Micro-CT for Biological and Biomedical Studies: A Comparison of Imaging Techniques

• Published in: Journal of imaging Vol. 7; no. 9; p. 172
• Main Authors: Keklikoglou, Kleoniki, Arvanitidis, Christos, Chatzigeorgiou, Georgios, Chatzinikolaou, Eva, Karagiannidis, Efstratios, Koletsa, Triantafyllia, Magoulas, Antonios, Makris, Konstantinos, Mavrothalassitis, George, Papanagnou, Eleni-Dimitra, Papazoglou, Andreas S., Pavloudi, Christina, Trougakos, Ioannis P., Vasileiadou, Katerina, Vogiatzi, Angeliki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01-09-2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Computed tomography; confocal laser scanning microscopy; Contrast agents; Datasets; Ecology; Histology; Imaging techniques; Life sciences; Light; Longitudinal studies; Medical imaging; micro-computed tomography; Microscopes; Museums; Nondestructive testing; Optical microscopy; Radiation; Review; Scanners; Scanning electron microscopy; Scanning microscopy; Taxonomy; Tomography; X-rays
• ISSN: 2313-433X; 2313-433X
• DOI: 10.3390/jimaging7090172

Several imaging techniques are used in biological and biomedical studies. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is a non-destructive imaging technique that allows the rapid digitisation of internal and external structures of a sample in three dimensions and with great resolution. In this review, the strengths and weaknesses of some common imaging techniques applied in biological and biomedical fields, such as optical microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, are presented and compared with the micro-CT technique through five use cases. Finally, the ability of micro-CT to create non-destructively 3D anatomical and morphological data in sub-micron resolution and the necessity to develop complementary methods with other imaging techniques, in order to overcome limitations caused by each technique, is emphasised.