Micro-X has successfully completed the first round of testing of its new X-ray tube and high voltage generator designs which will power the second generation of their Rover mobile X-ray machine range, which will deliver four times the X-ray energy of the current Rover unit.
At the core of the second generation Rover is a newly designed and manufactured high voltage generator which uses new electronic components and technologies, which delivers significantly increased X-ray output while maintaining current size and weight. The next generation will take the Rover’s capability beyond the imaging requirements of the ICU and open wards into the more specialised environments of trauma imaging in Emergency Departments and Operating Rooms.
There are very few companies in the world producing high voltage generators for x-ray systems today and none offer such high performance in such a compact and lightweight package as this new design. Micro-X sees the technology of miniaturisation of high voltage power supplies as a critical competitive advantage in the design of its new products.
“This was our first venture into a high voltage electronics design programme and so was not without risk. We set out to create a platform technology in a design which could be used across all our products.” says Micro-X’s Managing Director, Peter Rowland. “Once again, our technical team has done a fantastic job in providing us with a world leading design for this sub-system which boosts our competitive advantage with a much higher power density than anything else available.”
The Micro-X in-house generator design programme has now completed full functional performance testing, with the new X-ray tubes which retain the same form, fit and weight as its predecessor. In parallel with this programme, a new high-performance X-ray tube using Micro-X’s proprietary Carbon Nanotube Technology has also been developed with matching performance.
A new production area for assembly and test of the new generators is being prepared at Tonsley adjacent to the current x-ray clean rooms. Product launch for the second generation Rover is planned for December 2021, subject to an updated FDA clearance, to coincide with the upcoming RSNA meeting. Peter Rowland commented:
“We look forward to launching the unit in a few months at the Radiological Society of North America’s annual meeting in Chicago, the world’s largest, where Micro-X will have its own booth for the first time. It also goes without saying that a far cheaper, in-house manufactured generator provides us with a win-win outcome.”