PhD Studentship: Enhancing X-ray Micro-CT Scanners through Hardware and Software

PhD Supervisor: Philip Basford

Supervisory Team: Dr Philip Basford and Prof. Simon Cox

Project description

We use X-rays to see inside objects, and always want to increase our capabilities.  Do you like working with state-of-the-art hardware and developing software? Would you like to use your skills to improve our world-leading imaging techniques?

MicroCT scanning has emerged as a key technology in non-destructive imaging across many applications, offering orders of magnitude improvements in spatial resolution over more widely recognised hospital CT scanners.  This project is about extending the capabilities of existing microCT scanners improving their capabilities to improve scientific understanding in numerous fields.

The µ-VIS X-ray Imaging Centre is home to some of the largest and most capable microCT scanners available in UK universities, and we want to further improve our capabilities.  These scanners can reveal sub-surface information from materials, components, and biological tissue.  We have strong links with research, industry and clinical research, and are part of the national X-ray CT facility (NXCT). For more information see https://www.muvis.org.

Our microCT scanners are routinely used to scan objects from fossils, to racing cars to human tissue.  We are currently looking to increase the capabilities of these scanners by integrating new detector technologies and environmental control systems.  We have 2 different complementary detectors that we want to integrate into our scanners, a DECTRIS Hybrid photon counting detector which allows for ‘colour X-ray’ scanning, and a high-resolution CMOS detector which will allow very high-speed high-resolution scans to be performed. We are also looking to integrate new temperature control systems, and tensile testing rigs into the scanners.   These new capabilities need to be integrated into the control systems and the post-scan data handling routines. 

We have a history of PhDs developing workflows for handling microCT data in materials and biomedical applications. These new detectors and in situ equipment will pose new data management challenges and can greatly increase the number of separate scans to be processed and analysed.  This PhD will be developing new ways to manage and process this data deluge, as well as ways to share the data with the wider research community.

We are looking for someone with programming experience (ideally Python / C#) who is also not afraid to get stuck into CAD and electronics to achieve integration of the different systems. The PhD is not expected to integrate all the equipment we have available, but instead we will work with you to tailor the exact equipment and use cases to your interests and skills. This work will lead to advances in both general microCT imaging techniques and within the specific application field.

Entry Requirements

A good undergraduate degree (at least a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent).

Closing date: 31 August 2024.

Funding: Funding for tuition fees and a living stipend are available on a competitive basis. Funding will be awarded on a rolling basis, so apply early for the best opportunity to be considered.

How To Apply

Apply online: Search for a Postgraduate Programme of Study (soton.ac.uk). Select programme type (Research), 2024/25, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, “PhD Engineering & Environment (Full time)”. Section 2 you should insert the name of the supervisor Philip Basford

Applications should include:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Two reference letters
• Degree Transcripts/Certificates to date

email: feps-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk

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