Dona Ferentes
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Lung imaging software company 4DMedical has secured almost $70 million in funding from a mix of government and institutional investors to develop a lung scanner that emits a fraction of the radiation of a CT machine.
It is a long-held goal for 4DMedical chief executive Andreas Fouras, who envisaged creating a lung scanning device that emits a fraction of the radiation of a CT machine. when he founded the company in 2012.
At present, lung imaging is traditionally done on a CT scan machine, which allows radiologists to look at different levels, or slices, of the lungs using a rotating X-ray beam. While that gives an overall picture of how much air the lungs take in, with 4DMedical's software in the market today, analysts can determine if there are parts of the lungs getting less air.
The downside of these scans, however, is the high amount of radiation they involve, in comparison with an X-ray.
The first iteration of 4DMedical's XVD Scanner, Dr Fouras says, will have a similar level of radiation to an X-ray (about 1 per cent of the amount of a CT scan), while the second generation of the product they intend to have 10 times less the radiation of a traditional X-ray, or 1000 times less than a CT. The scans will also be faster, taking just 10 seconds versus six minutes in a CT....
It is a long-held goal for 4DMedical chief executive Andreas Fouras, who envisaged creating a lung scanning device that emits a fraction of the radiation of a CT machine. when he founded the company in 2012.
"Our current XV technology is the only product that connects to existing equipment all around the world and offers the very best scan possible today. The XVD product is an offering that will sit side by side with the existing hospital equipment out there", Dr Fouras said.
"We have a clear timeline, we've done our homework. We expect to have a system in an Australian hospital early next year, then we expect to be in front of the regulator later on in that year and then the year after (2023) we'll have product in the market. We already have some customers saying they want this product. The level of interest is very solid, it is international and it's even from folks that aren't exposed to the XV technology currently."
At present, lung imaging is traditionally done on a CT scan machine, which allows radiologists to look at different levels, or slices, of the lungs using a rotating X-ray beam. While that gives an overall picture of how much air the lungs take in, with 4DMedical's software in the market today, analysts can determine if there are parts of the lungs getting less air.
The downside of these scans, however, is the high amount of radiation they involve, in comparison with an X-ray.
The first iteration of 4DMedical's XVD Scanner, Dr Fouras says, will have a similar level of radiation to an X-ray (about 1 per cent of the amount of a CT scan), while the second generation of the product they intend to have 10 times less the radiation of a traditional X-ray, or 1000 times less than a CT. The scans will also be faster, taking just 10 seconds versus six minutes in a CT....