Polarean Imaging (POLX) , a leader in advanced MRI lung imaging technology, noted that its Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Bastiaan Driehuys, has received the 2025 American Thoracic Society's Respiratory Health Award for pioneering the clinical adoption of Xenon MRI imaging.
Polarean is best known for its proprietary Xenon MRI technology XENOVIEW, which uses hyperpolarised Xenon Xe-129 to illuminate hidden lung diseases non-invasively. Dr. Driehuys invented hyperpolarized gas MRI during his doctoral studies in atomic physics at Princeton. He and his team spearheaded the development of Xenon-129 hyperpolarisation technology, along with novel MR image acquisition, reconstruction, and analysis techniques, and applying them to problems in pulmonary medicine.
Dr. Driehuys was presented with the ATS's Research Innovation and Translation Achievement Award for his accomplishments in respiratory health, based on his work at Duke University Medical Center. As Chief Scientific Officer at Polarean, much of his work resulted in the core Xenon MRI technology being commercialised by POLX. His later work on utilising Xenon MRI for the study of gas exchange and cardiopulmonary indications while at Duke are exclusively licensed to Polarean.
Christopher von Jako, CEO of Polarean, commenting: "We were delighted to learn that Dr. Driehuys has been recognised by the American Thoracic Society for his groundbreaking contributions to pulmonary imaging. His work is not only advancing the science-it is directly benefiting patients by enabling earlier detection, improved treatment planning, and better outcomes for those with serious respiratory conditions."
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Dr Bastiaan Driehuys of Polarean has been honoured with the prestigious ATS Respiratory Health Award, reflecting his contributions, and by extension those of Polarean, in advancing Xenon MRI imaging in pulmonary care. Polarean's technology promises to revolutionise medical imaging with the ability to illuminate hidden diseases non-invasively, enabling early intervention. The radiation-free method is now FDA-approved in the US, targeting a significant unmet medical need of 42 million suffering from chronic respiratory disease.
Polarean's Xenon MRI has seen rapid sales growth in recent quarters, poised to accelerate further through its growing collaboration with Philips. Applications span the spectrum of respiratory conditions, including asthma, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, COPD, Covid-19, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary arterial hypertension, radiation-induced lung injury, and post-transplant lung monitoring.
POLX's revenue more than tripled in FY24 to $3.1m across 22 active customers, beating guidance. Backed by a $12.6m fundraising round led by strategic partners, the company's current cash runway should extend at least until Q2 2026. With the comfortable cash balance, POLX is well-positioned for further growth. If takeup continues its current trajectory, by end of FY25 POLX's total installed clinical base should be 12-14 systems, with sites performing 5-6 scans per week and revenues of US$5-6m. Profitability would then be expected by FY27.
On May 14, 2025, Polarean announced the next stage of its collaboration with Philips, as the two companies partnered to bring advanced Xenon lung MRI to children with chronic obstructive lung disease as young as 6 years old. Xenon MRI is already FDA-approved for adults and children aged 12 and older. Polarean's technology is now integrated into Philips' clinical workflow across 3.0T MRI systems. With just two 10-second breath-holds, the scan session can be completed in under one minute, using the Polarean XENOVIEW 3T Chest Coil.
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