How a CT scanner sees the world

Bill Womack sent me a link to this page, writing, "How can I get a home-version CT scanner?"

"In the summer of 2007, artist and medical student Satre Stuelke started the Radiology Art project."

"Stuelke acquires the images on an older four-slice CT scanner that is used for research."

"Most scan parameters include a 120kV tube voltage, 100mA current, 0.625mm slice thickness and interval, 1:1 pitch, 1.25mm beam collimation, and a speed of 1.25mm/rotation."

"The resulting DICOM images are then processed in Osirix software on a Macintosh iMac computer."

"Colors are assigned based on the varying densities of materials present throughout the object."

"Depending on the spread of densities within a particular subject, black or white backgrounds are chosen. Images are further processed in Adobe Photoshop for proper contrast and balance."

Images from the top down: Barbie doll, DeLonghi toaster, mid-20th-century rubber duck, McDonald's Filet-O-Fish sandwich, wind-up drumming bunny, Swanson's Hungry Man TV dinner, toy rocket.