UK’s world-class imaging platform extends to Scotland.
Scotland’s first total-body scanner is in situ at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, meaning the National PET (Positron Emission Tomography) Imaging Platform network is now operational across the whole UK.
It’s part of a revolutionary network of national scanners which are accelerating diagnosis and drug development for better patient outcomes.
Aligned with the Government’s industrial strategy and life sciences plan, a critical – and clinical – national infrastructure of scanners is now in place, allowing clinicians, industry and researchers to collaborate on an unprecedented scale.
The new network of scanners are:
40 times more sensitive
10 times faster
And can scan 50% more patients per day than existing machines
The machines will vastly improve the ability to diagnose and treat cancer, cardiovascular and inflammatory disease across the whole body.
Co-managed by the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, delivered by the National PET Imaging Platform (NPIP), and run by UKRI’s Medical Research Council, Innovate UK and Medicines Discovery Catapult, it is funded by a £32m investment from the UKRI Infrastructure Fund.
The UK is driving the adoption of this game-changing technology through NPIP, which is a strategic concentration of clinical capability that attracts industry investment.
It also establishes a platform for the development of new precision radiopharmaceuticals: an area in which the UK can regain a world-leading position.
This expanded national network improves patient care in Scotland by adding further diagnostic capacity and enhancing cancer, cardiovascular, neurological and inflammatory disease diagnosis and treatment.
It also attracts industry to trial their newest drugs in the region and inventors to develop and test world-class AI and diagnostics tools. These objectives align closely with the UK government’s Industrial Strategy and Life Sciences Sector Plan.
After suffering a stroke, patient John Cowan volunteered to take part in a research project using the PET scanner.
Doctors were unable to say what caused his stroke, but the scanner pinpointed the origin of the blood clot and also the necessary treatment. He commented: “ I am delighted that this scan has given me peace of mind and ensured that I am on the right treatment.”
UK Science Minister, Lord Vallance, said: “Backing our top researchers with cutting edge technology will be key to the next medical breakthroughs that improve lives and drive the economic growth at the heart of the UK Government’s Plan for Change.”
Professor Chris Molloy, Chief Executive of Medicines Discovery Catapult, said: “The national platform we have created allows the combined power of technology and data to be harnessed, attracting industry to test their new treatments here in the UK for the benefit of our patients and our economy.
“It shows what’s possible when strategic public funding, clinical expertise, industry knowledge and academic excellence come together around a shared national purpose.
“These revolutionary scanners help save lives and create large-scale capability for radiopharmaceuticals and AI-enabling datasets.”
Dr Juliana Maynard, Director of Operations and Engagement, NPIP, said: “We see the NPIP network as both Critical and Clinical National Infrastructure; a connected nationwide network for data sharing, discovery and innovation we could only dream of a decade ago.
“Using these total-body PET scanners, we can observe disease in real time, across the entire body and now, throughout the entire country. That’s game-changing for drug discovery and treatment in the UK and, more importantly, for how quickly patients can benefit from it.
“Researchers will gain access to vastly improved clinical data, not only by tapping into the network for their own trials, but from every study connected to the platform. This will create an unprecedented level of collaboration in imaging, putting the UK on the world map as a centre of excellence.”
