Computed tomography in paleoanthropology — an overview

Scherf, Heike

doi:10.1007/s12520-013-0128-5

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 38 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The Hounsfield Unit is a key concept of CT scanning that refers to radiographic density (Scherf, 2013). Materials are associated with specific Hounsfield units.…”

Section: Additional Considerations When Ct Scanningmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Batch Artifact Scanning Protocol: A new method using computed tomography (CT) to rapidly create three-dimensional models of objects from large collections en masse

Yezzi-Woodley¹,

Calder²,

Sweno³

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Within anthropology, the use of three-dimensional (3D) imaging has become increasingly standard and widespread since it broadens the available avenues for addressing a wide range of key issues. The ease with which 3D models can be shared has had major impacts for research, cultural heritage, education, science communication, and public engagement, as well as contributing to the preservation of the physical specimens and archiving collections in widely accessible data bases. Current scanning protocols have the ability to create the required research quality 3D models; however, they tend to be time and labor intensive and not practical when working with large collections. Here we describe a streamlined, Batch Artifact Scanning Protocol we have developed to rapidly create 3D models using a medical CT scanner. Though this method can be used on a variety of material types, we use a large collection of experimentally broken ungulate limb bones. Using the Batch Artifact Scanning Protocol, we were able to efficiently create 3D models of 2,474 bone fragments at a rate of less than 3 minutes per specimen, as opposed to an average of 50 minutes per specimen using structured light scanning.

show abstract

“…The Hounsfield Unit is a key concept of CT scanning that refers to radiographic density (Scherf, 2013). Materials are associated with specific Hounsfield units.…”

Section: Additional Considerations When Ct Scanningmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Batch Artifact Scanning Protocol: A new method using computed tomography (CT) to rapidly create three-dimensional models of objects from large collections en masse

Yezzi-Woodley¹,

Calder²,

Sweno³

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Computed tomography, on the other hand, uses interpolated X-ray images to represent object density in 3D, a technique that can easily be used to identify and image hard materials like bone and teeth. With CT imaging, the relative density of object surfaces and internal spaces can be separated using either automated or manual editing techniques to build a 3D model, offering a wide variety of applications for bioarchaeology, palaeoanthropology, and related disciplines (Scherf 2013;Uldin 2017). The models created through volumetric imaging are also created and stored in a variety of formats, but though the most common method of storage of the CT images themselves has been a universally exchangeable medical standard, or as a 'stack' of 2D images with accompanying metadata allowing reconstruction into a 3D volume.…”

Section: What Is Digital Bioarchaeological Data?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Which Bone to Pick: Creation, Curation, and Dissemination of Online 3D Digital Bioarchaeological Data

Hassett

2018

Arch

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

________________________________________________________________A fluorescence of shape-capture technologies at many different scales, including synchrotron, CT, micro/nano-CT, laser scanning, and photogrammetry, has led to a proliferation of digital data in bioarchaeology. The question remains how these new 3D datasets, alongside traditional bioarchaeological data, can be disseminated, and what ethical concerns are raised by trying to bring a sensitive topic into the 'Open Access' era. A survey of current resources and policies suggest the need for establishing best-practice standards. This paper outlines a sample of current resources, alongside modes of access and dissemination strategies to develop a picture of online Digital Bioarchaeological Data (DBD) use. ________________________________________________________________Résumé: Une fluorescence de technologies de saisie des contours à différentes échelles, dont synchrotron, nanotomographie, microtomographie, tomographie par ordinateur, balayage laser et photogrammétrie, a donné lieu à la prolifération des données numériques en bioarchéologie. Reste à savoir comment ces nouveaux ensembles de données tridimensionnelles peuvent, conjointement aux données bioarchéologiques traditionnelles, être disséminés, et quelles préoccupations morales seront soulevées par l'arrivée d'un sujet sensible dans la sphère de « l'accès ouvert ». Une étude des ressources et politiques actuelles suggère qu'il est nécessaire d'établir des normes de pratique exemplaire. Cet article présente un échantillon de ressources actuelles, ainsi que des modes d'accès et stratégies de dissémination permettant de dresser un tableau de l'usage en ligne des données bioarchéologiques numériques.

show abstract

“…This 3D volume dataset is composed of volumetric pixels (voxels), each of which has a specific grey-scale value representing local X-ray attenuation, as well as accurate size calibration (Withers et al, 2021). The microfocus X-ray tubes used in lab-based microCT scanners provide excellent image resolution, down to a few microns or lower, which permit the accurate description of the minute physical properties of both the internal and external skeleton (Moore, 2013;Scherf, 2013), generally without causing tissue damage (e.g., DNA degradation: Walton et al, 2015). Objects such as bone, which have inherently high X-ray absorption, can be imaged without special preparation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%