Nexus Intelligence, in collaboration with the Stop TB Partnership, Harmony Gold, and the National Department of Health, has successfully demonstrated that life-saving radiology no longer requires a hospital infrastructure. On 26 March 2026, as part of World TB Day, Nexus Intelligence deployed its AI-assisted chest X-ray screening nearly 4 kilometers underground at the Mponeng Gold Mine, the deepest point on Earth where such technology has ever been operational.
The urgency of this deployment is underscored by a critical healthcare reality: up to 50% of tuberculosis (TB) cases are asymptomatic, meaning symptom-based screening alone is insufficient to stop the spread. By pairing ultra-portable X-ray hardware (MinXray Inc.) with Nexus AI's 98.4% model performance, healthcare teams were able to identify signs of TB and silicosis in real-time at the "edge," providing immediate, scalable results where they are needed most.
This milestone marks a fundamental shift from traditional clinical settings to Infrastructure Independence. Operating at depths exceeding 3,800 meters and in temperatures reaching 66°C, the deployment proved that the Nexus AI CXR platform can deliver a global gold standard of diagnostic care in the most extreme and inaccessible environments on the planet.
Addressing the Global TB Diagnosis Gap
Tuberculosis remains one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases, responsible for over 1.2 million deaths annually, with millions of cases going undiagnosed each year. A critical challenge is that up to 50% of TB patients present without symptoms, making traditional symptom-based screening insufficient. Chest X-ray screening enhanced by AI assistance has emerged as one of the most effective tools for early and scalable detection.
— Dr. Lucica Ditiu, Executive Director of the Stop TB Partnership
From Research to Real-World Impact
Beyond the extreme location, the success of the Mponeng deployment relied on the seamless integration of Nexus AI CXR with portable hardware. The system provides automated triaging in seconds, allowing onsite teams to make immediate clinical decisions. This eliminates the days or weeks usually required for manual radiologist review in remote areas, effectively bringing the expertise of a world-class radiology department to the 'edge' of the operational environment, achieving true infrastructure independence.
Nexus AI CXR, developed in collaboration with Google Research, is a CE-marked Class IIb CAD AI solution designed for TB and lung abnormality detection, enabling deployment across hospitals, mobile clinics, and remote screening sites.
Advancing Occupational Lung Health
Beyond TB, the initiative also reinforces the importance of screening for silicosis, a chronic lung disease caused by silica dust exposure in mining. Silicosis significantly increases the risk of TB by up to three times, making early detection essential. Ultra-portable X-ray and AI are transforming how we screen, diagnose, and support mineworkers and ex-mineworkers.
A Platform for Global Scale
This demonstration builds on previous extreme-environment deployments, including high-altitude screening expeditions, and forms part of a broader effort to scale X-Ray AI-assisted TB screening globally. With increasing adoption by governments, donors, and healthcare providers, solutions like Nexus AI CXR are enabling:
- → National TB screening programs
- → Mobile and community-based healthcare delivery
- → Occupational health and mining sector screening
- → Pandemic-ready imaging infrastructure
About Nexus Intelligence
Nexus Intelligence is a South Africa-based medical technology company specialising in artificial intelligence for medical imaging to scale precision radiology into a global standard. Its flagship product, Nexus AI CXR, is a CE-marked Class IIb computer-aided detection (CAD) solution designed to support the screening and triage of chest X-rays for tuberculosis and other lung abnormalities. Developed in collaboration with Google Research, Nexus AI CXR is deployed across hospitals, mobile units, and remote healthcare settings worldwide.
For more information on implementing AI-driven screening programmes, visit nexus-health.ai or contact info@nexus-health.ai.
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