Korea's annual per-capita medical radiation dose is 3.13 mSv (millisieverts), exceeding the global average natural radiation exposure of 2.4 mSv cited by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The number of domestic medical radiation tests has also surpassed 300 million a year and continues to rise.
Observers note that the burden of medical radiation exposure is growing as repeated X-ray and computed tomography (CT) scans become more common due to high medical accessibility, the spread of indemnity insurance, and limits on linking medical records between hospitals. In particular, among patient groups requiring repeated scans—such as infants and toddlers, pregnant people, and children with disabilities—there are many cases of avoiding tests themselves over concerns about radiation exposure.
To solve these limits, T-In Technology, a faculty startup from Konkuk University, has begun developing a power-supply technology that can drastically reduce radiation exposure during X-ray imaging.
Chief Executive Choi Jae-hyeok, who holds a doctorate in power electronics, recognized the structural limits of conventional high-voltage generators during his research and founded the company with faculty members in Jan. 2022 to improve them.
Although conventional X-ray equipment can theoretically capture images in as little as one-thousandth of a second, power-supply limits meant that, in practice, radiation was often emitted for 0.1 to 1 second or more in the field. Choi judged that unnecessary exposure occurs in this process and focused on developing technology to reduce it.
Meeting with ChosunBiz recently at the company's Seongnam, Gyeonggi office, T-In Technology CEO Choi Jae-hyeok said, "Infants, toddlers, and pregnant people often avoid radiation imaging altogether, and pediatric patients with disabilities sometimes need to repeat dental X-rays multiple times," adding, "Demand has grown for rapid imaging and exposure-reduction technology that can ease the exposure burden."
Choi said, "X-ray tubes and detectors have already seen significant technological advances, but power supplies have been relatively stagnant," adding, "We judged that improving this area using power electronics could bring meaningful change in clinical settings." T-In Technology has secured eight core related patents to date.
The company's core technology is a power-supply high-voltage control technology based on "ultra-shortwave pulses." It reduces exposure by precisely turning on and off high voltage ranging from 100,000 to 150,000 volts and evenly distributing the amount of radiation generated. In particular, by combining a "stacking technology" that connects multiple 5,000-volt-class semiconductor switches in series with radiation output control, it can reduce radiation by up to 89% compared with existing methods. While existing global equipment requires an additional expense of several million won to cut exposure by about 90%, T-In Technology's approach can achieve a similar effect at roughly 1/250 of the expense, offering a competitive edge.
The company is pushing commercialization starting with dental X-ray equipment in collaboration with a domestic dental medical device corporations. After completing interface integration at Jeonbuk National University Hospital, it plans to conduct image-quality evaluations and usability assessments next year. It will then begin medical device certification procedures depending on the results. The company intends to expand applications to CT and surgical imaging equipment (C-ARM) in the future.
Choi also emphasized the potential to expand beyond healthcare into the industrial inspection market. "X-rays are used in nondestructive inspection lines in industrial sites, including airport checkpoints, and workers are inevitably exposed to radiation during repeated imaging," Choi said. "Applying ultra-shortwave pulse technology enables high-speed imaging, improving inspection efficiency while reducing worker exposure." In addition, in the defense sector, the company is developing power-supply technology for next-generation radar and underwater weapons.
Investment is also continuing. The company has raised seed funding from Korea University Holdings and the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) and is currently conducting a Series A round. It is also advancing its technology through government research and development projects and the TIPS program.
Choi said the global medical X-ray market is about 26 trillion won and the industrial nondestructive testing market is about 5 trillion won, targeting a total market of 30 trillion won. The company aims to achieve 70 billion won in revenue by 2030 and list on KOSDAQ.