X-Scan

Giving Transportation Departments

“X-ray vision”

The Wright Brothers had a bicycle shop to fund their research in aeronautics. LPPFusion could have a source of internal funding for fusion research with our X-Scan technology, which is patented and ready for the engineering phase. X-Scan technology is a portable, economical, extremely intense hard X-ray source based on a dense plasma focus (DPF) device. Such a source, transportable by truck, will allow economical non-destructive inspection of the nation’s critical infrastructure, leading to savings in repair costs of at least five billion dollars annually. In February 2011, LPPFusion achieved a major milestone by measuring sufficient X-ray energy to show that our X-Scan product is technically feasible. This technology is ready for mass production and we are currently looking to sell exclusive licenses, including global licenses. We need an industrial partner to develop this technology to market.

X-Scan’s photon energy and power adjustability will allow the use of Compton scattering, in which the X-rays are scattered off the material being probed and returned to a detector on the same side of the object as the source of energy. Compton scattering requires far higher X-ray power than direct X-ray scanning, in which the detector is on the opposite side of the structure from the source. This means X-Scan can scan roads, bridges and buildings all on the one same side. Such one-sided X-Scans will greatly reduce the preventive maintenance and infrastructure inspections costs and times.

The X-ray source technology is being developed as a “spin-off” of our medium–term research into the use of the DPF as a source for fusion energy. Essentially the same technology can produce both useful energy and extremely intense X-ray pulses.

Our market projections, based on discussions with likely final customers including state departments of transportation, indicate that our X-ray source integrated into an inspection system can yield sales of $20 million/year and profits of at least $3 million/year within two or three years of introduction into the market. We anticipate that we will be able to begin marketing this device in three to four years with the help of an industrial partner.

What experts have said about LPP’s “X-ray vision” inspection system:

“Technically the plan is very strong. The objective is truly revolutionary, yet the plan to achieve it is feasible. The steps to the objective are clearly defined. The plan is based on new, highly original theory and analysis. There is a good coordination of simulation and experimentation. The optimization plan, while ambitious, is feasible.” – Technical review of LPP’s grant proposal by reviewers at National Institutes of Standards and Technology, Advanced Technology Program, U.S. Dept. of Commerce.

What a potential customer has said about the product we are developing

“We believe that your proposed device, a high powered X-ray source with imaging and source located on the same side of the structure, offers benefits to end users such as the Florida Department of Transportation. We believe such a device could potentially allow more accurate and thorough inspection of our bridge structures. In particular we see the possibility of being able to inspect for post-tensioning corrosion and voided ducts, items that are difficult to locate by non-destructive methods. If and when this device is available, we would be interested in a demonstration of its capabilities” – Marcus. H. Ansley, Florida Dept. of Transportation.

For more details, see our product description, market for the product, competing technologies and market and development plan.

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