Yiteng Technology Emerges as a Dark Horse in Domestic CT Tube Market with Commercial Scale-Up Underway

As the domestic substitution of CT equipment deepens, the process of replacing key components of CT tubes with domestically produced alternatives is simultaneously accelerating.

CT X-ray tubes are the core components of CT scanners, serving as their “heart.” On one hand, as the central element of the X-ray generation system, the quality and lifespan of CT X-ray tubes directly impact image quality and the operational performance of CT equipment. On the other hand, CT X-ray tubes are the most expensive consumable components in CT systems, with individual unit prices ranging from hundreds of thousands to over a million yuan.

Moreover, the consumable nature of CT X-ray tubes necessitates their periodic replacement. According to research by Zhiyin Capital, globally, the X-ray tube of each CT scanner is replaced on average every 2–4 years. The global demand for replacement X-ray tubes in the installed base of CT scanners is approximately 100,000–140,000 units, with the global market size for CT X-ray tubes reaching hundreds of billions of yuan.^[1]For hospitals in China with a large patient volume, high-frequency use shortens the X-ray tube replacement cycle to once or even twice a year.^[2]

CT X-ray tubes are currently categorized into two types: original equipment manufacturer (OEM) tubes and replacement tubes, with supply primarily sourced from overseas vendors. Due to the long-standing development history and intense market competition in the overseas CT X-ray tube industry, China remains highly dependent on imports for high-heat-capacity CT X-ray tubes, with domestic brands holding less than 5% of the market share.

Despite significant progress made by China in the research, development, and manufacturing of medical imaging equipment, domestically produced CT scanners lacking a “heart” will inevitably fail to achieve genuine import substitution.

In this context, Suzhou Yiteng Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Yiteng Technology”) has taken the lead in championing domestically produced CT X-ray tubes. Yiteng Technology specializes in the research, development, and manufacturing of electron vacuum devices, with its products widely applied in the fields of medical imaging and industrial inspection, including medical CT X-ray tubes and high-end industrial microfocus X-ray tubes.

Yiteng Technology Kunshan Plant

The company currently operates several thousand square meters of R&D and production facilities for X-ray tube cores and tube assemblies, equipped with professional Class 10,000 cleanrooms for tube core assembly. Its first 5.5 MHU X-ray tube for CT applications has successfully obtained the Medical Device Registration Certificate (Su Xie Zhu Zhun 20232061843) and has officially entered the market.

Yiteng Technology’s Financing History, Data Sourced from Qichacha. To Date, Yiteng Technology Has Secured Cumulative Financing Amounting to Hundreds of Millions of Yuan

Dr. Zou Yun, founder of Yiteng Technology, graduated from the Department of Physics at Tsinghua University (Class of 1987). He subsequently pursued advanced studies in the field of high-energy electron beams at the University of Maryland in the United States, where he earned his Ph.D. Dr. Zou later held positions at several renowned global companies, overseeing the R&D of advanced CT X-ray tubes and the development of product lines. In 2021, he co-founded Yiteng Technology with its founding team.

Electron vacuum technology serves as the foundation for the research, development, and manufacturing of CT X-ray tubes, exerting a decisive influence on their performance and service life. The founding team of Yiteng possesses extensive experience in the integrated industry-academia-research model within the electron vacuum field. It is a multidisciplinary team encompassing R&D, technology, and production, bringing together talent from diverse fields including physics, electron vacuum technology, mechatronics, electronic engineering, mechanical design and manufacturing, electrical automation, and materials science. R&D personnel account for over 30% of the team. The core members, whose technical expertise is complementary and who collaborate seamlessly, are alumni of prestigious domestic and international universities such as Tsinghua University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Huazhong University of Science and Technology. With decades of deep engagement in leading companies within the global medical imaging industry, the team demonstrates strong cohesion, profound industrialization experience, and robust execution capabilities.Completed the R&D, regulatory approval, and commercialization of its inaugural 5.5 MHU X-ray tube in just two years.The team members have also undertaken or participated in multiple national and local government projects on CT X-ray tubes. In 2021, they were successively honored as Jiangsu Province’s “Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation” Talent, Gusu Leading Talent, Kunshan “Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation” Talent, and Kunshan “Head Goose” Talent, making them a rare leading team in China’s CT X-ray tube industry.

Yiteng Technology emphasizes intellectual property layout. It has filed 51 patents in various areas, including X-ray tube design, manufacturing, and new concepts, among which 21 invention patents and 15 utility model patents have been successfully granted.

# Heat Capacity (MHU)Heat capacity (MHU) is the maximum permissible accumulation of anode heat under continuous operation when the X-ray tube is dissipating heat at its maximum rate. As the most critical parameter for CT X-ray tubes, a higher heat capacity indicates greater thermal load-bearing capability, enhanced operational performance, and extended service life.

In the current domestic market, the anode heat capacity of X-ray tubes for basic CT scanners with fewer than 64 slices generally ranges from 2 MHU to 8 MHU. Given that the localization rate of basic-level CT scanners in China has exceeded 65%, and considering factors such as the widespread adoption of 5 MHU X-ray tubes as a standard configuration by numerous domestic CT manufacturers, their large installation volume, and high installed base, Kunshan Yiteng Medical Technology Co., Ltd. has selected the 5.5 MHU specification for its inaugural product.

Yiteng Technology’s First Self-Developed Product: 5.5 MHU X-ray Tube E530 (Su Medical Device Registration No. 20232061843)

Yiteng Technology, leveraging the team’s extensive experience, technical expertise, and know-how,Developed and manufactured a 5.5 MHU X-ray tube withStable performance, high-quality images, high resolution, and excellent clarity, offering advantages such as the ability to reveal more details.The Yiteng team proudly shares a case study: An ENT specialist successfully captured images of a patient’s extremely tiny ossicles, measuring only about 1 mm, using the Yiteng X-ray tube for scanning. The resulting images were exceptionally clear, earning high satisfaction from the physician, who even shared them on their WeChat Moments.

Doctor's WeChat Moments: Listening to Bone Scan Images

Historically, domestically produced X-ray tubes have often been criticized for arcing issues. However, Yiteng’s X-ray tubes have earned widespread acclaim from hospitals due to their stable performance and excellent results. The team at Kunshan Yiteng Medical Technology Co., Ltd. revealed, “We are currently in discussions with a Grade A tertiary hospital regarding collaboration. They specifically evaluated over 100 images generated by Yiteng X-ray tubes and concluded that the image quality is exceptional, on par with imported products.”

A stable X-ray tube ensures the continuity and consistency of image quality during scanning, avoiding issues such as focal spot drift that could degrade image quality or necessitate recalibration.Yiteng Technology’s CT X-ray tubes, once initially calibrated, operate stably without the need for frequent adjustments, ensuring scan continuity and consistent image quality.

Furthermore, Kunshan Yiteng Medical Technology Co., Ltd. has effectively reduced the noise generated by the mechanical motion of the rotating anode through optimization of x-ray tube design and manufacturing processes, thereby providing a quieter examination environment for patients.

The research, development, and production of CT X-ray tubes entail high requirements, significant technical challenges, and long lead times. Their manufacturing model has not yet achieved standardization or mass production, resembling the precision manufacturing approach of Swiss watches.

The Yiteng team pointed out that X-ray tubes were originally used for physics research but were soon applied in the medical field. The design and manufacturing of CT X-ray tubes is a highly interdisciplinary and rigorous process, as they must operate under extreme conditions—withstanding high temperatures, intense heat, high voltage, ultra-high vacuum, and high centrifugal forces. This imposes extremely stringent requirements on materials and mechanical engineering, where even minor issues can lead to the scrapping of the entire tube. For instance, the assembly precision of the cathode and anode must reach the micron level, a delicate task that relies on experienced artisans to complete. Therefore, in a sense, CT X-ray tubes are also works of art.

In hospital application scenarios, the X-ray tube must simultaneously overcome the aforementioned challenges, a situation that is extremely rare in other medical devices.

To address these challenges, Kunshan Yiteng Medical Technology Co., Ltd. leveraged its profound understanding of the physical characteristics of X-ray tubes, starting from the initial design phase by adhering to first principles and building from foundational technologies. The company employed physics-based design, computer simulation, and various system design methodologies, upholding the philosophy of “design for manufacturing, design for quality, and design for maintenance” to ensure that the designed X-ray tubes not only conform to physical principles but also can be manufactured efficiently and stably in actual production.

It is reported that, due to cost advantages, Yiteng Technology’s 5.5 MHU X-ray tube is priced 30%–40% lower than similar imported products.

In terms of commercialization, Yiteng Technology has targetedAfter-Sales Replacement, Full-Unit OEM, High-End Industrial InspectionThree Major Fields.

In the aftermarket replacement sector, Yiteng Technology has established a distribution and logistics warehousing network covering major provinces across China, ensuring an average product delivery time of no more than 24 hours. Since February this year, the first batch of 5.5 MHU medical X-ray tube assembliesInstalled in over 30 hospitals, with Grade A tertiary hospitals accounting for 23% and Grade A secondary hospitals accounting for 17%.

Notably, on November 22, Guokang Chuangfu, together with Guokang Chuangke, signed a “Strategic Cooperation Agreement” with Yiteng Technology. The signing ceremony was attended by Zou Yun, Founder of Yiteng Technology; Hu Yuan, Co-Founder of Yiteng Technology; Wang Weiwei, General Manager of Guokang Chuangfu and Executive Director of Guokang Chuangke; Lei Chaotian, Deputy General Manager of Guokang Chuangfu and General Manager of Guokang Chuangke; as well as business leaders from both parties. Leaders from the Kunshan Economic and Technological Development Zone attached great importance to this collaboration, attending the ceremony and delivering important remarks. Under the agreement, the two parties will engage in comprehensive cooperation in product research and development, market expansion, and technical services.

Yiteng Technology has also made breakthroughs in the OEM market for complete CT systems. The company is currently working with multiple CT system manufacturers on adaptation and registration for complete systems, with the launch of these CT systems expected in early 2025.

In the high-end industrial inspection market, Yiteng Technology’s products are widely applicable to the inspection of castings, lithium-ion batteries, steel pipes, semiconductors, and electronic components. Currently, the company is actively conducting pre-research on industrial microfocus X-ray tubes.

Next, Yiteng Technology will successively announce products compatible with a variety of mainstream CT systems and 64-slice CT scanners, achieving extensive coverage across its product lines. Meanwhile, the Yiteng team has successfully developed advanced technologies such as liquid metal bearings, bidirectional flying focal spots, anode grounding, and fast dual-energy imaging, ensuring that its X-ray tube product line meets the comprehensive requirements of mid-to-high-end CT systems in terms of image quality, spatial resolution, heat dissipation, and advanced applications.

References:

[1] Zhiyin Capital "In-Depth Research Report on the CT Industry"

[2] Essence Securities: “Leading Materials Technology Platform; Market Volume for CT X-ray Tubes and Rocket Nozzles Poised for Significant Growth”