This Futuristic X-Ray Machine Can Replace Its Bulky Counterparts In Hospitals

Aadhya Khatri - Jan 23, 2020

The prospect of having a safer X-ray machine sounds intriguing enough but we might have to wait for a few more years to see them make it to reality

If you are a fan of Star Trek, you will definitely know the tricoders, devices that can diagnose diseases after just a few seconds. While we are still far from having something like that ourselves, Nanox, a medical startup, hopes to achieve a bit of the function and bring it to any hospital.

For those who do not know what is X-ray machine, it is a device that produces beams of radiation to recreate the images of the inside of the human bodies.

x-ray-machine-Nanox — X-ray machine is a device that produces beams of radiation to recreate the images of the inside of the human bodies

What the company made is called Nanox.Arc, an affordable X-ray machine, which has the potential to slash the cost of CT scans and X-rays, making them more accessible.

Before Nanox.Arc is made, X-ray machines are often bulky with a series of rotating tubes and filaments to generate electrons. The patients need to be heavily shielded while inside the machine and a large amount of energy is consumed each time. Besides, X-ray machine price is often so high that many hospitals do not even have access to them.

Portable X-ray machine price in India stands at a minimum of Rs. 2,75 lakh and that is not the variety for medical purposes.

Nanox.Arc is an advanced digital X-ray machine that can do the job of these above parts. The only thing that moves is the X-ray ring and it will scan the patient for evidence of diseases.

The device needs no heating, thus being safer for patients. It is also light-weight, standing at only 70 kg.

Once the machine has gathered enough images, Nanox’s AI platform will analyze them. The company intends to monetize the device in the pay-per-scan form, meaning it will process the pictures and return the results to clinics.

The prospect of having a safer X-ray machine sounds intriguing enough but we might have to wait for a few more years before we can see of these machines makes it to reality.

The company has raised around $55 million for the development of the machines. In the next two years, it plans to deploy 15,000 of these tricoders to somehow reduce the cost of healthcare.

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