
9. Coles, M.; Muegge, E.; Sprunt, E., Applications of CAT scanning for oil and gas production. IEEE
Transactions on nuclear science 1991, 38 (2), 510-515.
10. Goldman, L. W., Principles of CT and CT technology. Journal of nuclear medicine technology
2007, 35 (3), 115-128.
11. Flohr, T. G.; McCollough, C. H.; Bruder, H.; Petersilka, M.; Gruber, K.; Süβ, C.; Grasruck, M.;
Stierstorfer, K.; Krauss, B.; Raupach, R., First performance evaluation of a dual-source CT (DSCT)
system. European radiology 2006, 16, 256-268.