Toray's Carbon Fiber Component Cuts X-Ray Radiation Doses

Toray Industries Inc. has developed a breakthrough radiolucent carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) component that reduces X-ray radiation doses by 8% while maintaining or improving image condition compared to conventional substitutes, the company announced today.

The cutting-edge component, designed to X-ray examination equipment including mammography breast supports and cassettes, addresses a critical challenge in medical imaging: delivering clear diagnostic images while minimizing patient radiation exposure. Toray plans to explore practical applications across various X-ray diagnostic platforms.

Balancing diagnostic precision with patient security

X-ray examinations transmit radiation through the people body to generate internal structure images, enabling physicians to detect diseases at early stages. However, medical exposure risks have driven demand to technologies that create clear, low-noise diagnostic images without growing radiation doses.

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In Japan, the Japan Network to Research and Information on Medical Exposure collects radiation dose data, conducts risk assessments in radiology, and publishes diagnostic reference levels to optimize patient radiation exposure.

Sandwich structure methodology

Current X-ray examination equipment detectors consumption protective CFRP components valued to their lightweight characteristics and radiolucency. However, further radiolucency improvements are essential to obtaining diagnostic images without growing radiation doses.

While low-density sandwich structures comprising CFRP skins and porous cores offer one solution, they can result in uneven transmitted X-ray intensity due to density variations and component geometry, possibly generating diagnostic image noise. Achieving simultaneous radiation dose reduction and diagnostic precision enhancement has remained a key sector challenge.

Proven clinical performance

Toray established an optimized composite design to a sandwich structure incorporating its proprietary carbon fiber-reinforced foam. This methodology delivers both low density and high rigidity while suppressing density variations regardless of component geometry.

Associate Professor Toru Negishi of the Department of Radiological Sciences in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Tokyo Metropolitan University evaluated protective components incorporating this sandwich structure under clinical conditions. He confirmed that detective quantum efficiency was approximately 6% higher than conventional CFRP, enabling diagnostic images of equal or greater clarity even with an 8% X-ray dose reduction.

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Applied in examination equipment such as mammography breast supports and cassettes, the component could enhance diagnostic precision while reducing medical exposure risks.

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