G-ray’s latenium™ X-ray detectors will provide the central core element to support the real-time monitoring of a revolutionary additive manufacturing printer under development at Empa. “Empa’s novel 3-D printing system will allow for real-time monitoring of the production process”, says Patrick Hoffmann, Head of laboratory for Advanced Materials Processing.

After more than six years of development, led by renowned Swiss and international engineers and doctors, G-ray has patented a unique technology which offers a significant improvement in the resolution and acquisition speed of images produced by X-ray, using a revolutionary semiconductor assembly process.

Whereas the majority of current detectors are produced from three components, G-ray’s products feature only two: the absorber and the electronic circuit. G-ray’s exclusive technology essentially creates a single component during the assembly of these two components. This disruptive technology also delivers a significant reduction in costs while offering very high-quality performance in the acquisition and resolution of radiographic images.

Significant development potential in the industrial and medical industries

G-ray’s technology is of key interest in industrial applications. Its X-ray detectors can, for example, be used to perform high-precision quality controls on parts for the automotive and aerospace industries. When applied to the automotive sector, this technology will result in improvements in driver assistance systems that use radar, infrared sensors and Lidar technologies. In 2019, the volume of the driver assistance market was estimated at $US30bn, and is expected to increase to $134.9bn by 2027. Similarly, the non-destructive testing market is expected to grow from $US2.6bn to $US4.7bn by 2025.

In the health sector, digital radiology – offering reductions in X-ray doses – represents an important step forward. Mammograms performed with G-ray detectors will improve patient diagnosis, comfort and safety by means of faster image acquisition and high quality, while at the same time minimising patients’ and healthcare professionals’ exposure to X-rays. According to forecasts, the world market for mammography systems is expected to generate revenues of $3.4bn by 2027, at an annual growth rate of 7.2% between 2019 and 2027.

Promising prospects

This initial sale for G-ray, which employs around ten staff at the Innoparc site in Neuchâtel, is the company’s initial source of revenue. In addition to Hamamatsu Photonics K.K, a number of world leaders in the sector have already confirmed their interest in acquiring detectors in the near future.


About G-ray Switzerland
Founded in 2015 in Neuchâtel, G-ray Switzerland SA has filed a number of revolutionary patents in the fields of radiographic imaging and new semiconductor assembly techniques. The rapidly-expanding company has developed core skills in monolithic detectors with integrated high-resolution CMOS circuits. These innovations cover a wide range of sectors, including automotive, aerospace and medicine.

This technology was developed in partnership with Zurich’s École polytechnique fédérale (EPFZ), the CSEM, the Laboratoire fédéral d’essai des matériaux et de recherche (EMPA) test laboratory, CERN, and the EVG Group (a leader in wafer processing solutions for semiconductors), as well as France’s Institut de soudure and Commissariat à l’énergie atomique organisations.

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