World’s First Mobile Whole-Body CT Scanner to Provide Diagnostics at POC

These scanners are the current standard for various diagnostic applications, including cardiac imaging, trauma diagnosis, cancer screenings, and lung evaluations. Now, the development of a portable, lightweight full-body CT system on a scalable vehicle-based platform promises to bring advanced medical services to remote areas, addressing the ongoing challenges in rural healthcare access.

Micro-X (Adelaide, Australia) is pioneering the world's first mobile CT scanner, utilizing its compact but powerful Nano Electronic X-ray (NEX) Technology X-ray tubes. This innovation aims to produce a full-body CT system weighing just 225 kilograms, a stark contrast to traditional CT machines that weigh over 2000 kilograms. The core of the Micro-X technology platform is the NEX Technology, which enables high-voltage X-ray generation through a cold cathode. The company leverages its patented carbon nanotube emitter technology to design custom X-ray tubes tailored to meet specific product requirements. In 2019, Micro-X developed its first NEX X-ray tube based on this groundbreaking carbon nanotube technology. While other companies have attempted to incorporate carbon nanotube emitters in X-ray tubes, Micro-X is the first to create a stable, high-current, long-lasting, and repeatable X-ray tube using this technology.

Micro-X’s NEX X-ray technology facilitates the creation of smaller, lighter, and simpler X-ray devices, offering unmatched portability and ease of use. The proprietary technology ensures a long operational lifespan without degradation in X-ray current performance. The company’s manufacturing processes are straightforward, scalable, and repeatable, which guarantees consistent quality and performance. Proven in real-world applications, the NEX X-ray technology has been deployed in both the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine, and is now in use across more than 35 countries. Recently, Micro-X secured a USD 16.4 million contract from ARPA-H to develop a rugged and miniaturized CT scanner for use outside traditional hospital environments. This mobile CT scanner will be integrated into a multi-functional care delivery platform, aimed at providing point-of-care diagnostics to Americans living in rural areas.

“Micro-X continues to go beyond boundaries to challenge the constraints of legacy X-ray and deliver solutions that meet the needs of customers, users and patients,” said Micro-X Chief Executive Officer Kingsley Hall.

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