Development of a Mobile Carbon Nanotube X-ray Tomosynthesis System with Integrated Physiological Gating

While bedside chest X-ray imaging is essential in intensive care, conventional mobile radiography continues to suffer from structural overlap. In tomosynthesis, which reconstructs depth information from multiple projection images taken at different angles, conventional acquisition relies on a mechanically moving source that is difficult to adapt for bedside use. Carbon nanotube (CNT) x-ray source arrays overcome prior limitations through motion-free image capture. CNT X-ray sources use strong local electric fields for precise on–off switching. This flexibility supports stationary source arrays which eliminates mechanical motion and enables lighter, more portable systems. This work presents the development of a mobile tomosynthesis system using a CNT x-ray source array for advanced bedside imaging. To overcome the reliance on conventional desktop systems for controlling X-ray imaging sequences, a mobile control platform was developed. A Raspberry Pi–based graphical user interface enables technicians to configure scans from a hand-held device, while an integrated Arduino provides real-time physiological gating, which synchronizes X-ray pulses with cardiac or respiratory cycles to reduce motion artifacts.