CT generally uses a single X-ray source, but researchers are developing ways to combine two X-ray sources at different energies to better visualize soft tissue. Specific tissues--such as the tendons and ligaments featured in these hands--can be highlighted based on how they absorb the different energies.

To test the accuracy of the renderings, researchers scan cadavers and compare their virtual findings with the results of physical autopsies. The hands shown here are from a postmortem scan. The main aim of CT, of course, is to improve health, but there is also interest in the possibility of virtual autopsies. As part of a forensic exam, a CT scan like this one could reveal the path of an object like a knife.