|
New
Release -- Superconductor Week does not edit or endorse the following
news release:
Aberdeen takes delivery of new £1.5m MRI scanner
Aberdeen, UK, 24 July 2007: A leap forward in brain and cancer
research will be put in motion today when a 7-tonne, state-of-the-art magnet for
a new extremely powerful MRI scanner is delivered to the
University of Aberdeen’s Radiology
Department.
The new £1.5M magnet - which is heavier than a
fully grown African elephant - will be installed by
Philips Medical Systems,
the international engineering company.
The polo-shaped
magnet will be brought into the building adjacent to the Lilian Sutton
building through a large hole in the wall, which will be closed after the
installation of the magnet.
The magnet is not
only the largest but also the most crucial part of the new MRI scanner, which
should be operational in September. The new scanner will replace the current
dedicated research MRI scanner and enhance the superb imaging facilities already
at the University.
A quarter of a
century ago the city led the way with MRI when Aberdeen clinicians and
scientists were the first in the world to scan a patient's body.
Today Aberdeen
remains at the forefront with imaging - it was the first centre in Scotland to
have PET imaging which is used for diagnosing cancer patients and for clinical
research, and a University scientist has also begun developing an entirely new
type of MRI scanner.
Professor Fiona
Gilbert, Head of the University's Radiology Department, said today's arrival of
the new scanner would allow the Aberdeen MRI group to remain at the cutting edge
of research.
"This dedicated high
field strength MRI scanner is the best quality machine available for brain and
cancer research," she explained. "The new scanner can image patients faster, has
more sophisticated techniques, and will produce higher quality pictures.
"It means we can
take MR techniques that have been developed for brain imaging and apply them to
the body, which is crucial for our cancer imaging work. The brain pictures will
also be significantly better."
Professor Tom
Redpath, also from the University's Radiology Department, added: "Magnetic
resonance is still a rapidly developing area of medical imaging, and we are all
excited and looking forward to using this new machine in our research projects
in brain imaging and cancer. I am sure that our colleagues in NHS Grampian will
also be keen to explore the value of high field MRI for their patients."
Return
to industry news releases |
