Toray Develops Radiolucent CFRP Part That Enhances Diagnostic Precision, Lowers X-Ray Radiation Doses

Source | Toray Industries 

Toray Industries Inc. (Tokyo, Japan) has developed a radiolucent carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) component that can reduce X-ray radiation doses by 8% while keeping image quality equal to, or better than, that of conventional counterparts. The company will explore practical applications for the component in X-ray examination equipment, including breast supports of mammography and cassettes.

In X-ray examinations, X-rays are transmitted through the human body to generate images of internal structures, helping physicians detect diseases at an early stage. However, as these examinations also pose risks of medical exposure, technologies for clear, low-noise diagnostic images without increasing radiation doses are required. In Japan, the Japan Network for Research and Information on Medical Exposure serves as a hub, collecting data on radiation doses and risk assessments in radiology and publishing diagnostic reference levels to optimize patient radiation doses.

Detectors in X-ray examination equipment use protective CFRP components because they are lightweight and highly radiolucent. But further improvement in radiolucency is essential to obtain diagnostic images without increasing radiation doses. One effective approach is a low-density sandwich structure comprising CFRP skins and a porous core. However, sandwich structures may cause uneven transmitted X-ray intensity due to density variations of porous core and component geometry, which could generate noise in diagnostic images. Therefore, achieving both reduction in radiation doses and enhancement in diagnostic precision has been a key challenge.

Toray established an optimized composite design for a sandwich structure incorporating its carbon fiber-reinforced foam, a technology that satisfies 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 about 6% higher than conventional CFRP. This makes it possible to obtain diagnostic images of equal or greater clarity even with an 8% reduction in X-ray dose. Applied in examination equipment, such as breast supports of mammography and cassettes, the component could help improve diagnostic precision while reducing risks of medical exposure.