A Landscape Study Of Computed Tomography Scanners For Postmortem Applications

Authors

Natalie Adolphi, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM Director of the Center for Forensic Imaging New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, Albuquerque, NM.
Ponni Arunkumar, Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, Cook County, IL
Andrew Baker, Chief Medical Examiner Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office, Hennepin County, MN
Barry Daly, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Maryland College Park, MD
Gregory Davis, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Lauren Edelman, Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office, Travis County, TX
Natasha Grandhi, Georgia Bureau of Investigations, Decatur, GA
Christopher Liverman, San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, San Francisco, CA
Edward Mazuchowski, Forensic Services, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, TX Regional Medical Examiner Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, Dover Air Force Base, DE
Odey Ukpo, Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner, Los Angeles County, CA
Shawn Wilson, Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office, Hennepin County, MN

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-2023

Abstract

Advanced imaging technologies help medicolegal death investigation (MDI) personnel assess cause of death (COD) and manner of death (MOD). The Medical Examiner and Coroner (MEC) community utilize postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) to obtain imaging data to assist in reaching informed conclusions in suspicious, unexpected, or unexplained deaths. PMCT provides comprehensive information, often at a higher level of discrimination than traditional X-ray and fluoroscopy methods, that may supplement or replace an autopsy.

This landscape study will provide medical examiners, coroners, and other members of the medicolegal death investigation community with an overview of computed tomography (CT) scanner technology and how scanners may be used in postmortem applications, discussion on the potential value and limitations of postmortem CT, product details of a representative sample of CT scanners that may be used in postmortem CT applications, and considerations for implementing a CT scanner, with use cases of successful implementation.

Recommended Citation

Sorrell, C., Cain, D., Shute, R., Adolphi, N. & Ropero-Miller, J. D. (2023, December). A landscape study of computed tomography scanners for postmortem applications. Research Triangle Park, NC: RTI International.