Medical imaging has come a long way since the first X-ray was taken in 1895. But while image quality and digital capabilities have improved, one thing has remained remarkably consistent: the technology used to generate the X-ray beam itself.
That is - until now.
NEX Technology is transforming how we think about X-ray imaging, making it faster, smaller, and smarter. But what exactly is NEX Technology, and why is it such a breakthrough?
Let’s start with the building blocks.
Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are tiny cylindrical structures made entirely of carbon atoms, arranged in a hexagonal pattern—imagine a sheet of chicken wire rolled into a tube, but 50,000 times thinner than a human hair. Despite their size, they are incredibly strong and have unique electrical properties.
Carbon nanotubes are considered one of the most exciting discoveries in nanotechnology. Because of their conductivity, strength, and responsiveness to electric fields, they’ve found use in everything from electronics to advanced materials—and now, in X-ray machines. Micro-X is the first to commercialise CNT X-ray for healthcare. We call our world-leading innovation NEX Technology.
In traditional X-ray tubes, electrons are released by heating a metal filament (like the one in a light bulb). This process, called thermionic emission, is energy-intensive and requires bulky components to manage heat and maintain vacuum pressure. The machine needs time to warm up, and the beam can’t be turned on and off rapidly.
In Micro-X’s NEX Technology tubes, there’s no filament to heat up. Instead, electrons are drawn directly from carbon nanotubes using a low-voltage electric field. This process, known as field emission, happens instantly and without heat.
Because of this fundamental change in how X-rays are generated, NEX Technology offers a range of benefits that make it ideal for modern medical environments:
These aren’t just technical upgrades—they’re changes that improve patient care. Imagine being able to bring an X-ray machine directly to the patient’s bedside in an ICU, or into an ambulance en route to the hospital. NEX Technology removes barriers to imaging and opens up a new future of out of hospital care.
At Micro-X, our lightweight Rover Plus Mobile DR X-ray is being used in hospitals, aged care homes and in professional sports to deliver fast, accurate imaging to inform patient care from any treatment area. NEX Technology is also enabling the development of new types of X-ray devices, like Micro-X’s portable CT scanner for stroke diagnosis and our full body CT for out of hospital imaging in rural areas.
At Micro-X, we’re proud to be bringing NEX Technology to the world. We're using this innovation to reimagine how and where X-rays can betaken - empowering faster, accurate diagnosis and improving patient outcomes.
Whether it’s in a hospital, out in the field, or one day even in space, NEX Technology is going beyond boundaries and opening doors that were previously closed by the limitations of traditional X-ray systems.
Smaller. Smarter. Ready in an instant.
That's the promise of NEX Technology.
Medical imaging has come a long way since the first X-ray was taken in 1895. But while image quality and digital capabilities have improved, one thing has remained remarkably consistent: the technology used to generate the X-ray beam itself.
That is - until now.
NEX Technology is transforming how we think about X-ray imaging, making it faster, smaller, and smarter. But what exactly is NEX Technology, and why is it such a breakthrough?
Let’s start with the building blocks.
Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are tiny cylindrical structures made entirely of carbon atoms, arranged in a hexagonal pattern—imagine a sheet of chicken wire rolled into a tube, but 50,000 times thinner than a human hair. Despite their size, they are incredibly strong and have unique electrical properties.
Carbon nanotubes are considered one of the most exciting discoveries in nanotechnology. Because of their conductivity, strength, and responsiveness to electric fields, they’ve found use in everything from electronics to advanced materials—and now, in X-ray machines. Micro-X is the first to commercialise CNT X-ray for healthcare. We call our world-leading innovation NEX Technology.
In traditional X-ray tubes, electrons are released by heating a metal filament (like the one in a light bulb). This process, called thermionic emission, is energy-intensive and requires bulky components to manage heat and maintain vacuum pressure. The machine needs time to warm up, and the beam can’t be turned on and off rapidly.
In Micro-X’s NEX Technology tubes, there’s no filament to heat up. Instead, electrons are drawn directly from carbon nanotubes using a low-voltage electric field. This process, known as field emission, happens instantly and without heat.
Because of this fundamental change in how X-rays are generated, NEX Technology offers a range of benefits that make it ideal for modern medical environments:
These aren’t just technical upgrades—they’re changes that improve patient care. Imagine being able to bring an X-ray machine directly to the patient’s bedside in an ICU, or into an ambulance en route to the hospital. NEX Technology removes barriers to imaging and opens up a new future of out of hospital care.
At Micro-X, our lightweight Rover Plus Mobile DR X-ray is being used in hospitals, aged care homes and in professional sports to deliver fast, accurate imaging to inform patient care from any treatment area. NEX Technology is also enabling the development of new types of X-ray devices, like Micro-X’s portable CT scanner for stroke diagnosis and our full body CT for out of hospital imaging in rural areas.
At Micro-X, we’re proud to be bringing NEX Technology to the world. We're using this innovation to reimagine how and where X-rays can betaken - empowering faster, accurate diagnosis and improving patient outcomes.
Whether it’s in a hospital, out in the field, or one day even in space, NEX Technology is going beyond boundaries and opening doors that were previously closed by the limitations of traditional X-ray systems.
Smaller. Smarter. Ready in an instant.
That's the promise of NEX Technology.
Discover how the Micro-X Rover, a revolutionary portable X-ray system, is making its debut at the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio. Learn how it’s transforming sports medicine by delivering hospital-quality imaging directly to athletes.
From expanding the reach of our lightweight mobile X-ray solutions to progressing our game-changing CT imaging technology, 2025 will be about commercial success and delivering benefits to patients and clinicians globally.
See the presentation given by Chief Operating Officer Anthony Skeats to medical radiation professionals from across Australia and New Zealand on the development of miniaturised CT for stroke detection that can be retrofitted into a standard air or road ambulance.
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