In Rodney Shaw, editor, Physics of Medical Imaging, Proceedings of the SPIE 2163, pages 192-198, Newport Beach, California, 13-14 February 1994.
X-ray microcomputed tomograms with resolution of 50 microns or better have been obtained at several research centers by using either synchrotron or microfocus x-ray sources. Full 3D reconstructions have been obtained in these laboratories on specimens or small animals. In our laboratory we have studied embedded bone specimens by using x-ray cone beam microtomography-methods. For conventional, medical x-ray computed tomography systems, well accepted techniques and standards exist for characterizing the performance of an instrument. No comparable standards exist for computed microtomography and previous publications are vague with respect to the performance achieved. We report in this paper the experimental methods that we have developed to measure noise and resolution in our microtomography laboratory and the specific performance characteristics we have achieved.