OXOS X3 portable X-ray system wins $24.4m BARDA contract

OXOS Medical has won a cost-share contract from the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to develop the OXOS X3 portable X-ray system. BARDA's share could reach $24.4m if every option is exercised. OXOS is aiming the system at mass casualty events and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) incidents.

What the contract covers

OXOS will match BARDA's funding, bringing the project's potential value to up to $48.8m. It also helps OXOS cover several US marketing needs for the device.

Funds will go to development, verification, and validation of the OXOS X3 portable X-ray system, then manufacturing and the start of human factors studies. These steps should lead to a filing with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

What the X3 is meant to do

OXOS already has several FDA-cleared devices, including portable X-ray systems. The OXOS X3 portable X-ray system is its next-generation model. OXOS has not disclosed exact technical details.

The X3 is being built to cut the wait and effort of X-ray imaging in emergency departments and clinics, where scans rely on fixed radiology infrastructure. OXOS expects it to matter beyond routine care. After a mass casualty event, clinicians would know sooner who to treat first. Accessible imaging would also speed triage in public health emergencies such as CBRN events.

What the CEO said

OXOS CEO Evan Ruff said: "When disaster strikes, the ability to image a patient quickly can determine who gets care first. We are proud to partner with BARDA to help bring the OXOS X3 into clinicians' hands. Our goal is high-quality X-ray imaging that can go wherever patients are."

Other BARDA awards this year

OXOS is the latest medtech company to win BARDA money this year. Last month, BARDA awarded Flosonics a $70m grant. The funding supports an AI algorithm for the Canadian firm's FloPatch wearable, which helps clinicians spot internal bleeding after a traumatic injury.

In February, BARDA added $35m to an existing contract with GE HealthCare. That supports the company's work on imaging systems for trauma assessment and mass-casualty preparedness.

Why it matters

For suppliers and hospitals watching portable imaging, this is early-stage funding, not a product launch. Medigear.uk will follow the OXOS X3 portable X-ray system through development and into its FDA filing.

Source: Medical Device Network