OXOS Medical wins BARDA contract worth up to $24.4m for ultra-portable X-ray system
OXOS Medical has won a federal contract to develop a next-generation X-ray system whose portability could prove valuable during mass casualty incidents and CBRN events.
The company has been awarded a cost-share contract by the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), worth up to $24.4m if all options are exercised. The funding will support OXOS in meeting various US marketing needs for the system. Under the terms of the agreement, OXOS will match BARDA's contribution, putting the overall project value at up to $48.8m.
The funding will go toward the development of OXOS's namesake X3, an "ultra-portable" X-ray system. OXOS already holds multiple FDA-cleared medical devices, including portable X-ray systems. The X3 is intended as a next-generation successor, though exact technical details have not been disclosed.
Proceeds from the contract will support the X3's ongoing development, verification and validation, as well as progress toward manufacturing and the initiation of human factors studies. All of this work is ultimately expected to lead to a regulatory filing for the system with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The X3 is being developed to cut the complexity and wait times associated with acquiring X-rays through fixed radiology infrastructure in emergency departments and clinics. According to the company, its impact is expected to extend beyond routine care.
In mass casualty events, clinicians would have better information on who needs care first. The system is also expected to be useful in public health emergencies, including CBRN events, where accessible imaging helps triage patients quickly.
Evan Ruff, OXOS's CEO, said: "When disaster strikes, the ability to image a patient quickly can determine who gets care first. We are proud to partner with BARDA to help bring the OXOS X3 into clinicians' hands. Our goal is high-quality X-ray imaging that can go wherever patients are."
OXOS is the latest medtech company to receive a BARDA contract in 2026. In September, the authority awarded a $70m grant to Flosonics to support development of an AI algorithm within the Canadian company's FloPatch wearable, designed to help clinicians detect internal bleeding after traumatic injury.
In February, BARDA also expanded an existing contract with GE HealthCare by $35m to support the imaging giant's ongoing development of imaging systems for trauma assessment and preparedness for mass casualty incidents.
