Pulmera Awarded $2.25 Million National Cancer Institute SBIR Grant to Advance CBeam™
NIH funding will support research and development, expand Pulmera’s engineering team, extend CBeam™ compatibility to additional C-arm models, and evaluate its potential use in lung nodule biopsy.
Charlotte, NC, Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pulmera, a medical technology company advancing intraoperative imaging, today announced that it has been awarded a $2.25 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) over two years. The non-dilutive funding will accelerate research and development, support the expansion of Pulmera’s engineering team, and extend CBeam™ compatibility to additional C-arm models. This research will support CBeam’s growth within the fields of Pulmonology and Thoracic Oncology to improve biopsies of potentially cancerous lung nodules.
Bronchoscopic lung biopsy plays an important role in evaluating suspected lung cancer. Yet obtaining a definitive diagnosis remains challenging, with published evidence reporting a diagnostic yield of approximately 70% for guided bronchoscopy of peripheral pulmonary lesions.¹ Intraprocedural CT guidance can help physicians visualize the relationship between biopsy instruments and the target lung nodule. A study of robotic bronchoscopy with CT guidance reported a diagnostic yield of approximately 95%, including follow-up findings.² However, access to the equipment and resources required for these advanced techniques remains a barrier to broader adoption.³
CBeam is designed to transform conventional 2D surgical C-arms into intraoperative 3D imaging systems, helping surgical teams visualize complex anatomy during procedures while enabling hospitals to expand access using imaging infrastructure they already own. The platform uses a position-sensor-based system that attaches to widely installed surgical C-arms. During a brief rotational scan, CBeam captures a series of X-ray images and reconstructs them into a 3D dataset, enabling intraoperative visualization to support clinical evaluation, navigation, and surgical decision-making.
“Advanced 3D imaging has the potential to change the landscape of pulmonary care by giving physicians better visualization during procedures where precise navigation matters,” said Kevin McGann, president and CEO of Pulmera. “The challenge has been access: advanced 3D imaging can require expensive, dedicated equipment. CBeam is designed to address that barrier by leveraging C-arm equipment hospitals already own, creating a more practical path to bring 3D imaging into more procedure rooms.”
The CBeam™ 3D Imaging Platform is an FDA 510(k)-cleared system that turns standard 2D C-arms that hospitals already own into true 3D DICOM intraoperative imaging systems in seconds. It is currently indicated to provide 3D medical imaging during orthopedic and neurological surgical procedures where clinicians benefit from 3D visualization of complex anatomical structures, including high-contrast objects, bones, joints, maxillofacial anatomy, the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine, pelvis, acetabulum, and fractures of the upper and lower extremities.
About Pulmera, Inc.
Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Pulmera, Inc. is a medical technology company focused on advancing intraoperative imaging through its flagship platform, CBeam. The company has developed and is commercializing scalable imaging technology that transforms conventional surgical C-arm systems into intraoperative 3D imaging tools, supporting broader access to advanced surgical visualization and clinical decision-making. For more information, visit www.pulmera.com or www.cbeam.com.
Research reported in this press release is supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award number R44CA314776. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
¹ Nadig et al. CHEST. 2023;163(6):1589–1598.
² Abdelghani et al. Journal of Thoracic Disease. 2024;16(9):5529–5538.
³ Soumagne et al. Respiration. 2024;103(3):146–154.
CONTACT: Kevin McGann Pulmera (630) 240-3131 kevin.mcgann@pulmera.com
