The cutting-edge and “revolutionary” scanners, which are the first of their kind in Scotland, “will help save lives”
The first patients have already been through the scanner, taking part in research projects(Image: Bevan Goldswain / Getty)
Scotland has long contributed to medical developments, with our NHS a world-leader in healthcare quality and research. And now, we have taken another step forward in being considered the go-to for medical technology.
That is because a £32million life-changing total-body scanner has arrived in Scotland and is now operational at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh – giving patients “peace of mind” and “serving as a catalyst for ground-breaking research”.
The country’s first Total-Body PET scanner has been dubbed a “game-changer” and will benefit patients locally and nationally, and helping to speed up diagnosis, treatment and clinical trials across the UK.
The scanner, co-managed by the University of Glasgow and the University of Edinburgh, is up to 40 times more sensitive, up to 10 times faster, and can scan 50 per cent more patients per day than existing machines.
Researchers hope it will help to improve patient care by adding further diagnostic capacity and enhancing cancer, cardiovascular, neurological and inflammatory disease diagnosis and treatment.
John Cowan, a patient at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, was one of the first to experience the PET scanner.
The Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner will capture images of patients’ entire bodies 10 times faster(Image: University of Glasgow)
“After coming into hospital with a stroke, the doctors could not tell me what had caused my stroke which was worrying for me,” John said.
“The scanner was able to pinpoint exactly what had caused my stroke, where the blood clot had come from and what treatment I needed.
“I am delighted that this scan has given me peace of mind and ensured that I am on the right treatment.”
The “revolutionary” scanners will “help save lives” by allowing experts to observe disease in real time and across the entire body, experts enthused. The machines are also a “quantum leap forward” in medical imaging technology.
The scanner, co-managed by the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, is now in operation at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh(Image: Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow)
“The scanner will serve as a catalyst for ground-breaking research and offers a unique window into our understanding of human diseases,” said Dr David Lewis, University of Glasgow and Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute.
Dr David Newby, from University of Edinburgh, agreed the scanner is a “transformative technology” that has already started to advance clinical research and patient care, improving their understanding of complex diseases.
“Through the NPIP network, new collaborative projects will address some of the major unmet health problems that society faces today, such as endometriosis and stroke,” he crucially noted.
Meanwhile, Lord Vallance, Science Minister, spoke of the importance of Scotland’s role in proceedings.
“Many of the great medical discoveries of the last century have roots in Scotland,” Lord Vallance said.
“The new scanner will help more patients to live longer, healthier lives through earlier detection, faster diagnoses and more effective treatment in complex illnesses like cancer, dementia and heart disease for years to come.”
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