HECTOR: A 240kV micro-CT setup optimized for research

TLDR

X‑ray micro‑CT is a powerful, widely used non‑destructive 3‑D imaging technique, yet most commercial systems are mechanically constrained and offer limited acquisition flexibility. HECTOR is a new micro‑CT system developed by Ghent University’s Centre for X‑ray Tomography in partnership with X‑Ray Engineering. HECTOR features a nine‑axis motorized chassis, modular software, a 240 kV microfocus directional source, a large flat‑panel detector (with optional line detector), and design elements—such as bi‑directional tiling, variable source‑detector distance, 1 m vertical travel, and a vertical detector rotation axis—that enable high‑resolution (down to 4 µm) imaging of large samples (up to 80 kg, 1 m long, 80 cm diameter) and support helical scanning and laminography.

Abstract

X-ray micro-CT has become a very powerful and common tool for non-destructive three-dimensional (3D) visualization and analysis of objects. Many systems are commercially available, but they are typically limited in terms of operational freedom both from a mechanical point of view as well as for acquisition routines. HECTOR is the latest system developed by the Ghent University Centre for X-ray Tomography (http://www.ugct.ugent.be) in collaboration with X-Ray Engineering (XRE bvba, Ghent, Belgium). It consists of a mechanical setup with nine motorized axes and a modular acquisition software package and combines a microfocus directional target X-ray source up to 240 kV with a large flat-panel detector. Provisions are made to install a line-detector for a maximal operational range. The system can accommodate samples up to 80 kg, 1 m long and 80 cm in diameter while it is also suited for high resolution (down to 4 μm) tomography. The bi-directional detector tiling is suited for large samples while the variable source-detector distance optimizes the signal to noise ratio (SNR) for every type of sample, even with peripheral equipment such as compression stages or climate chambers. The large vertical travel of 1 m can be used for helical scanning and a vertical detector rotation axis allows laminography experiments.