CT-ing is believing

Interdisciplinary researchers can advance their projects with the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology’s new Zeiss Xradia 630 Versa micro-CT scanner, the first of its kind with life science applications in the U.S.

Computed tomography (CT) imaging captures cross-sectional X-ray scans of an object or sample. Stacked on top of one another, the images non-invasively reconstruct the subject in 3D from the inside out. Microscopic CT (micro-CT) helps researchers reconstruct subjects as tiny and delicate as collagen or insect antennae.

Most micro-CT scanners use only X-rays invisible to the human eye, but Beckman’s model also incorporates visible light through a process called scintillation. The 630 Versa can also scan small subsections of large materials while maintaining a maximum imaging resolution of 40nm, 2,500x narrower than the width of a human hair.

“We’re providing the opportunity for researchers at the University of Illinois and beyond to start here and start small – see how a material behaves and what it looks like, and then scale up,” says Beckman Microscopist T. Josek.

Researchers can use the compression/tensile stage to stretch, bend, and compress their samples while scrutinizing them up close – a technique called in situ mechanical testing. The Versa 630 can also do diffraction contrast tomography, a technique wherein researchers can determine a material’s grain orientation by tracking how X-rays bend as they pass through it.

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The scanner was installed in January 2024 and is the first 630 model for life science applications in the United States. In addition to the Beckman Institute, the Illinois Materials Research Laboratory, The Grainger College of Engineering, and the Office for the Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation committed funds to support its purchase.

The Beckman Microscopy Suite team is focused on finding projects on campus and beyond that might benefit from the Versa 630 and are providing comprehensive training for those new to the technology. Carl Zeiss Microscopy, the scanner’s manufacturer, is integral to these efforts.

“We at ZEISS are thrilled to be partnering with the Beckman Institute Microscopy Suite to deliver this flexible and intuitive system for X-ray microscopy,” says Aubrey Funke, Carl Zeiss Microscopy product marketing manager for life science EM/XRM. “The ability to image your sample, be it organic or material, becomes a less intimidating process on the ZEISS Xradia Versa 630. With high powered-resolution and expanded ease-of-use for all skill levels, the Versa 630 is ideal for diverse research capabilities across a spectrum of applications, including life science, electronics, materials research, and many more. We look forward to working with the Beckman Institute Microscopy Suite to support many diverse research projects.”