Canon Inc. announced the achievement of a medical equipment manufacturing milestone as cumulative production of the company's CXDI digital radiography systems surpassed the 10,000-unit mark. The accomplishment was reached over a period of ten years and nine months, beginning with the launch of the CXDI-11 in December 1998.
Canon began research and development on X-ray imaging sensors in 1993, leading to the introduction in December 1998 of the world's first digital radiography system, the CXDI-11, equipped with Canon's proprietary LANMIT (Large Area New MIS Sensor and TFT) flat-panel detector. In addition to making possible the confirmation of an on-screen preview image in approximately three seconds following exposure, the CXDI-11 also enabled the transmission of examination orders and the sharing of image data over intra-hospital networks. The system created a stir in the industry with its range of groundbreaking features not found in conventional radiography systems.
Canon went on to build a comprehensive Digital Radiography (DR) system product line-up with the introduction of such models as the Bucky-type CXDI-22, launched in September 2000; the CXDI-31, the world's first portable DR system, released in September 2001; the portable CXDI-50G launched in December 2003, featuring a large imaging area; and the CXDI-40C, also launched in December 2003, equipped with a Cesium Iodide (CsI) scintillator that delivers high sensitivity while reducing X-ray exposure for the patient.
Canon's CXDI series of DR systems have been lauded by members of the medical community and research institutions for their rapid-display capability, high image quality, and high reliability. Accordingly, the systems have been installed at countless medical and healthcare facilities worldwide.
Canon is now working on the development of a new portable flat-panel DR system capable of both viewing dynamic and capturing static X-ray images with plans to enter the medical fluoroscopic device market.