WATERLOO, Ontario — For the first time, practitioners will be able to leverage dual-energy X-ray technology in a portable system. Canadian manufacturer KA Imaging is getting ready to launch Reveal, the world’s first dual-energy X-ray detector that can be taken to the bedside.

“Due to infectious nature of COVID-19, bringing patients into a fixed radiology room can sometimes be risky,” explains Amol Karnick, President and CEO of KA Imaging. “Current dual-energy systems are all fixed and Reveal overcomes the limitation of a fixed room by providing a world first portable dual energy solution. Reveal provides radiologists with an unobstructed view of the lungs by removing the bones in an x-ray image,” he continues.

The FDA 510(k) pending detector works with a single exposure. Unlike fixed dual energy solutions, Reveal’s technology enables bone and soft tissue differentiation with no motion artifact. “Our patented technology also allows lateral and oblique dual energy views for the first time,” explains Dr. Karim S Karim, CTO at KA Imaging.

Whereas fixed dual-energy systems can cost as high as half a million dollars, KA Imaging’s Reveal is highly affordable at less than one-quarter of this price.

“If a hospital requires dual energy X-ray for COVID-19, you can simply replace any older CR plate or digital fixed or portable detector with Reveal,” says Amol.

Clinical trials

The company is planning clinical trials globally to demonstrate the efficacy of Reveal in triaging COVID-19 and other imaging tasks in the Emergency Room and Intensive Care Units. One of them is expected to begin in Toronto by August. “The world needs affordable and effective portable bedside diagnostics now, and Reveal is a solution that can provide tremendous value for clinicians, hospitals and government,” emphasizes Karim.

Reveal is also being tested on patients with lung cancer. Grand River Hospital (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada) was the first to test the technology. More than 20 patients have been imaged with Reveal, with promising initial results.

ECR

Radiologists globally can learn more about Reveal at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) from July 15 to 19. Due to the pandemic, the conference will be held online. KA Imaging is part of the virtual exhibition.

www.kaimaging.com