University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) has placed the first UK order for the Biograph mMR system from Siemens Healthcare. The system, which is the same size as a typical 3T MRI scanner, is designed for the simultaneous acquisition of MR morphological and functional details in human tissue and PET cellular activity and is the only system on the market that combines the functionality of the two modalities into a single integrated solution. At UCLH the system will be used for 60% routine clinical work and 40% research projects, with the overall aim of increasing the understanding, progress and diagnosis of diseases, and unlocking new patient treatment pathways. Professor Peter Ell, senior investigator at the National Institute for Health Research, will be working with the equipment.
He said: "Signal multiplexing with PET and MR will enhance our discriminatory power, expanding greatly the value of our clinical service to patients, while representing a major research opportunity in key neurodegeneration, oncology and cardiovascular entities." Lawrence Foulsham of Siemens Healthcare added: "The Biograph mMR is a pioneering, hybrid innovation that enables clinicians to gain detailed and quicker information from simultaneous scans. It is not a solution that incorporates two separate systems with image fusion afterwards, but an advanced integrated scanner that delivers fit-in-time images to ensure precise diagnosis, better therapy planning and more effective follow-up treatment." The system at UCLH is due to be operational by next spring.