[China Tech] Domestically Developed Cutting-edge Bone Densitometer Launched in Shanghai

China Tech is a column dedicated to the innovations reshaping China – and, inevitably, the world. From cutting-edge AI labs and next-generation robotics to apps that redefine daily life, we explore the breakthroughs that emerge from the country's relentless drive for technological dominance. Some are game-changers, others cautionary tales, but all offer a glimpse into the future as it's being built, at breakneck speed, in China.

A home-grown dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) bone densitometer was launched in the city on Friday, ending China's decades-long reliance on imported equipment for bone health screening, slashing costs and improving accessibility for patients nationwide.

Equipped with multi-center phenotypic databases for the Chinese population and professional assessment software, the all-in-one device can detect three major fracture risk indicators: bone mineral density, bone structure and trabecular bone score (TBS) assessment, which is a critical advantage for evaluating fracture risk and bone quality.

The device can check fat and muscle mass for the diagnosis of sarcopenia, a gradual loss of muscle mass, strength and physical performance that happens with age.

The locally developed table-type DXA has solved technical bottlenecks, including unstable imaging quality. Its core components – dedicated photon detectors and low-dose X-ray tubes – feature fully independent intellectual property rights, according to experts from Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, which leads the research.

The radiation is equivalent to 1/100 or 1/150 of a standard chest X-ray, safe for most patients, excluding pregnant women, experts said.

An innovative visual monitoring system also greatly simplifies clinical operations and improves work efficiency. The device is now under clinical trial at Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital.

"Against the backdrop of a deepening aging population in China, the prevention and treatment of metabolic bone diseases have become a big issue. Osteoporosis and diabetes are major public health problems globally, while type 2 diabetes is a major risk factor for osteoporotic fractures, posing a severe public health challenge," Dr Zhang Zhenlin, director of department of osteoporosis and bone diseases of Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, told a training session on advances in diagnosis and treatment of hereditary bone diseases in Shanghai to share cutting-edge expertise and boost the high-quality development of bone disease prevention and treatment.

Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital said it has teamed up with multiple medical institutions and enterprises to win a national major science and technology project targeting early warning, prevention and control of diabetic osteoporotic fractures. The team integrates medical, research and industrial resources to build a digital and intelligent model for chronic disease management and accelerate the translation of research findings into clinical practice.

The DXA device is a key achievement of the national project, while an AI model for intelligent diagnosis of diabetic osteoporosis has also been deployed in 53 medical facilities across the country, advancing intelligent and precise management of chronic diseases.

"The bone and muscle mass check can be finished within one day. The patient must receive a blood test before breakfast and the device scan can be done in five minutes. Then we can give a diagnosis and treatment for the patient. In the West, patients have to wait for several months," Zhang said.

If you go

Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital

Address: 600 Yishan Rd 徐汇区宜山路600号

Tel: 021-24056318 (International Medical Department)

E-mail: sldymb@126.com

Address: 222 West Huanhu 3rd Ring Rd, Pudong New Area 浦东新区环湖西三路222号

Tel: 021-3829-7261 (International Medical Department)

The hospital is covered by commercial insurance.