The Phantom Laboratory

What The Phantom Laboratory does

The Phantom Laboratory, founded in 1989 and headquartered in Greenwich, New York, manufactures high-precision medical imaging phantoms used for quality assurance, calibration, and acceptance testing of CT, MRI, radiation therapy, SPECT/PET, and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) scanners. Its product portfolio centers on the Catphan family of CT phantoms (models 500, 600, 605, 700, 710, plus MV/kV therapy variants including 503, 504, 604, and 606) and the Magphan MRI phantom family (RT, S162, ADNI/EMR, SMR100, SMR170), complemented by LiquiPhil nuclear medicine phantoms, ECTphan SPECT/PET phantoms, Tomophan DBT phantoms, and the modular Corgi cone beam CT phantom. Core technologies include patented solid-cast modular construction, 23-degree opposed wire ramps for precise thin-slice measurement, and a spherical-cubic Magphan geometry aligned with AAPM Task Group guidance.

The company's revenue model combines one-time hardware sales (phantoms, annuli, dose phantoms, and accessories) with recurring software revenue from the Smári cloud image analysis platform (bundled at 2-5 years with new phantoms) and the TotalQA radiotherapy QA management platform (annual license fees) delivered in partnership with Image Owl Inc. Go-to-market is hybrid: direct sales through phantomlab.com and phone/email for hospitals, imaging centers, and research institutions, plus channel distribution through Varian (Catphan 604/504 for OBI kV imager QA) and Elekta (Catphan 503 for XVI kV imager commissioning). OEM and custom phantom manufacturing services supplement the catalog. The company is FDA registered, ISO 13485:2016 certified, and holds multiple registered trademarks (Catphan, Magphan, LiquiPhil, ECTphan, Tomophan, Corgi).

Name

The Phantom Laboratory

Legal name

The Phantom Laboratory

Website

https://phantomlab.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Phantom Laboratory manufactures high-precision medical imaging phantoms — primarily the Catphan (CT) and Magphan (MRI) families — used for quality assurance and calibration of diagnostic and radiotherapy scanners, serving hospitals, imaging centers, research institutions, and OEM partners like Varian and Elekta.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Imaging Phantoms and Quality Assurance

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345)

SIC

Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821)

akta.pro primary industry

Radiation Therapy Planning & Simulation Imaging (CT Sim/MR Sim) (HLAHABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mammography & Breast Imaging Systems (HLAHABAF), Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging (SPECT/PET) (HLAHABAE)

Keywords

• Medical imaging phantoms
• CT quality assurance
• MRI phantom devices
• Radiation therapy QA
• Radiology calibration tools

Headquarters

HQ city

South Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Medical Imaging Phantom Products: Sale of high-precision phantoms including Catphan (CT), Magphan (MRI), ECTphan (SPECT/PET), Tomophan (DBT), and specialty phantoms. Products are sold as durable goods with various price points based on complexity and configuration. Includes accessories, annuli, and dose phantoms.
2. Smári Image Analysis Software: Cloud-based subscription service for automated phantom image analysis. Sold with new phantom purchases (e.g., Catphan 700 includes 5 years of Smári, Magphan models include 2 years). Provides analysis results, trend data, and machine comparisons.
3. TotalQA Radiotherapy QA Platform: Annual license fee model for radiotherapy machine QA management. Image Owl Inc. grants non-exclusive license to use Catphan QA software application with data storage and reporting services.
4. Custom OEM Phantom Manufacturing: Design and build custom OEM phantoms for medical equipment manufacturers. As FDA registered and ISO 13485:2016 certified manufacturer, provides specialized phantom development services.
5. Custom Phantom Development: Custom phantom manufacturing services addressing unique customer requirements, from modifying existing designs to building entirely new phantoms from scratch.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Phantom Laboratory manufactures high-precision medical imaging phantoms for quality assurance and calibration of CT, MRI, radiation therapy, SPECT/PET, and digital breast tomosynthesis scanners. Its portfolio includes the Catphan, Magphan, ECTphan, LiquiPhil, Tomophan, and Corgi phantom lines, complemented by the Smári cloud-based image analysis service and TotalQA radiotherapy QA management platform.

Product overview

The Phantom Laboratory manufactures high-precision medical imaging phantoms and innovative custom solutions for CT, MRI, radiation therapy, and nuclear medicine applications. The product portfolio centers on the Catphan family of CT phantoms (500, 600, 605, 700, 710 Set, plus MV/kV therapy variants) and Magphan family of MRI phantoms (RT series, S162, ADNI/EMR series, SMR100, SMR170), alongside specialty phantoms including LiquiPhil, ECTphan, Corgi, Tomophan, and sectional body part phantoms. The phantom products are complemented by two software platforms: Smári, a cloud-based automated image analysis service that processes phantom scan data for trend analysis and machine comparisons, and TotalQA, a radiotherapy machine QA management solution. Custom and OEM phantom manufacturing services are also offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Catphan®: Comprehensive CT phantom line including Catphan® 500, 600, 605, 700, and 710 models for complete characterization of CT scanner performance.
• Magphan®
• ECTphan™
• LiquiPhil™
• Tomophan®
• Corgi®
• Smári

Products and services

• Catphan 500

Quantifiable outcome

• Precise slice thickness measurement down to 1-2mm without streaking artifacts
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VariancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2015Varian distributes Catphan 604 and 504 phantoms for use with their OBI kV imaging systems on Linac platforms. Catphan 604 was selected by Varian to replace the Catphan 504, with distribution beginning in second half of 2015. Supports TG-142 CBCT imaging tests required for radiotherapy quality assurance.
• Karolinska InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe CCT228 ATCM Phantom was developed in cooperation with researchers from the Karolinska Institute. This collaboration contributed to the phantom's design for evaluating Automatic Tube Current Modulation (ATCM) performance in CT scanners, featuring three ellipsoidal sections cast in a single piece from Catphan uniformity material.
• Image Owl Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationImage Owl Inc. provides the Smári and TotalQA software platforms that integrate with Phantom Laboratory phantoms. Smári delivers automated phantom image analysis in the cloud; TotalQA provides radiotherapy QA management. The companies share founders/leadership (Ariel Epstein Dickson serves as President of Phantom Laboratory).
• ElektacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorElekta distributes Catphan 503 phantom for commissioning and quality assurance of XVI kV imaging systems on their Linac systems. The phantom covers Elekta 3D XVI customer acceptance tests and required CBCT TG-142 imaging tests.
• COPDGene Study ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe CCT162 Lung Phantom was designed for the COPDGene Study for performing comparative measurements between CT scanners. Developed following input from the QIBA COPD/Asthma Technical Committee. Phantom is not intended to replace comprehensive QA programs but provides additional information for monitoring CT scanners in clinical studies.
• David Goodenough, Ph.D.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhysicist David Goodenough, Ph.D. collaborated with The Phantom Laboratory to develop the Catphan Phantom line. Designs are based on four decades of scientific research and direct field experience in CT evaluation. Contributed to patented designs and continues to be referenced in scientific literature.
• Richard Mallozzi, Ph.D.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhysicist Richard Mallozzi, Ph.D. collaborated on development of the Magphan Quantitative Imaging Phantom family, including EMR128, EMR051, and S162 models. Developed distortion mapping technology for MRI scanners used in quantitative applications.
• Charles W. Coffey II, Ph.D.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhysicist Charles W. Coffey II, Ph.D. established the design criteria for LiquiPhil End-to-End Phantoms used in stereotactic radiosurgery. In 2013, Phantom Laboratory worked with Michael S. Gossman, M.S., DABR, FAAPM, to develop the LiquiPhil Head Phantom with Bite Feature.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sun Nuclear: Sun Nuclear (now part of Mirion Technologies) is a leading manufacturer of quality assurance products for radiation oncology and medical imaging, including patient QA and machine QA phantoms that directly compete with Catphan and Magphan product lines.
• Standard Imaging: Standard Imaging manufactures QA phantoms, detectors, and software for radiation therapy and diagnostic imaging, directly overlapping with Phantom Laboratory's Catphan and radiotherapy QA offerings.
• CIRS (Computerized Imaging Reference Systems): CIRS produces tissue-equivalent phantoms and QA test objects for CT, ultrasound, and radiation therapy, directly competing with Phantom Laboratory's CT and sectional body phantom product lines.
• IBA Dosimetry: IBA Dosimetry provides QA hardware and software for radiation therapy, including phantoms and detectors used in Linac commissioning, overlapping with Phantom Laboratory's Catphan 604/503 radiotherapy products.
• QRM (Quality Assurance in Radiology and Medicine): QRM manufactures CT and micro-CT phantoms for performance evaluation, directly competing with Catphan's CT QA category, particularly in the European research and OEM markets.
• Kyoto Kagaku: Kyoto Kagaku produces anthropomorphic and sectional phantoms for medical imaging QA and education, competing with Phantom Laboratory's sectional body phantoms (hand, knee, foot) and Liver Phantom.
• Modus Medical Devices (QA Healthcare): Modus Medical Devices develops QA phantoms and software for radiation therapy, with products like the QUASAR™ line that directly compete with Phantom Laboratory's radiotherapy QA offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Fluke Biomedical / RaySafe: Fluke Biomedical offers a broad portfolio of medical imaging and radiation therapy test equipment, including QA tools that overlap with Phantom Laboratory's portfolio as part of a much wider test and measurement business.
• Varian (Siemens Healthineers): Varian is both a channel partner (distributing Catphan 604/504) and a broad incumbent in radiotherapy that could internalize phantom QA capability, representing both partnership dependency and competitive overlap.

Others

• Image Owl: Image Owl Inc. develops the Smári and TotalQA software platforms integrated with Phantom Laboratory phantoms; the two companies share founders/leadership (Ariel Epstein Dickson), making Image Owl an embedded technology and ecosystem partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Phantom Laboratory