Mummified cat, micro-CT scan. Micro-CT is used to check the age of an animal and check for signs of disease. This specimen was mummified in Egypt around 8,000 years ago. The scan revealed that the cat was approximately 16 months old when it died and was killed by fracturing of the neck. This image was acquired using X-ray micro-Computed Tomography (also known as micro-CT). A micro-CT scanner projects a beam of X-rays through the sample onto a detector panel. Images are collected over a 36MB0?rotation and these are then reconstructed to form a virtual 3D model of the specimen. This virtual object that can be viewed from all angles and sliced open or digitally dissected. Image by Dan Sykes.