I was delighted to join with the Principal and Vice Chancellor of Aberdeen University to celebrate the opening of the world’s first field cycling imaging (FCI) scanner at the Hall Family Imaging Suite at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary this June.
This groundbreaking next generation MRI-derived scanner is changing the course of treatment for those with cancer, working at ultra-low magnetic fields to see how organs have been affected by diseases with far more clarity and greater accuracy than previous MRI technology.
At this event in the Family Imaging Suite, the FCI scanner was demonstrated to the assembled guests by the University’s Emeritus Professor David Lurie and Senior Research Fellow in Biomedical Physics and lead researcher, Dr Lionel Broche. This was followed by a behind the scenes tour on the workings of FCI technology by Professor David Blackbourn, Head of the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition at the University’s Suttie Centre for Teaching & Learning in Healthcare at the Foresterhill Health Campus.
The FCI scanner was developed locally at Aberdeen University in collaboration with NHS Grampian, continuing a long tradition of innovation at the forefront of magnetic technology at this university, with the world’s first full-body MRI scan carried out here in 1980 by the team led by Professor John Mallard, Professor James (Jim) Hutchison and Dr William (Bill) Edelstein. Today, FCI scanning represents the next major step forward – building on this legacy and opening up exciting new possibilities for research, diagnosis and patient care.
This world first in scanning technology here in Aberdeen in the North-east of Scotland is quite something to behold. Aberdeen University is leading the way on medical scanning and pioneering vital trials so this vital new technology can enable clinicians to distinguish tumour cells from healthy tissue more accurately than conventional MRI’s. For patients, this is a real game changer, with the technology pinpointing previously undetectable cancer spread and so resulting in fewer surgeries and more individually tailored treatments.
I’m so proud of the impact of this exciting work being done locally to help those suffering from breast and brain cancer. Thanks to the support of several philanthropic supporters, this technological breakthrough has been made possible, building on an incredible legacy of historic innovation in this field while also shaping the future of medical imaging.
The North-east continues to punch well above its weight in terms of tackling cancer diagnosis and management, with Scotland at the forefront of magnetic imaging across the globe. My thanks to the University Principal, Professor Peter Edwards and his team for an excellent tour, explanation, and celebration of this extraordinary step forward for cancer patients and to Jim Birnie, Head Trustee at the Hall Organisation for his outstanding support.
Photographed with CEO of NHS Grampian, Laura Skaife-Knight.
