A Sussex company is on the verge of a breakthrough in X-ray development.

Hove-based Torr Scientific has been awarded £45,000 by the DTI Smart award scheme to investigate the potential of a new X-ray system for testing materials and devices.

The company was founded last year and specialises in thin-film coating used, for example, in anti-reflection on televisions and spectacles.

Director David Bates said: "We provide coating for the main internal components of X-ray machines. Our new system has come about because our work in this field led us to look at all aspects of X-ray generation.

"We are working on a new concept, which is very much at the experimental stages.

"The DTI grant will help us to shape the basic idea into a viable device."

The company will use the money to assess the feasibility of the project. If the research proves successful, the system could be ready for the market in two years.

Mr Bates said: "This is a new activity for us and we hope other areas of our work will lead to equally ground-breaking moves."