Turner Innovations Awarded U.S. Air Force Contract

Turner Innovations is contracted to develop an X-ray imaging device for the battlefield.

The U.S. Air Force has awarded the company a $749,872 SBIR Phase II contract to create an operationally deployable dual-use (rad/fluoro) X-ray imaging device for diagnosing and treating military personnel. Turner Imaging Systems, a spinoff of Turner, has commercialized the Smart-C, the world’s first hyper-portable battery-powered fluoroscopic mini C-arm. Weighing 16 pounds, the Smart-C is both portable and versatile for diagnostic and surgical imaging of extremities.
 
“Over the course of the next year, we will partner with Air Force Special Operations Command teams to develop imaging capabilities to treat soldiers in far-forward environments. Providing fluoroscopic imaging within the golden hour following a traumatic injury will increase the likelihood of surgical treatment success and prevent death,” said Michael Orthner, Ph.D., product manager and director of Business Development at Turner Imaging Systems.
 
The new X-ray imaging device will have greater power and a larger imaging area for whole-body imaging while retaining the revolutionary features of the Smart-C; reducing lift requirements and improving capabilities closer to the point of injury.
 
“This capability will enhance austere surgery and enroute critical care capabilities in preparation for the future operating environment. It will deliver agile, state-of-the-art imaging technology to save lives across the spectrum of conflict—any time, any place,” said
Col. John Dorsch, Wing Surgeon, U.S. Air Force 24th Special Operations Wing.
 
Turner Imaging Systems develops and markets X-ray imaging systems that give users the ability to acquire X-ray images any time, any place. The SMART-C, is the only mini-C-arm system that is battery operated and hand-transportable, improving the way fluoroscopy is performed. Its products expand the reach of X-ray imaging to the clinical, military, and humanitarian efforts worldwide.