Turner Innovations, led by serial entrepreneur Dr. Clark Turner, Ph.D., is a dynamic medical technology incubator with a focus on developing and manufacturing medical and dental diagnostic imaging products, including next-generation X-ray and 3D-imaging devices. It’s an incubator for facilitating investment and R&D and securing intellectual property. Under the umbrella of Turner Innovations sit three affiliated companies, Turner Imaging Systems, which markets the first truly portable C-arm X-ray machine for point-of-care applications; 3Dio, Inc., which is developing Lumos 3DX for dental applications; and Turner MedTech, a high-tech contract manufacturing company with expertise in prototype and finished product manufacturing. 

Dr. Turner was the inventor of the NOMAD handheld dental X-ray system, a pioneering device that represented a dramatic leap forward in portability and affordability for dental imaging. Dr. Turner sold Aribex, the Utah-based company he founded to develop NOMAD, to a division of Danaher Corp in November 2012.

After I sold Aribex, it was time to consider what I could do to give back. Since then, I have been focused on helping other inventors through the technology commercialization process. My current company, Turner Innovations, is focused on applied research and early-stage product development and prototyping to demonstrate technical feasibility of innovative technology ideas. The idea is that as we build out a portfolio of products and companies that will have a central core so we don't have to replicate the overhead, and then seek funding through SBIR grants and other seed investments and not take on outside investors until we've done the proof of concept and the market validation. So we've de-risked it for the outside investors.

The Turner opportunity for innovators and investors

The landscape of medical imaging technology is undergoing a seismic shift. From mere static images to real-time, high-resolution visualizations, advancements in imaging technology are reshaping the contours of healthcare delivery. An increasing emphasis on point-of-care diagnostics, coupled with the necessity for affordable platforms, has served as a catalyst for numerous innovations in this industry.

In the quest to make imaging procedures less invasive, more accurate, and widely accessible, a new wave of technological breakthroughs has emerged. At the vanguard of this transformation is the advent of portable imaging devices - a game changer promising to make medical imaging universally accessible. The sheer ability to get rapid, high-definition images, regardless of the patient's geographical location, is revolutionary in its own right. Moreover, scalability - an often-overlooked factor, yet a significant one - has been at the core of many recent developments in medical imaging. Scalability is not just about enlarging capacity; it is about integrating innovations efficiently into existing healthcare systems, creating a seamless, cost-effective, and patient-friendly service.

All three companies are operating independently, with separate Boards and investors. All three are seeking outside investors to accelerate growth. Turner Imaging is conducting a Series B seeking $15 million, and 3Dio is conducting a Series A seeking $5 million. Turner MedTech is exploring the potential to initiate a Series A financing.

It’s extremely gratifying to be able to improve the lives of patients through your innovations.  With the support of all our investors, employees, and other stakeholders, we’re having a positive impact on medicine.  We expect that impact to grow over the years as we continue to add new products and capabilities.  It’s a great time to be involved in medical device innovation.

The Team