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PERSPECTIVE article

Front. Radiol.
Sec. Emergency Radiology
Volume 4 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fradi.2024.1463236
This article is part of the Research Topic The Rise of Postmortem Imaging in Forensic Radiology and Paleoradiology View all articles

Photon-counting CT for forensic death investigations -A glance into the future of virtual autopsy

Provisionally accepted
Dominic Gascho Dominic Gascho *
  • Department of Forensic Medicine and Imaging, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This article explores the potential of photon-counting computed tomography (CT) in forensic medicine for a range of forensic applications. Photon-counting CT surpasses conventional CT in several key areas. It boasts superior spatial and contrast resolution, enhanced image quality at low X-ray energies, and spectral imaging capabilities that enable more precise material differentiation. These advantages translate to superior visualization of bone structures, foreign bodies, and soft tissues in postmortem examinations. The article discusses the technical principles of photon-counting CT detectors and highlights its potential applications in forensic imaging, including high-resolution virtual autopsies, pediatric forensic CT, trauma analysis, and bone density measurements. Furthermore, advancements in vascular imaging and soft tissue contrast promise to propel CT-based death investigations to an even more prominent role. The article concludes by emphasizing the immense potential of this new technology in forensic medicine and anthropology.

    Keywords: Photon-Counting CT, Forensic radiology, Postmortem imaging, Virtual autopsy (VIRTOPSY), Paleoradiology

    Received: 11 Jul 2024; Accepted: 06 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Gascho. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Dominic Gascho, Department of Forensic Medicine and Imaging, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.