Lasers for Innovative Solutions

L4iS has developed a novel tomography technique that combines laser ablation and fluorescent imaging to rapidly develop digital models of a wide variety of materials and objects. Laser Ablation Tomography Scans produce cross-sectional images of samples that can be manipulated to generate 3D renderings, which can be processed to determine structural parameters of interest. With unprecedented speed and detail, LAT Scans enable scientists to create compositional and structural models of a vast variety of materials. LAT technology can create high-resolution digital models in full color of virtually any object while also creating a 3D map of its composition. The LAT process uses a high peak-power laser to repeatedly vaporize a thin surface layer of the sample. The emitted light is routed through an optical system for filtering and imaging. The data is processed and reconstructed into a high-resolution model that can be viewed, manipulated, or virtually dissected. Depending on the aspects in which a client is interested, 3D processing algorithms are used to extract and quantify relevant data associated with these features. With resolution as fine as 800 nanometers at 18 million voxels per slice, Laser Ablation Tomography can provide excellent level of detail while simultaneously capturing the larger context. Since July 2013, Lasers for Innovative Solutions LLC has developed a working prototype and demonstrated its efficacy on a wide variety of biological and inorganic materials - ranging from roots to rocks.