Star Trek technology may be the next frontier (VIDEO)

Darci Marchese, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – In “Star Trek,” a futuristic device called a tricoder was used to scan new and unfamiliar planets. Now, a similar device may soon be available on earth.

The scientists at Tribogenics, an X-ray technology company, are harnessing energy to create usable and portable X-rays. That technology was created by scientists at University of California, Los Angeles.

Virtually anything is scanable.

It can diagnose a bone fracture in the battlefield, find lead in toys, detect the metallic composition in jewelry, find a wall stud or search for gold and silver.

Just last week, Tribogenics announced it landed $2.5 million in funding from a network of global “angel investors” and Flywheel Ventures. The funds will be used to commercialize the X-ray technology.

The company says it sees a huge opportunity to license its X-ray patents to the global X-ray market, which generates $12 billion annually. It says cheaper equipment is likely to bring down medical costs for people visiting the doctor.

Check out the video below for more information.

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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

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