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X-ray imaging & CBCT consulting

Gabriele Belotti is an independent consultant and biomedical engineer based in Milan, Italy. He helps companies and research centres that develop X-ray imaging systems, from framing the problem to the code and hardware that end up in production: image quality, reconstruction, calibration, simulation and embedded electronics.

Areas of work

Image quality and CBCT validation

Parametrisation of image quality algorithms, phantom and clinical data analysis, and flat panel detector comparison and quality control to IEC standards. Useful for pre-release verification or investigating anomalies reported in the field.

Tomographic reconstruction

Design, optimisation and refactoring of cone-beam reconstruction pipelines, including field-of-view extension strategies and scatter correction. Hands-on experience with RTK, ITK/VTK and custom C++/CUDA implementations.

Geometric calibration of robotic systems

Flexmap calibration and geometric verification of systems with moving source and detector: from designing the test protocol through to Factory Acceptance Test validation, including 9-degree-of-freedom calibration for a clinical robotic C-arm.

Monte Carlo simulation

X-ray and particle transport simulations with Geant4/OpenGATE for imaging system design, scatter studies, and synthetic data generation for model training, with distributed computing on Slurm/HPC platforms.

Embedded systems and instrument electronics

Sensor integration, detector and acquisition electronics, motion control and microcontroller firmware, with MATLAB/Simulink modelling and hardware/software co-design. Rooted in designing a robotic C-arm from scratch.

Software development for medical devices

Requirements and functional design, back-end implementation in C++/Python, DICOM data handling, continuous integration and cross-team coordination for software destined for a regulated clinical setting.

C++ codebase development & maintenance

Development, refactoring and long-term maintenance of C++ codebases for imaging systems and industrial machinery: software architecture, technical debt management, onboarding new developers, and ensuring continuity for critical codebases over time.

Technical leadership for R&D teams

Support in defining the technical roadmap and coordinating imaging development teams, with hands-on experience managing a 15-person team on a clinical product.

How we can work together

Every collaboration takes a different shape depending on what's needed: a fixed-term project, ongoing support, a full-time engagement for a defined period, or a one-off intervention. Some typical examples:

  • Fixed-term project · 4-8 weeks

    Fixed-scope project

    A clear goal and a deadline: an algorithm audit, a new reconstruction feature, detector validation. The deliverable is a report or code ready to be integrated.

    E.g. an image-quality audit of a CBCT system ahead of a new release.

  • Ongoing retainer · a few hours a month

    Ongoing technical advisory

    A standing point of contact for the team: code and algorithm review, sanity-checks on calibration results, a second opinion on a hard-to-explain imaging artefact.

    E.g. a monthly review of pull requests on the reconstruction pipeline.

  • Embedded engineer · 3-6 months, continuous

    Embedded engineer

    Day-to-day work alongside the development team for a defined phase, for example ahead of a regulatory submission or a product launch, with the same level of involvement as an employee.

    E.g. full-time support to complete the reconstruction module ahead of a Factory Acceptance Test.

  • Fractional technical lead · 1-2 days a month

    Fractional technical lead

    Periodic architecture review, roadmap planning and team mentoring, without being present every day, useful for teams that need technical direction but not another full-time engineer.

    E.g. a quarterly review of the imaging technical roadmap with the development team.

  • One-off engagement · 1-3 days

    One-off assessment or second opinion

    An intensive, standalone engagement: technical due diligence for an investor or acquisition, evaluation of a third-party technology, or a training workshop for the team on a specific topic.

    E.g. technical due diligence on an imaging system under acquisition.

Got an imaging problem worth discussing?

Let's talk

Frequently asked questions

What kind of consulting do you offer?

Independent engineering consulting for companies and research centres that build X-ray imaging systems: CBCT image quality and validation, cone-beam tomographic reconstruction, geometric and flexmap calibration, Monte Carlo simulation, embedded electronics and acquisition, and long-term C++ codebase development and maintenance.

Who should I contact about a CBCT image quality problem?

I have run image quality assurance on dental and clinical CBCT systems at Cefla and led a 15-person imaging core group at medPhoton. Typical work includes pre-release image quality audits, investigating artefacts reported in the field, and flat panel detector QC to IEC standards.

Can you help with cone-beam reconstruction in C++ and CUDA?

Yes. This includes designing, optimising and refactoring cone-beam reconstruction pipelines, field-of-view extension and scatter correction, with hands-on experience in RTK, ITK/VTK and custom C++/CUDA implementations, plus open-source contributions to RTK and OpenGATE.

Do you work on detector electronics and embedded acquisition systems?

Yes. This covers sensor integration, detector and acquisition electronics, motion control and microcontroller firmware, drawing on the design of a robotic C-arm from scratch and hardware work at medPhoton.

Do you take on geometric calibration and Factory Acceptance Testing?

Yes. This covers flexmap calibration and geometric verification of systems with moving source and detector, including a 9-degree-of-freedom calibration designed for a clinical robotic C-arm, from test protocol design through to Factory Acceptance Test validation.

Are engagements remote or on-site, and how are they structured?

Both. Engagements range from fixed-term projects (4-8 weeks) and ongoing retainers (a few hours a month) to embedded full-time work (3-6 months), fractional technical lead (1-2 days a month) and one-off assessments (1-3 days). I am based in Milan, Italy and available for remote and on-site work across Europe.

Technical skills

Development

C++, C, Python, CUDA, MATLAB/Simulink, Git, CMake, Agile, LaTeX

Medical imaging

DICOM, ITK, VTK, RTK, OpenCV, OpenGATE, Geant4

Electronics & embedded

Embedded systems, microcontrollers, instrumentation electronics, sensor integration, hardware/software co-design

Infrastructure

Linux, systems integration, Slurm / distributed computing, GitLab CI, Jira

Standards & process

IEC standards for X-ray imaging, flat panel detector QC, Factory Acceptance Testing, regulated medical device software

Spoken languages

Italian (native), English (fluent), French (intermediate)