A Stockport-based start-up specialising in flexible, ultra-thin X-ray film that could make medical imaging sharper, less rigid and more comfortable for patients has raised £5m to accelerate production of its next-generation technology and expand into healthcare.

Silveray’s technology currently has a number of industrial uses, such as testing the integrity of pipes in the oil and gas sector as well as detecting faults in hard-to-reach parts found in aerospace and automotive machinery.

Beyond industrial, the company is now exploring new uses in healthcare for its Digital X-ray Film (DXF®), which utilises the company’s patented NPX® X-ray sensitive semiconductor ink. This includes making X-ray scans more accessible, portable, and affordable to check for early signs of chronic disease.

Another area of interest for the company is in breast cancer screening, where pain from the compression caused by mammography machines is often cited as a reason for non-attendance for screenings, and in dental scans, where intra-oral discomfort and the natural gag reflex regularly force dentists to refer patients to specialist imaging centres.

Silveray is also looking closely at radiotherapy, which uses the radiation from X-rays to destroy cancer cells. Silveray states its solution has the potential to remove cost barriers as well as allowing for a more accurate measurement of radiation dose, therefore reducing side effects and making treatment more targeted.