Bracco to Install Photon-Counting CT Scanner at Research Center

May 12, 2026 – Bracco Imaging S.p.A. has purchased a mobile photon-counting CT scanner from MARS Bioimaging to support its contrast agent and artificial intelligence research.

The MARS Bioimaging Scanner System will be installed at Bracco’s Research Center (CRB) in Colleretto Giacosa, Italy, a facility focused on the development and innovation of contrast agents for X-ray/CT and MR imaging.

Bracco Imaging lead investigator, Alberto Fringuello Mingo, said, “The acquisition of the MARS photon-counting CT scanner is supported by ‘Fondo Italiano per le Scienze Applicate’ funded research project (grant: FISA-2023-00298), led by Principal Investigator Prof. Angelo Bifone of the University of Turin. This project will investigate how AI and advanced imaging can be combined to enhance diagnostic outcomes, also leveraging the unique capabilities of photon-counting CT — such as spectral imaging and material decomposition — to achieve improved characterization of contrast.”

The MARS Bioimaging Extremity Scanner System received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k)  clearance in March 2026, providing  important validation to support regulatory pathways and market adoption globally.

Mark Figgitt, Group COO, MARS Bioimaging, added, “MARS scanners deliver high-resolution 3D X-ray imaging that visualizes soft tissue, bone, blood vessels and metallic implants with clear material differentiation, enabling new insights into how contrast agents can enhance diagnostic performance. Importantly, researchers can also readily access underlying data in an efficient workflow designed to add value to clinical research projects.”

The MARS scanner leverages advanced photon-counting detector technology developed originally through particle physics research at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), home of the Higgs boson discovery. MARS Bioimaging holds the exclusive license from CERN to commercialize this Medipix3 technology for medical imaging of extremities at the point-of-care and for mobile scanners for clinical research.