Hartford Business Journal

8 Hartford Business Journal • September 14, 2015 www.HartfordBusiness.com FOCUS TECHNOLOGY Precision X-Ray's high-tech tools aid cancer research By John Stearns jstearns@HartfordBusiness.com A small North Branford company providing tools for cancer research around the world continues to innovate the X-ray equipment it makes for researchers who test radiation treatments on cells and small animals before they're used on humans. The high-tech company is Precision X-Ray, which has placed hundreds of pieces of its X-ray equipment around the globe, including in almost every research institute of any significance, according to its president and part owner, Bill McLaughlin. Buyers typically are radio-biologists, radio-oncologists and cancer researchers, or, as Precision X-Ray calls them, radiation researchers. Their work is important to cancer treatment, with radiation therapy used in about 60 percent of cancer cases in the developed world, McLaughlin noted. "We focus on research and these researchers and deliv- ering them the tools that help them do their job better," McLaughlin said. Precision X-Ray's latest tool, introduced this year, is the X-RAD SmART (Small Animal Radiation Therapy) system that provides 3D imaging and 360-degree rota- tional beam delivery around test animals. That's dif- ferent than the company's main product, which has a fixed X-ray beam system that doesn't rotate. The X-RAD SmART system combines imaging, planning and treat- ment with the industry's highest dose rate and imaging resolution in a single piece of equipment. "X-Rad SmART is an advanced image guided radia- tion therapy system that allows researchers to capture images and properly treat a specimen without the strain of repositioning it," McLaughlin said. "The system's design allows it rotate 360 degrees around the subject, thus improving the total dose delivery to the targeted area while limiting damage to sur- rounding structures." It delivers 225-kilovolt pho- ton beams that are millimeters wide with sub-millimeter accu- racy and features devices that control the dose to the tumor. The system is designed to provide more precise targeting of tumors in research animals. It has begun shipping glob- ally and "has gotten very hot this year," McLaughlin said. It's considered the most sophisticated system in the company's line of X-ray equipment. Depending on options, the SmART system can run $600,000 to $800,000, McLaughlin said. The company's products typically range from about $100,000 to $800,000 per unit and the company has tens of millions of revenue per year, he said. Brian Dermott, who is Precision X-Ray's CEO and pri- mary owner, founded the company in 2003. It has about 20 employees, but collaborates with researchers globally on its equipment designs and uses. "We leverage a lot of outside resources," McLaughlin said. Engineering, assembly and testing occur in North Branford, with the company using parts from Connecticut to Europe. After shipping, the company installs the equip- ment and trains customers on its use and also services it. The X-RAD SmART system has been used on brain tumors in mice, better targeting the tumors and pro- tecting surrounding tissue. The technology helps researchers better measure treatment variations for such tumors, including dosing variables and timings and chemotherapy combinations. Mice are commonly used in medical research and because they're about 3,000 times smaller than a human, accurately testing treatments like radiation therapy on brain tumors is challenging and requires precision, McLaughlin said. The more accurately radiation research can be con- ducted on a mouse, the better for understanding treat- ment translation to humans. The idea is to provide the best animal research tools to better determine human cancer treatment approaches. "These radiation systems are out there with humans, and what wasn't available were these radiation systems for small animals to do really any significant testing that was similar to what was happening with humans," McLaughlin said. "What we've been able to do is really to scale it down EXPERTS CORNER Retailers must prep for new card-swipe rules, technology By Julie Pukas T here's been much discus- sion and attention sur- rounding the payment industry's shift to EMV (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) chip-card technology. Already a common technology in countries across the world, EMV chip-enabled cards will become the new pay- ment standard in the United States by October. If you're a con- sumer, EMV chip- enabled cards can add an additional layer of fraud pro- tection. These cards contain an embed- ded microchip that turns cardholder information into a new, unique code every time the card is inserted into the payment terminal that is intended to decrease the potential for coun- terfeit card transactions. If you're a merchant, there are a few things you need to know in order to become EMV compliant. First, merchants are required to update their point- of-sale systems to accept chip cards. In October, liability for fraudulent transactions will shift to the transaction partici - pant with the least amount of EMV technology, and card issu- ers have already started to roll out EMV chip-enabled cards. As such, businesses using non-EMV compliant terminals will assume liability for any fraudulent trans- actions associated with EMV chip-enabled cards. This has the potential to be truly detrimental to a business' finances and is a key reason to adopt the new payment standards. Additionally, upgrading to EMV standards ensures your business will be able to accept almost all payment methods, and better able to process credit-card payments from international customers. It's also important to con- sider the day-to-day impact that the EMV transition will have on consumers. Consumers will be faced with an entirely new pay- ment process, and not all EMV payment terminals are identical and not all businesses will have them in place come this fall. As a result, merchants will be the lynchpins to making this transi- tion a success. Here are four tips for small business owners and merchants to consider when making the switch to EMV payment terminals: 1. Investigate your tech- nology options: When making a technology investment for your business, it's critical to research and explore the dif- ferent options. It's worth your while to do the same when look- ing for new EMV-compatible payment terminals. Merchants should choose the most appro- priate technology that meets their unique business needs and customer payment preferences. 2. Seek EMV training: To make the adoption a suc- cess, business own- ers should commit to training staff on the new features and functions of the EMV equipment. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2012, Connecticut employed over 720,000 small business workers. That's a great deal of workers who could benefit from learning the ins and outs of the new trans- action process. Be sure to ask your financial institution if they offer EMV training and take advantage of their expertise. 3. Invest the time: While the switch will indeed require a time commitment and up-front invest- ment, adopting an EMV-compat- ible payment terminal is a smart business strategy. Not only is it a more secure transaction for consumers, but it decreases the burden on business owners in the event of a compromise. 4. Create a better customer experience: Keep in mind that consumers may be faced with dif- ferent payment terminals when visiting their local merchants. Create a better customer experi- ence by practicing patience dur- ing the EMV transition. Consider it as another touch point and way to build trust with your customer by offering guidance through the new payment process. EMV provides peace of mind for consumers because it's a more secure payment process. Merchants with EMV terminals will require customers to insert the card, write their signature or enter a PIN, and remove the card only after the transaction is com- plete. The EMV payment process is a more secure transaction for consumers, and a smart strategy for businesses. n Julie Pukas is the head of U.S. Bankcard and Merchant Ser- vices at TD Bank. Julie Pukas Bill McLaughlin, president and part owner, Precision X-Ray Continued Precision X-Ray's X-RAD SmART system has an isocentric design allowing specimens to remain stationary while the imaging and treatment platform rotate a full 360 degrees. P H O T O | C O N T R I B U T E D I M A G E | C O N T R I B U T E D Dose visualization technology created by X-RAD SmART Plan software.

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