Extended collaboration to include exploring cardiovascular, obstetric & prosthetic research

Pioneering international and national clinical research studies that look to expand the boundaries of knowledge and healthcare treatments have been given a boost with a commitment from medical imaging experts Canon Medical to extend its collaboration by a further five years.

The research agreement with The Clinical Research and Imaging Centre in Bristol (CRICBristol), a joint venture between the University of Bristol and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, enables leading clinicians and researchers to engage in innovative scientific research to further knowledge in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the greatest healthcare challenges.

Current research taking place at CRICBristol includes studies of paediatric cardiovascular disease; targeting mechanisms of pain via microneurography; The Bristol Twin (BRIT) study with direct links to St Michael´s maternity hospital; blood pressure control studies during exercise in people with hypertension; and various upper limb prosthetic control and assistive device tactile studies.

Under the research agreement, Canon Medical supports Ultrasound research at CRICBristol by providing Aplio i-series diagnostic ultrasound systems. The Canon Medical team also provides training, apps support and software configurations to meet the needs of each research project.

Professor Iain Gilchrist, CRICBristol Co-Director, University of Bristol, who recently hosted a research collaboration showcase to renew the five year agreement terms with Canon Medical, stated, “Renewing our collaboration with Canon Medical for a further five years is vital to supporting the clinical research aims of CRICBristol’s research community. We operate an open-door policy for researchers with funding to come along and use our facilities to further their insights into some of the greatest healthcare challenges of today. The use of technology such as diagnostic ultrasound can help us gain large amounts of data quickly and explore deeper into the body than ever before. It helps unlock and expand knowledge that can go towards solving or changing treatment planning to help patients in the future.”

Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical Systems UK states, “Our ongoing collaboration with CRICBristol is a perfect fit to push our innovative diagnostic ultrasound systems to gain maximum anatomical and physiological data that will help explore human clinical conditions and assist in improving the quality of life for patients here in the UK and beyond. Every collaboration we enter into is underpinned by our #madeforlife philosophy, where we are dedicated to improving the wellbeing of people and the planet today and into tomorrow.”

An initial collaboration between CRICBristol and Toshiba Medical Systems was signed in 2013. This renewed relationship of a further five years takes into account the new name Canon Medical and refreshes terms of innovation support to meet future research needs.

Photo caption: Canon Medical Systems UK extends its collaboration with CRICBristol for a further five years to help answer the future questions of human healthcare.

Pictured – Front: Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical Systems UK; and Professor Iain Gilchrist, CRICBristol Co-Director University of Bristol.

Back (L to R): Dr Jade Thai, CRICBristol Centre Manager, University of Bristol; Professor Jeremy Tavare, Dean of Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bristol; Professor Jane Norman, Dean of Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bristol; Dr Diane Crawford, Director of Medical Physics, University Hospitals Bristol NHS foundation Trust; and Professor Craig Williams, Exeter University.

 

Unique initiative delivers health benefits to UK, global environment & developing nations

An amazing welcome, with thanks and hope was given to a Canon Medical UK team visiting a rural village, school and hospital in Uganda to observe first-hand the positive impacts of clean, fresh water via the company’s Carbon Zero initiative.

Since 2014, every Canon Medical Systems UK imaging system installed by a hospital or clinic in England, Scotland or Wales has had its carbon dioxide (CO2) emission footprint calculated and verified by a third party, CO2balance, and a United Nations’ auditor, and offset to a high impact project in Uganda or Kenya. The carbon emissions from the manufacture, packaging, shipping and average energy usage for a products lifetime, which go towards greatly improving the lives of local people, by providing clean water boreholes and modern cooking stoves. Canon Medical UK also offsets all operational CO2 emissions, by contributing to the same incredible initiative. This also means less CO2 damaging the natural environment and less contributing to climate change.

The recent trip involved visits to the villages of Apala Ilera, Omar, Awat and Aweiwoo in the Kole District of Northern Uganda where a history of political unrest has taken its toll on infrastructure such as water provision, schools and hospitals. Development projects run by international organisations in conjunction with the Ugandan Government, and supported by companies such as Canon Medical are vital. They rebuild communities, boost gender equality and improve overall health and wellbeing.

“We received such a warm and enthusiastic welcome from the villagers in Uganda. The supply and maintenance of water bore holes goes far beyond just the provision of water for them. Although the obvious benefits are that waterborne disease such as cholera and dysentery are avoided, villagers no longer need to walk as far each day to fetch clean supplies, or look for firewood to boil and sterilise unclean water. This means children, relied on by their families to help, have time to go to school and receive an education. Furthermore, with fewer fires needed to boil water, fewer trees are cut down to reduce deforestation, and families have fewer medical conditions related to smoke inhalation. The gratitude we received was warm and truly inspiring,” comments Danielle Johnson, Service Sales Account Executive (South) at Canon Medical.

“We received a rapturous welcome to the Amunamum Primary School for 1000 pupils with singing and a play to thank us for the visit and gifts of new books, skipping ropes, hoops and footballs,” states Tim Palarm, Ultrasound Regional Manager, South at Canon Medical. “Since the water borehole projects, more children are able to go to school as they don’t need to walk miles each day to fetch clean water or firewood for their families. This is helping give them greater opportunities in life and channel their energies in a positive way. This trip has been humbling and an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

The Kachung Health Centre was also visited by Canon Medical with the CO2balance project team to deliver a new steriliser. It is a basic hospital serving an area of 10km2 and treating 1600 patients a month from surrounding villages with only 3 nurses.

Mark Hitchman, Managing Director at Canon Medical Systems UK states, “In tandem with meeting NHS or independent healthcare medical equipment needs, Canon Medical also ensures, through our Carbon Zero scheme, that all of our systems are carbon neutral. The health of our planet is in crisis and we should all be playing a part to help slow down climate change and aid the environment.”

The team from Canon Medical Systems UK visiting Uganda were all winners of an internal Carbon Zero company competition championing sustainability and were selected to take part in the Ugandan trip based on their individual achievements in living an environmentally conscious life and encouraging others to do the same.

Photo caption: Canon Medical Systems UK’s Carbon Zero Ambassadors (centre) meet villagers in North Uganda to see first-hand the water bore hole projects. L to R centre: Tim Palarm, Ultrasound Regional Manager, South; Nicola Fox, Marketing Team Lead; Cassie Rose, HR Assistant; Danielle Johnson, Service Sales Account Executive (South); and Mat Aylen, Business Support Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK.

Cardiologists & interventional radiographers welcome innovative new tool to Cath Lab

Europe’s first clinical installation of a Canon Medical Systems Alphenix interventional imaging system for cardiology is now live at Bedford Hospital NHS Trust in the UK.

The Alphenix interventional imaging system replaced an ageing system at the hospital and will be used to support minimally invasive cardiac procedures. This includes diagnostic angiograms; pacemaker implants; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT); Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS); plus Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) and instant wave-Free Ratio (iFR).

Daniel Parr, XR Modality Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK, states, “We’re delighted that Bedford Hospital in the UK is the pioneer site for our cardiac version of the Alphenix interventional imaging system. We look forward to continually supporting the department’s needs and expanding its knowledge of the system to maximise investment, drive clinical confidence at low dose and to support earlier interventions and new procedures that improve patient outcomes.”

Elizabeth Wishart, Lead Interventional Radiographer at Bedford Hospital states, “We have received excellent after sales service from the engineers and application specialists at Canon Medical Systems UK following the installation of the Alphenix system and look forward to their ongoing guidance.”

The Alphenix interventional imaging system is built for clinical freedom and flexibility; to move around the patient removing the need to move people while also providing access to the patient from any angle. It boasts accelerated processing power to boost real-time procedure capabilities. Furthermore, its Dose Tracking System (DTS) is unique to the interventional marketplace, automating dose management to safeguard patients and clinical staff.

Photo Caption: The first European installation of Canon Medical Systems’ Alphenix interventional imaging system for cardiac is now live at Bedford Hospital in the UK.