Canon Inc. announced that it has reached an agreement with Redlen Technologies Inc. to conclude a share transfer agreement, making Redlen a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon.
Redlen possesses technology for development and manufacture of Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) semiconductor detector modules that are used in diagnostic imaging systems, security inspection systems and other devices.
By using this technology in next-generation photon-counting CT systems (PCCT), it is expected to enable clearer imaging of specific substances in the body. This will allow early detection of very small lesions and subtle pathological changes, which has been difficult with conventional technologies. Furthermore, since PCCT systems can obtain images with less noise using weaker x-ray radiation than conventional CT, it is expected to reduce the physical burden on patients by significantly reducing exposure dose and improving diagnostic accuracy with higher-resolution imaging.
With the acquisition of Redlen, Canon will obtain advanced technology used in CZT semiconductor detector modules, which play an important role in the development of PCCT. This will enable Canon Medical Systems Corporation, a subsidiary of Canon, to accelerate the development of competitive PCCT systems to strengthen the medical systems business. In addition, Canon will provide CZT semiconductor detector modules to medical equipment manufacturers around the world, thus helping strengthen Canon’s medical component business. In this way, Canon will continue to contribute to the advancement of global diagnostic imaging.
Toshio Takiguchi, Head of Medical Group Senior Managing Executive Officer, Canon Inc. said: “Redlen is the global leader in X-ray photon counting sensors in the medical, security and non-destructive inspection fields. In collaboration with Redlen, we expect to not only accelerate the development and mass production of next-generation CTs, but also expand our component business by deploying leading-edge sensors to a wide range of fields.”
Glenn Bindley, President & CEO of Redlen Technologies commented: “Redlen has enjoyed a very lengthy and productive collaboration with Canon Medical on photon counting CT. We’re excited to now become a member of the Canon group with access to the world class manufacturing and scale-up expertise within Canon that will help us accelerate market adoption of our industry leading radiation detection and imaging products.”
