Major advances imminent for portable x-ray imaging equipment

Flounder x-ray image

Industrial Research Limited, Victoria University and GNS Science are jointly researching new technologies that will offer superior performance to existing x-ray systems, opening up new commercial uses across a range of industries. Andy Edgar, Grant Williams and Murray Bartle, key researchers in the programme, are developing a costeffective, portable x-ray image reader that currently uses existing commercial x-ray imaging plates.

Imaging plates store x-ray radiation so that an image is held in a latent form, like invisible ink, within the imaging plate. The image can then be read as soon as the plate is exposed, resulting in faster processing when compared with conventional film.

The new reader will fit into the boot of a car and will take digital images that can be downloaded onto a laptop computer for real-time, on-site analysis which can then be instantly transmitted back to the relevant control centre.

IRL’s Grant Williams says that the new imaging reader could provide vets and emergency response staff with immediate information which would be particularly useful in the racing industry and the care of animals, not
to mention human accident victims.

“The instant read-out could diagnose a fracture or break, allowing treatment to begin straight away without x-ray film processing delays,” he says.

The group is also developing reusable fibre-optic dosimeters for measuring not only single radiation dose rates but also the cumulative radiation dose in applications such as radiotherapy and environmental monitoring. The new technology aims to improve on current devices and methods by significantly increasing the accuracy, directionality and maximum detectable dose.

Commercialisation of both the portable x-ray image reader and the fibre-optic dosimeter is estimated to be about a year away and work has begun on prototypes and patenting options.

Key to the development of these prototypes is the underpinning materials research of the group, which has led to critical patents that are required for the prototypes.

The research is in its second four-year phase and is receiving funding from the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology.

Grant Williams believes that further research within the current and associated programmes will lead to exciting commercial opportunities for completely new imaging systems.

“These systems could be used for border security to identify drugs and items that are insensitive to existing x-ray screening systems and they would also be able to differentiate between explosives and items such as butter.

“This is extremely difficult to do with conventional dual-energy x-ray scanners currently deployed in places such as airports and high-security areas. While similar technologies exist, their size and cost makes them prohibitive for many uses.”