Burn Pits 360 is a 501c3 non-profit Veterans organization. Our mission is to reintegrate, restore and build resilience through facilitating the unmet needs of warriors and their families through outreach, advocacy, education and research.

The fight to recognize and treat deployment-related lung disease has reached another important milestone. 4DMedical has announced an expanded distribution agreement with Philips that will bring its CT:VQ™ lung imaging technology into hospital systems and imaging centers across North America. Under the agreement, Philips will distribute CT:VQ™ through its established commercial network and has committed to a minimum order pipeline of approximately US$10 million over 2026–2027.   For Veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic hazards, this is more than a commercial deal. It is a powerful step toward a medical system that can finally see the injuries too many have been told “don’t exist.” A Partnership That Speaks to the Heart of the PACT Act For years, Veterans have returned home with chronic respiratory illnesses caused by toxic exposure. Traditional testing and imaging often failed to capture the damage, leading to denials, misdiagnoses, and years of suffering in silence. Even after the passage of the PACT Act, many families still face uphill battles to prove what their loved ones endured. “This is why we slept on the steps of the Capitol. This is why we stood before Congress. This is why we never backed down,” Rosie and LeRoy shared. No Veteran should be told “there’s nothing wrong” simply because medicine lacked the tools to see what toxic exposures have done to their lungs. The expanded 4DMedical–Philips partnership is a direct answer to that historic injustice. What CT:VQ™ Brings to Veterans’ Care CT:VQ™ is a non-contrast, post-processing technology that transforms routine chest CT scans into quantitative maps of ventilation and perfusion—without injected contrast or radioisotopes.   Delivered as software-as-a-service, CT:VQ™ integrates into existing radiology workflows and can run on the more than 14,000 CT scanners already installed across U.S. healthcare systems.   For Veterans and their families, this means: Objective, functional insight into how air and blood move through the lungs Better visibility into subtle, deployment-related injuries that may not show up on standard imaging Expanded access in community and rural hospitals that lack nuclear medicine departments By partnering with Philips, a global leader in imaging, 4DMedical can scale CT:VQ™ more rapidly across North America, accelerating access to advanced pulmonary diagnostics for patients who have waited far too long for answers.   Innovation That Aligns With Advocacy This deal builds on the work Burn Pits 360 has already helped advance through national symposia, research collaborations, and the development of tools like the Toxic Exposure Clinical Pocket Guide.   At our recent symposium, “Transforming Diagnostic Imaging: A New Era in Cardiopulmonary Health,” leaders from the VA, academic centers, and industry came together to explore how emerging technologies can improve the accuracy and speed of diagnosing toxic exposure-related cardiopulmonary illness.   The expanded 4DMedical–Philips partnership is a natural extension of that work. It reflects what Rosie Torres has described as the Trifecta Model: Cutting-edge research to understand the true impact of toxic exposures Transformative technology to detect and measure the damage Unwavering advocacy to ensure Veterans receive the care and recognition they deserve   When a law like the PACT Act—built on recognition, accountability, and access—meets a technology built on honor, clarity, and precision, real change becomes possible. What This Means for Veterans and Families While there is still much work ahead, this partnership brings concrete hope: Hope for earlier diagnosesAdvanced lung imaging can identify abnormalities sooner, opening doors to earlier intervention. Hope for fewer denialsObjective, quantitative imaging can strengthen the evidentiary foundation for connecting illnesses to service-related toxic exposures. Hope for better treatment pathwaysMore precise information about lung function can help clinicians individualize care and improve outcomes. Hope for recognition and justiceEach new scan is not just an image—it’s a step toward acknowledging what Veterans have carried home from war. This is a victory for every Veteran and every family who has ever felt unseen, unheard, or dismissed when seeking answers about toxic exposure. Standing Firewatch for Those Who Once Stood for Us At Burn Pits 360, our mission remains clear: educate, advocate, and empower those impacted by military toxic exposures.   We are honored to stand alongside 4DMedical and Philips as this next chapter unfolds. To Andreas and the 4DMedical team, and to Philips: your commitment to expanding CT:VQ™ access is not just a milestone in medical technology—it is a meaningful step toward healing the invisible wounds of war. Burn Pits 360 will continue to unite advocates, clinicians, and communities to ensure no Veteran is left behind. Together, we are helping to build a system of care that matches the depth of our Veterans’ sacrifice with the best of what science, technology, and advocacy can offer.

Hope for Heroes embodies the true spirit of the holiday season, bringing communities together to support those who have dedicated their lives to service.