Clarix Imaging

Clarix Imaging, a commercial-stage medical technology company founded by world-leading scientists from the University of Chicago, is transforming surgical oncology and pathology by developing the Volumetric Specimen Imaging (VSI) platform technology, which generates 3D images of tissues with unprecedented clarity in real-time using advanced image reconstruction algorithms. The company is initially targeting the breast cancer surgery market with the FDA-cleared VSI-360 hardware and software system for use intraoperatively during lumpectomy, a surgical procedure to remove tumors or other abnormal tissues from the breast, currently associated with high reoperation rates of 25% due to incomplete tumor resection (i.e., positive margin) during the initial surgery. VSI-360 is portable, designed to fit in the current operating room workflow, and estimated to lower reoperation rates from 25% to less than 5%.

The current gold standard of histopathology identifies positive margins several days after the surgery, while other intraoperative techniques produce inadequate image quality to consistently visualize margins. A 200-patient study published in the Annals of Surgical Oncology demonstrated a high correlation of VSI results to post-surgical pathology and superiority over current widely used intraoperative imaging methods of 2D and tomosynthesis. Clarix Imaging has sold several units to date and is on track to aggressively grow sales in 2023. In the future, Clarix Imaging plans to expand the software using the core technology for other cancer types and pathology after commercial success in the breast surgical oncology space.

Clarix Imaging is looking to raise a $30M Series A round to fund the manufacturing of devices, marketing to ramp up commercial sales, kickstarting geo-expansion initiatives to Western Europe and Asia, and developing pipeline products to image other cancer types.