millimétrique (coupes millimétriques)

15:32 Aug 13, 2010 

is indeed preferable to sub-millimetric, which tends to be used by non NES. See GE specs for example (click on technology):
https://www2.gehealthcare.com/portal/site/usen/menuitem.e8b3...

14:21 Aug 13, 2010 

I do :-)

13:31 Aug 13, 2010 

Thanks Kevin, I really appreciate every data point on what people think is acceptable use of words, especially when delivered so affirmatively. I just wonder: when I go to google and search for "sub-millimetric astronomy", I get 57 results and a suggestion to try "submillimetre astronopy", with 12200 results. This gives me the impression that perfect English is avoided.

13:26 Aug 13, 2010 

I also do not like "millimetric". Do I take it therefore you support my supposition of "1 mm slices"?

13:05 Aug 13, 2010 

Gene, come off it. Sub-millimetric isn't only perfect english it's technically correct as well.

13:01 Aug 13, 2010 

Even that doesn't sound English. Submillimetre sounds much better.

12:55 Aug 13, 2010 

It is usual in English to give the exact thickness used. Anything with "millimetric" (apart from submillimetric, meaning less than 1 mm) doesn't sound English to my ear.

11:57 Aug 13, 2010 

I see. I had been assuming one single slice thickness was used, but a range also makes sense.

11:54 Aug 13, 2010 

It would be very bizarre of them to indicate one particular thickness in this way. Bizarre opitons aside, they either indicate the rage of thicknesses they used (millimetre-range slice thickness -- unless it was a single experiment, in which case it would be a bizarre thing to say), or it applies to the resulution of each scan (millimetre-range resolution).

In other words, naming a vaule without giving a number normally indiactes a range of values around the unit named.

11:30 Aug 13, 2010 

The text does not state the thickness of the slices, otherwise I would not have needed to ask the question ;o)

11:25 Aug 13, 2010 

Wendy, I think if you read further, you might find the actual slice thickness named, and there may be several different thicknesses used, all in the millimetre range. They typically range from 0.1 to several mm. The phrase may also refer to the resulution of the scans. You will often hear abotu "sub-millimetre" scans, because the technology for that is relatively new.