Monthly Archives: July 2022

New imaging innovation installed to deliver sharp and clear imaging of tumours for individualised patient radiotherapy treatment planning, as cancer rates expected to rise

In a bid to enhance the standard of cancer care delivered to its local population, especially with increased momentum of proactive lung cancer screening programmes, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has invested in two newly launched AI-assisted CT scanners developed specifically for advanced radiation oncology.

Once cancer is diagnosed, accurate radiation therapy planning plays a key role in positively impacting patient survival rates. Clear and easy imaging of tumour location, shape and size enhances the accuracy of treatment planning and review. The UK’s first Aquilion Exceed LB CT from Canon Medical Systems UK, is now operational at City Hospital in Nottingham and is delivering quicker patient scans with better image quality and reconstruction times at lower dose.

Lee Beresford, Radiotherapy Service Manager at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “As a regional centre for Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), we require high precision visualisation of tumours to ensure accurate treatment planning and to minimise damage to surrounding healthy tissue. We anticipate that this need will grow, as the NHS Targeted Lung Health Check programme focuses this year on past and current smokers aged 55 to 74 in our area. With one of the highest mortality rates for lung cancer in England, it is estimated that over 300 new cases of lung cancer will be identified earlier in Nottingham by the proactive health screening initiative and these patients will then require radiation treatment planning”.

Lee continues, “Our radiation therapy planning role will be buoyed by the new Aquilion Exceed LB CT as it will help us deliver more efficient and accurate insights for greater clinical confidence and, hopefully, improve survival rates. We have already seen improvements in radiotherapy scanning efficiency since the new Aquilion Exceed LB CT scanner went live and this has enabled our team to have some extra capacity to increase the quality of time spent with patients. It is important to chat or discuss the process, as for some people it is the first appointment in their radiotherapy cancer treatment pathway.”

The Aquilion Exceed LB CT has been designed to transform radiation therapy planning by introducing Canon Medical’s Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE), a Deep Learning Reconstruction AI-based technology. The AiCE reconstruction result are high quality images with minimal noise, high definition, sharpness and clarity for excellent delineation of tumour. It also features Single Energy Metal Artifact Reduction (SEMAR), a software that reduces interference and artifacts from metal implants such as hips, to improve visualisation of soft tissue and bone in target areas; and a 90cm-wide bore for more comfortable patient positioning, accuracy in the simulation process and the largest extended Field-of-View on the market.

Mark Thomas, CT Modality Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK, said: “The Aquilion Exceed LB CT creates efficiency and accuracy in radiation therapy planning to enhance the delivery of oncology patient care through innovative AI-based technologies, high reliability and low energy requirements. It has been designed to dovetail with global healthcare aims of improving cancer care pathways by underpinning the next step in the oncology care continuum after a diagnosis, this is the accurate and quick planning of radiotherapy treatment.”

The UK’s first Aquilion Exceed LB CT is now live at Nottingham City Hospital, a second is due to be commissioned by Autumn 2022.

Photo caption: Nottingham City Hospital goes live with the UK’s first advanced radiotherapy CT scanner, the Aquilion Exceed LB CT from Canon Medical Systems UK.(Pictured L to R): Billy Erwin, Account Manager, Midlands & Northern Ireland at Canon Medical UK; Keith Langmack, Head of Radiotherapy Physics; Lee Beresford, Radiotherapy Services Manager; Mark Condron, CT Clinical Development Manager; and Jonathan Allred, Radiotherapy Physicist.

Paralympian Zak Skinner and Olympic gold medallist Tessa Sanderson CBE, have today officially opened the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Polyclinics, Presented By Canon Medical Systems UK (Canon Medical UK).

The advanced diagnostic imaging services at three specialist sports medicine polyclinics will support over 4,500 athletes from 72 nations and territories during the Games. They are located at the University of Birmingham, the University of Warwick and the NEC Hotels Athletes Villages.

The very latest medical imaging innovations have been installed by Canon Medical UK including diagnostic ultrasound, digital radiography X-ray and two Artificial Intelligence (AI) assisted relocatable MRI scanners with full healthcare IT connectivity. These imaging systems will help clinicians quickly and digitally assess common musculoskeletal sports related issues such as bone, muscle, tendon or joint injury, without the need to be transferred to local hospitals. They will also provide on-site diagnostic support for wider proactive sports medicine assessments such as cardiac or neuro work, if required.

Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical Systems UK, said: “We are very proud to be the Presenting Sponsor of the Birmingham 2022 Polyclinics, and support the athletes with exceptionally high-quality diagnostic imaging technologies.

“Sports Medicine is at the heart of our pedigree. Around the world, our teams are providing and innovating imaging systems to continually expand knowledge and gather research about the impact intense physical pressure has on the body through sports. This helps sporting organisations and individual athletes achieve their potential, while also unlocking data and information that can be applied to the development of medical equipment in mainstream healthcare. This will help improve wider population health outcomes and potentially save lives.”

Paralympian Zak Skinner added: “The care and services that the polyclinics offer athletes during the Games will support early detection, prevention and faster rehabilitation of sports injuries. The insight and clarity provided by diagnostic imaging is fundamental in improving the longevity of our sporting careers.”

Commonwealth and Olympic gold medallist Tessa Sanderson CBE said: “I am delighted to be representing Canon Medical Systems UK at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. They do some incredible work and it’s been a pleasure being an ambassador for them over the years.”

The Games will be the first UK multi-sports event to offer all competing athletes access to advanced diagnostic healthcare imaging featuring Artificial Intelligence. The two Vantage Orian 1.5T MRI scanners housed in modular units feature Canon Medical UK’s pioneering Advanced Intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE), a Deep Learning Reconstruction technology. This technology uses training data from thousands of images/ data sets to intelligently remove the noise, allowing anatomy and pathology to be clearly visualised. AiCE is an algorithm that can be used to shorten scan time, improve resolution, or a combination of the two, offering greater efficiency and patient comfort.

Diagnostic ultrasound support at the Games will be provided by the Canon Medical Aplio i800 Prism Edition. This is an easy to manoeuvre cart-based system with touch screen controls or can be operated by a wireless tablet. It produces crystal-clear images to diagnose ligament tears or muscle strains. It also includes Canon’s unique proprietary technology, called Superb Micro-vascular Imaging (SMI), which visualises blood flow in colour of very low-velocity and small diameter blood vessels in the evaluation of musculoskeletal disorders. Digital Radiography X-ray will support the examination of suspected bone fractures.

Sustainability

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games sustainability ambition is to create a carbon neutral legacy, taking responsibility for the Games’ climate impact in a credible, holistic manner. By working closely with partners, suppliers, and stakeholders across the region, the Games aims to reduce their carbon footprint, inspire others to make positive change, and bring environmental and social benefit to the region as part of a lasting legacy.

Canon Medical Systems is proud to show its ‘heart & soul’ not only through cultural philosophies such as ‘Made for Life’, but also through its sustainability programmes, charity support and social responsibility.  Canon Medical will be offsetting the construction, delivery, installation, running and removal of all equipment within the polyclinics, as well as the travel and accommodation of all Canon Medical employees attending the Games, though an Indian wind power project offered by CO2balance. The wind-generated power is supplied to the regional grid of India, which is dominated by the fossil fuel-based power plants, to generate carbon credits.

Photo Caption: (L-R): Rene Degros, Vice President, Sales and Marketing at Canon Medical Systems Europe, Commonwealth and Olympic gold medallist Tessa Sanderson CBE, Mark Hitchman, Managing Director at Canon Medical Systems UK, Paralympian Zak Skinner, John Crabtree OBE, Chairman of the Board at Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Perry, Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 mascot.

Canon Medical Systems UK, in association with the professional basketball teams Sheffield Sharks and City of Birmingham Rockets, will host the final of their inter-school basketball tournament, designed to inspire hard-to-reach young people within local communities surrounding Birmingham.

The tournaments will be played in the fast-paced 3×3 format on the 6^th and 7^th July to imitate the basketball 3×3 game at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. This will be the first-ever appearance of this basketball variation at the Commonwealth Games.

The competition includes 20 schools (10 primary and 10 secondary)  across Birmingham, with students receiving healthy lifestyle workshops and basketball coaching delivered by the Sheffield Sharks and City of Birmingham Rockets in the lead-up to the tournament. The winning primary and secondary school will each receive a £1,000 voucher to purchase sports equipment, encouraging continued participation in sporting activities

The workshops focus on themes around healthy and active lifestyles, reflecting on the government’s national strategy ‘Towards an Active Nation’. They will incorporate key values of the RESPECT programme, including issues such as cyber-bullying and bullying, and will aim to break negative cycles of behaviour, using role models to inspire this change.

The tournament extends the Sheffield Sharks RESPECT Programme, supported by Canon Medical, to Birmingham. This programme already helps to improve chances for young people to break away from the cycle of disadvantage around the Sheffield area. Basketball is the chosen activity as a national team sport and statistics show it is increasingly popular amongst young people, often from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds which often correlate with the economically disadvantaged areas of the UK.

Marko Backovic, Head of Community at the BBraun Sheffield Sharks Basketball Club said: “As sport plays such a vital role in positive development throughout childhood, it is great to be able to broaden the RESPECT programme and offer the scheme to more young people across the UK. With the help of Canon Medical, we have been able to see first-hand the positive impact that these workshops and tournaments have, which we hope will motivate young people around the country”.

Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical Systems UK said: “We can already see the positive impacts that the RESPECT scheme is having on local children, families, and the wider community in Sheffield. We are, therefore, extremely proud to be able to bring this level of support to more communities around the country.”

The scheme was delivered by the Sheffield Sharks in collaboration with the City of Birmingham Rockets, with the aim to educate schools about other local activities and sports clubs.

Picture Caption: St Francis Catholic Primary School, who were the champions at the inter-school basketball tournament.