This means that studies can even be made in vivo. The XTM is a form of computed tomography, or CT, which was developed in the 1970s as a medical diagnostic tool. The LLNL configuration of the XTM is shown above. The XTM's spatial resolution is about 2 micrometers, shown at right. The XTM is excellent for nondestructive evaluation of a wide variety of industrial and military materials, but the radiation dose required to produce the XTM's high-resolution images currently limits its use in medical studies to laboratory animals or cadavers.
Work continues to reduce the radiation exposure levels.
Searching for a Cure Researchers from the Laboratory and the University of California, San Francisco, are studying osteoporosis, looking at bone loss due to estrogen depletion and at potential treatments. The hope is to understand critical clinical time points in the development of osteoporosis to establish more effective interventions. Most osteoporotic fractures occur at these three sites. Female laboratory rats are being used as subjects, half of which have had their ovaries removed to induce estrogen depletion. The non-ovariectomized rats serve as controls.