BioTech IP Review

Assignee: Nano‑X Imaging Ltd (Israel)
Publication Number: WO 2025051923 A1
Filing Date: February 23, 2025
Publication Date: September 4, 2025 (published by WIPO)
Inventors: Menachem Horev, Amir Ben Shalom, Oola Greenwald

What This Covers

This patent application describes a novel X‑ray source and system that can produce X‑rays at multiple energy levels from a single device — a capability useful for advanced imaging modalities such as spectral or multi‑energy imaging without requiring large, multiple tubes or extensive hardware changes.

Key aspects include:

• A vacuum X‑ray tube with an anode target and multiple electron emitters, each capable of being energized at different potential differences relative to the anode to produce X‑rays with distinct energy characteristics.
• Switchable electron emitters that can be individually activated to generate X‑rays with different power levels/energy spectra as needed for imaging tasks — enabling tunable energy outputs from one compact source.
• The system and method are designed for medical imaging applications, where multi‑energy imaging (often referred to as spectral imaging) can enhance tissue contrast, material decomposition, and diagnostic performance compared to conventional single‑energy radiography.

Why This Is Important

• Supports next‑generation hardware: Nano‑X’s competitive strategy centers on developing affordable, high‑performance X‑ray imaging solutions — including the FDA‑cleared Nanox.ARC X multi‑source digital tomosynthesis system highlighted at RSNA 2025.
• Potential commercial leverage: A multi‑energy X‑ray source from a single device simplifies spectral imaging designs and lowers manufacturing costs compared to systems that require multiple tubes or complex switching hardware — directly aligning with Nano‑X’s value proposition of cost‑effective imaging.
• Enhances diagnostic capability: Multi‑energy imaging is valuable clinically because it can provide better material differentiation and improved diagnostic sensitivity, making the technology attractive to hospitals and imaging centers.
• Patent runway: Filed in February 2025 and published in September 2025, this application — once granted — could offer decade‑plus exclusivity on a core hardware innovation, extending into the late 2030s/2040s and aligning with product commercialization cycles.