e2v wins dental imaging contracts

Chelmsford-based

, has signed orders worth a total of £13.7m. with three dental imaging customers,

e2v, which develops and manufactures components and sub-systems for medical, science, aerospace, defence, commercial and industrial applications, has not released the names of the customers.

Orders from the first customer, worth a total of £7m, are for extra-oral panoramic x-ray sensitive charge coupled devices (CCDs). Deliveries will be completed over a two year period.

The second customer’s orders, worth a total of £4.3m, are for intra-oral x-ray sensitive CCDs. Deliveries are scheduled to start in December 2007 and will be completed in 12 months.

The third customer has placed an order worth £2.4m, for the supply of intra-oral x-ray sensitive CCDs with delivery over the next 14 months.

e2v's x-ray sensitive CCDs are incorporated into digital dental imaging systems. Intra-oral systems capture x-ray images of individual, or small groups of teeth whilst extra-oral panoramic systems capture images of the whole mouth in a single sweep. These systems offer high performance image capture that is instantly viewable on a PC monitor, and give much lower radiation doses than when film is used.

Keith Attwood, chief executive of e2v said: 'These contracts, which were anticipated, demonstrate the continued strength of our position within the global dental imaging marketplace and are also an early indicator of stabilisation within the sector following a period of industry consolidation.'

e2V has three UK based manufacturing sites in Chelmsford, Lincoln and High Wycombe.