Canadian x-ray manufacturer KA Imaging and portable x-ray developer MinXray will assist with medical x-ray in space research via a project called SpaceXray.
The company's Reveal 35C x-ray detector has been selected for the Fram2 mission, a polar-orbit human spaceflight mission that is a collaboration between academic institutions, private companies, and technology developers. Reveal 35C features KA Imaging's SpectralDR technology, which produces three images via dual-energy subtraction: soft tissue, bones, and a traditional digital x-ray.
MinXray will contribute its Impact system, which consists of a portable x-ray generator powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, eliminating the need for external power sources, according to KA Imaging.
The SpaceX project aims to validate a protocol for the safe and efficient acquisition of diagnostic x-ray in the microgravity and radiation environment of orbital flight; researchers will assess image quality, contrast, and spatial resolution with a focus on bone mineral density measurements to monitor the effects of microgravity on astronauts' bones, the company said.
![Representative example of a 16-year-old male patient with underlying X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. (A, B) Paired anteroposterior (AP) chest radiograph and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) report shows lumbar spine (L1 through L4) areal bone mineral density (BMD). The DXA report was reformatted for anonymization and improved readability. The patient had low BMD (Z score ≤ −2.0). (C) Model (chest radiography [CXR]–BMD) output shows the predicted raw BMD and Z score in comparison with the DXA reference standard, together with interpretability analyses using Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) and gradient-weighted class activation maps. The patient was classified as having low BMD, consistent with the reference standard. AM = age-matched, DEXA = dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, RM2 = room 2, SNUH = Seoul National University Hospital, YA = young adult.](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/04/ai-children-bone-density.0snnf2EJjr.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=100&q=70&w=100)
![Representative example of a 16-year-old male patient with underlying X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. (A, B) Paired anteroposterior (AP) chest radiograph and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) report shows lumbar spine (L1 through L4) areal bone mineral density (BMD). The DXA report was reformatted for anonymization and improved readability. The patient had low BMD (Z score ≤ −2.0). (C) Model (chest radiography [CXR]–BMD) output shows the predicted raw BMD and Z score in comparison with the DXA reference standard, together with interpretability analyses using Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) and gradient-weighted class activation maps. The patient was classified as having low BMD, consistent with the reference standard. AM = age-matched, DEXA = dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, RM2 = room 2, SNUH = Seoul National University Hospital, YA = young adult.](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/04/ai-children-bone-density.0snnf2EJjr.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
