Author Archives: CMSE

Patient services futureproofed through AI-assisted CT & equipment partnership

University Hospital Crosshouse, a busy district general hospital with an Emergency Department (ED) serving the population of East and North Ayrshire in Scotland, has recently installed two new Artificial Intelligent (AI)-assisted CT scanners into its Medical Imaging Department to futureproof diagnostic imaging services for local and regional patients. The innovative Aquilion Prime SP CTs from Canon Medical Systems UK replace ageing eight-year-old scanners from an incumbent provider, and will be instrumental in remobilising COVID-19 related waiting-list backlogs and wider pressures on imaging services.

Designed to increase clinical capacity, the innovative CT scanners will help meet current imaging needs and accelerate future development plans at the hospital. This will include providing an expanded range of procedures to diagnose clinical conditions earlier, without the need for patients to travel to another hospital up to an hour away.

Caroline Crosbie, CT & MRI Superintendent at University Hospital Crosshouse states, “The innovative Aquilion Prime SP CT scanners mean that we can start making our plans for an improved quality of diagnostic care for patients a reality. For example, to date, patients requiring gated or aortic CT scans would have been referred to NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, nearly an hour away. Offering closer-to-home cardiac imaging may help to overcome some patient referral issues such as health inequalities and anxiety. Future plans are to provide high quality CT brain perfusion scans on site as part of the Stroke Thrombectomy service. By having higher grade CT imaging functionality, we can deliver an improved standard of care and a patient centred approach to our local community.”

The selection of the new CT scanners involved a full tender and market evaluation process. Canon Medical Systems UK was selected for its advanced technology and after-sales service provision. The Aquilion Prime SP CT scanner is powered by an Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) using Deep-Learning reconstruction. It produces exceptionally detailed imaging for clinical interpretation at the lowest possible dose to patients. It is ideal for a wide range of patients from paediatric through to bariatric patients and is suited to the 24/7 service for inpatient, outpatient, trauma and stroke workload at busy district general hospitals.

“Transitioning to a completely new CT scanner and interface may seem daunting, but with the support of on-site applications training, our radiographers learned the operation of the system very quickly,” continues Caroline Crosbie. “We also have access to the Canon Medical Imaging Academy to check any instant queries online and our early experience of telephone after-care has proven to be quick and responsive to any questions we may have had. The relationship with Canon Medical UK has evolved into a good working relationship.”

“We are delighted to support University Hospital Crosshouse with its bold step in selecting new CT imaging equipment from Canon Medical UK. Users had to get to know new ways of working with the CT user interface compared to their previous systems but understood the returns they would get for their patients by embracing new standards of innovation. We look forward to supporting its expansion of closer-to-home imaging services through ongoing CT applications support,” adds Iain Gray, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK.

Photo caption: New Canon Medical UK CT scanners at University Hospital Crosshouse in Scotland to improve closer-to-home cardiac & stroke imaging.

Pictured left to right: Katrina McNaughtan, Radiographer; Caroline Crosbie, CT & MRI Superintendent; Deborah Clark, Site Superintendent Radiographer; Fiona Munro, Radiographer; & Iain Gray, Canon Medical UK Account Manager.

Female basketball team the latest regional sporting organisation to benefit from philanthropic funding to activate community & wellbeing initiatives

Canon Medical Systems UK has announced a new Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative with its sponsorship of a community focused organisation promoting sports, health and wellbeing. Sheffield Hatters, a semi-professional female basketball team, is run by volunteers and ranks third in the women’s British Basketball League. It has been provided with financial support to go towards funding its role-model initiative where elite players support local schools with basketball coaching, run inter-school tournaments and provide teams for local young women.

This new sponsorship complements Canon Medical UK’s existing sports and community fusion initiative with Sheffield Sharks, the men’s professional basketball team in Sheffield. This will ultimately see both basketball organisations move to a new permanent home in 2023 at the Park Community Arena developed by Canon Medical UK.

“Sheffield Hatters Basketball Club has been a pioneer in women’s sport since its inception as the first female basketball team 60 years ago,” states Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical Systems UK. “It is the most successful basketball team in the UK with over 65 titles with both players and coaches going on to represent Great Britain and England on the international stage. By extending our support of diverse community programmes we hope to help a wide range of women between the ages of 6 to over 60 to feel part of an inclusive sporting family. This will empower more people into sports to increase levels of activity for mental and physical wellbeing.”

Sarah McQueen, Charitable Trustee at Sheffield Hatters states, “We are so very grateful for the sponsorship from Canon Medical UK. We are a voluntary-run basketball team with many of our players working full time in addition to playing basketball at an elite level. All financial support we receive goes straight into encouraging young women to try basketball or become part of the extended ‘Hatters Family’. Our sporting community has a strong role-model ethos at its core, which has helped thousands of young girls and women over the years, giving them belonging, helping them to take positive paths in life and encouraging them to embrace the feel-good factor that basketball can bring.”

Photo caption: Canon Medical Systems UK has announced a new Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative to sponsor Sheffield Hatters, the semi-professional female basketball team.

Canon Group prides itself on its expertise and capabilities that have made us one of the global leaders in imaging technologies. As part of our work at Canon Medical Systems UK, we have a long history of working in sports medicine, having partnered with various academic institutions and sporting organisations, such as Manchester United and the Sheffield Sharks for many years. These clinical collaborations help to provide athletes with early sports injury detection, faster rehabilitation, and more detailed clinical sports surveillance, plus they also help cascade knowledge into wider population health projects and fuel innovation in medical imaging applications for the NHS.

So, when the opportunity arose for Canon to become The Official Imaging Supporter, and for Canon Medical UK to be the Presenting Sponsor of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Polyclinics, we knew we would be able to provide world-class equipment across our print, camera, and medical imaging to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Our Experience: The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

The Games provided three Athlete Villages with Polyclinics spread across Birmingham: The University of Birmingham, Warwick, and the Birmingham NEC. At all three locations we delivered a comprehensive package of industry-leading diagnostic equipment where clinicians and athletes could experience the high quality of our imaging systems. Athletes were assessed for musculoskeletal sports-related issues for bone, muscle, tendon, or joint injury, without the need to be transferred to local hospitals. The polyclinics also provided on-site diagnostic support for elective sports medical assessments, such as cardiac or neurology.

Canon Medical UK’s equipment guaranteed optimal image quality and cutting edge technology for the Games’ clinician-volunteers, and clinical Application Specialists to use. This included innovative imaging technologies like the Ultrasound scanners’ revolutionary iBeam architecture with unparalleled processing power, as well as our RIS and PACS solution, Vitrea Connection, Speech Recognition, External Reporting Work and Vitrea Vision Diagnosing Viewer.

To help the clinician volunteers quickly settle into using our advanced equipment, Canon Medical UK provided access to comprehensive training material, made available via the Medical Imaging Academy  website. This unique resource is a complementary e-learning platform with live and on-demand expert training, face-to-face courses and a hub of invaluable ‘how-to’ guides for healthcare professionals to access 24-7-365. Canon Medical UK also provided a large team of experienced and HCPC accredited clinical applications specialists in addition to the remote support, described above.

Some of the clinician volunteers were trained on Canon’s MR scanner with Artificial intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) software. This state-of-the-art Canon proprietary technology offers the ability to combine Compressed Speeder and AiCE which can significantly improve the throughput of the patient.  Dr Peter Chapman, a leading Consultant Musculoskeletal Radiologist in the UK, concurred that Canon’s MR with Artificial Intelligence (AI), was an outstanding imaging system that quickly provides exceptional and crystal-clear images.

Alongside our Artificial Intelligence technology, we also provide Healthcare IT with cloud-based technology. These developments ensure that Canon remain at the forefront of the requirements of the world’s rapidly developing healthcare economy. For the Games, this meant that scans could be accessed securely by athletes’ doctors outside of the site location. It was fantastic to have showcased how our equipment can ensure an interconnected society, something which is increasingly important with the emergence of pop-up imaging facilities, such as within the polyclinics, or within mobile, modular units or buildings outside of a hospital setting, such as a Community Diagnostic Centres.

Commenting on what the technology means for athletes, Zak Skinner, Paralympian said: “The care and services that the polyclinics offer athletes during competitions provides the immediate support an athlete needs to help with early detection, prevention and faster rehabilitation of sports injuries.”

Indeed, the speed of diagnosis is key for early prevention and our vast range of technologies enhances this. For instance, our speech recognition software at the polyclinics enables radiologists to digitally dictate athletes’ scan results, diagnosis, and rehabilitation advice. This speeds up the process of diagnosis and is a huge strength of Canon Medical UK’s products.

Over the 12 days of the Games, and in support of over 4,500 athletes, Canon is proud to say that 737 imaging volunteers had the opportunity to experience our equipment, taking a total of 592 scans. Not only were we able to support those with injuries but we could help prepare these athletes to be in the best physical health before and throughout the competition.

Our Skill: Project Management & Logistics

Providing this specialised equipment with tight deadlines and within budget is not an easy feat. However, our skills, experience and expertise mean we can confidently deliver complex projects that provide bespoke solutions to the customer’s requirements. This could involve finding a site through to the construction of the building that will house Canon Medical UK’s diagnostic equipment, as well as a sporting arena such as the Park Community Arena (Canon Medical Arena) we are building currently. We can, and do, provide bespoke end-to-end solutions

One challenge that both the building and imaging industries are currently facing is having access to resources. The pandemic and supply-chain issues have created resource constraints of both the infrastructure and equipment when building modular units. Fortunately, we have access to a dedicated factory in Hull to deploy our resources. This allows us to continue to be flexible, agile and quickly deliver diagnostic imaging equipment, which results in reducing lead times and cost, ultimately meaning greater affordability.

For the Games, due to the location of the site within the University of Birmingham’s Athletes’ Village, the delivery of our MRI unit required expert management. The University campus was an enclosed, off-road site surrounded by large trees, meaning we were unable to place the MRI directly in position from the lorry. Instead, with our expert knowledge and use of specialist equipment, a self-propelled Modular Transporter, the unit was placed in position with ease. As this type of equipment is not readily available in the UK, our specialism and foresight ensured the project remained on track.

Speaking about one process of the project’s management, Ian Watson, UK Director of Commercial Solutions, Canon Medical Systems Ltd explains, “The MRI Modular buildings are extremely heavy – around 30 tonnes – so project planning is vital. The physics behind achieving the best image quality from the MRI scanner is also key. The scanner uses RF technology and to ensure high image quality it is essential that the scanner be shielded from interference from other RF signals. Therefore, locations away from moving traffic, lifts and substations are critical.”

Overall, Canon can support the bespoke diagnostic imaging requirements within any environment due to our match-fit capabilities. This includes supplying equipment in a ‘pop-up’ facility at Birmingham 2022, a relocatable MRI Unit at a hospital, modular equipment buildings for a Community Diagnostic Centre, as well as the complete project management and build of a sports arena with a diagnostic imaging centre at  Park Community Arena (Canon Medical Arena). Ultimately, the services and complete end-to-end solutions that Canon provides create better and more open access for those using the sites, meaning outcomes are better and costs are reduced.

Our Mission: Sustainability

On all our projects, we are always conscious of the legacy we leave. As a company, we are committed to becoming carbon net-zero and undertake several initiatives to protect the planet and promote greater prosperity across the communities we work in.

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games had an aim to be the first edition with a carbon-neutral legacy. To support this, Canon Medical is offsetting the carbon emitted across the entire lifecycle of our equipment provided, as well as the carbon generated by our community at the three onsite Polyclinics. This includes the creation of our equipment, transportation to the sites, installation, running and removal of equipment, as well as its onward journey to its next destination.

In addition, all employee travel and accommodation throughout the Games will form part of Canon’s carbon-offsetting calculations, with a total offsetting amount of 132.6 tCO2e (tonne CO2 equivalent), through our India wind turbine project. Our support of this project aligns with the UN’s seventh Sustainable Development Goal: Affordable and Clean Energy for All.

Furthermore, as part of the polyclinic infrastructure at the Games, supporting materials, such as clinic floors and walls from one of the Nightingale Hospitals, were utilised. After the Games, the MRI units and Ultrasound scanners were made available to the market to provide additional diagnostic imaging capacity in the community. As well as this, a significant portion of the infrastructure are being repurposed to suit other medical environments. We believe it is imperative to act with the circular economy in mind to support our journey to become carbon net-zero.

Beyond the Games

Canon works with local communities and have been working with a renowned professional men’s basketball team, the Sheffield Sharks, to create and run our RESPECT programme. As part of this, we have hosted workshops on cyber-bullying, bullying and health and fitness for disadvantaged communities across the region.

We are delighted to have extended this programme into Birmingham and entering a new partnership with the basketball team, the City of Birmingham Rockets to support the initiative. In the lead-up to the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022, we delivered these workshops to 1,500 school children and facilitated a 3×3-basketball tournament to promote sport, health and fitness.

Canon is constantly redefining the world of imaging for the greater good. Through our technology and spirit of innovation, we believe we push the boundaries of imaging possibility in ways the industry has never seen before.

With this perspective, Canon can support the future diagnostic imaging demand within any setting; whether this is at another Commonwealth Games, within another sporting arena or within a hospital or community setting for our treasured NHS, Canon can and will deliver. Together, we can change the landscape of diagnostic services and, in turn, change the lives of patients everywhere.

Photo Caption 1: MRI modular unit enabled clinicians to quickly and digitally assess common musculoskeletal sports related issues on-site

Photo Caption 2: Vantage Orian 1.5T MRI scanner housed in a modular unit, featuring Canon Medical UK’s pioneering Advanced Intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE), a Deep Learning Reconstruction technology.

Photo Caption 3: MRI modular unit delivery to the University of Warwick pre-Games

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.

Enhanced image quality, lower dose and quicker procedures to meet the increasing needs of ageing patient population in the area

Cardiac rhythm management and bradycardia pacemaker implantation services have been enhanced for patients at the Countess of Chester Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust following the installation of a new Alphenix Sky ceiling-mounted C-arm.

The bespoke pacing theatre, a turnkey project with Canon Medical Systems UK, included the replacement of a 15-year-old incumbent system with the latest interventional imaging technology to improve image quality, reduce dose and speed up procedures. The remodelling of the room also included lighting modifications to the right and left to enable greater versatility of pacing on both sides of the patient.

“Chester has a growing ageing population and our pacemaker workload is increasing year-on-year by about 7%. We do approximately 400 cases every year which makes us one of the bigger centres in the area. We’re also seeing an increased need of subpectoral pacemaker implantation, burying them a bit deeper, which previously meant patients were sent elsewhere for the procedure. Now, we have the set-up to do it here at the Countess of Chester Hospital in the Cath Lab with the Alphenix Sky. This is better for the patient as it potentially means a closer-to-home appointment. This is just one example of how by having the latest imaging equipment, we’re ready to seize new service opportunities that will improve patient experiences and outcomes into the future,” states Gareth Buckingham, Cath Lab Manager at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

“Having a new and productive pacing theatre adjoined to our cardiology day unit also really assists with our patient flow. We try and pace within 24 hours of referral as this is a ‘get it right first time’ objective for our region. A good, robust fixed C-arm has enhanced the image quality and quickened clinical interpretation. Improving quality was our aim, and this is what the Alphenix system has helped us deliver, adding further potential to keep evolving in tune with the future of healthcare,” adds Gareth Buckingham.

“The Canon Medical turnkey team was excellent to work with. The project was planned well in advance and collaboration with the wider hospital teams, such as IT networking, was superb. We had a good plan and kept on schedule, which was essential as we had to share any downtime with endoscopy or theatre,” concludes Gareth Buckingham.

“We have had a long relationship with the Countess of Chester Hospital and the enthusiasm of this Alphenix project has been fantastic as the hospital team embraced the new features, functionality, and versatility to tailor services for their patient cohort. We look forward to supporting them drive the dedicated pacing theatre forward and expanding the depth of work undertaken,” states Colin Murray, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK.

Photo caption: Countess of Chester Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has installed a new Alphenix Sky ceiling-mounted C-arm from Canon Medical Systems UK. Pictured (L to R): Polly Taylor, Senior Radiographer; Amber Clarke, Staff Nurse; Sian Jones, Staff Nurse; Helen Myers, Healthcare Assistant; Gareth Buckingham, Cath Lab Manager; Jeanette Lovatt, Staff Nurse; Dennis Caulfield, Consultant Cardiologist; Marc Ivison, Service Team Leader, Midlands & North at Canon medical Systems UK; Raquel Domingues, Clinical Cardiac Physiologist.

Imaging equipment partnerships built by listening and responding to needs

Time is short and pressures are high – yet by having quality diagnostic imaging equipment in place, demands of busy working days in the health service can be eased. Over 80% of respondents to a new Canon Medical Systems UK customer satisfaction survey* felt that they were understood and genuinely cared about, with the products, service and support they have chosen enabling them to do their jobs as well as possible. This is four out of five sonographers, radiographers, imaging service managers and radiologists feeling that they have an imaging partner that understands the current challenges of healthcare, the NHS and its patients.

Product performance was cited as the key reason NHS and independent healthcare users and decision makers selected Canon Medical UK as an imaging partner, with quality of equipment and support being the most valuable elements of the relationship. Customer service and clinical training also scores highly in the independently run bi-annual customer survey, with ‘responsiveness’ and ‘easy to do business with’ frequently mentioned.

There has been a shift in tone since the last survey of this kind in 2018, reflecting the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic stretching frontline diagnostic imaging personnel. An onus on working to alleviate common pain points experienced by imaging departments, as well as preparing for the future via healthcare innovation is now key. This could include expansion of remote support services to pre-empt equipment breakdowns early; innovation in applications enabling more patients to be seen during the working day; the development of AI-assisted technology for greater image quality at low dose to enhance clinical confidence first time without retakes; and automation of routine workflow steps, freeing up time to focus on more complex procedures or cases.

“Focusing on what is important to our customers, now and into the future is at the heart of Canon Medical UK’s company philosophy. We are listening and responding with quality imaging innovations that help speed up processes or create time efficiencies, at the same time as ensuring equipment is reliable and uptime is kept high. Indeed, our customers still rate our service and support highly, with 91% of customers getting the technical support they need,” states Mark Hitchman, Managing Director at Canon Medical Systems UK.

“Our employees go the extra mile – they are trained to offer the best knowledge and expertise in their respective fields. Training and education remain important to ensure that our customers can use their imaging equipment to full potential and benefit daily from the depth of functionality available on new and evolving product solutions. We are also developing our online education offering to ensure that our customers have access to a wide variety of resources that will assist them in their ongoing professional development,” adds Mark Hitchman.

Picture caption: Over 80% of respondents to a new Canon Medical Systems UK customer satisfaction survey felt that they were understood and genuinely cared about, with the products, service and support.

Six-time GB Olympian and the first black British woman to win Olympic gold champions the role of diagnostic imaging in sports medicine

Olympic and Commonwealth Games gold medallist for javelin, Tessa Sanderson CBE, has been re-appointed as Canon Medical Systems UK Business Ambassador for 2022. She will be representing the Canon brand during its role as ‘Official Imaging Supporter’ at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, while also spearheading wider communication of how valuable sports diagnostic imaging is from her personal and professional experience.

Tessa has over 26 years’ track and field sporting experience at the highest possible level and has gained many accolades and held many business, trade and sporting roles. These include Vice Chair of Sports England, Sports Reporter with Sky News and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), the highest-ranking order of the British Empire awarded by the Queen in recognition of her positive work.

“The role of medical imaging in sports and exercise medicine is invaluable today,” states Tessa Sanderson. “The polyclinics, with Canon Medical imaging systems inside, at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be a fantastic opportunity for athletes from around the world to have medical imaging examinations. In some cases, many simply won’t have access to this sort of care in their home countries. This will help with understanding injury, rehabilitation stages and learning more about the impact of sports on their bodies.”

“When I was injured in 1981 by rupturing my Achilles Tendon, I was out of action for two years. At that time, there wasn’t the depth of sports medicine diagnostic imaging we see today to provide a quick and detailed diagnosis to get the right treatment. Taking time out of training and competition is not a good thing for professional and upcoming sports people. Today, there is so much more access and innovation through MRI, X-ray and ultrasound to understand injury, prevention and rehabilitation to get people back into their careers as fast as possible. This is so important in modern sports,” Tessa adds.

Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical Systems UK states, “Tessa Sanderson’s re-appointment as Canon Medical UK Business Ambassador is most welcome for this incredible, multi-sporting calendar year in the UK. She brings a unique energy to our organisation that fuses the important elements of sports, business and health. Her role will be incredibly valuable to help us communicate the importance of diagnostic imaging to both elite and community-based sports people and clinicians.”

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will take place from 28 July to 8 August 2022 with around 6,500 athletes and officials from 72 nations and territories competing in 19 sports including eight para-sports across 15 competition venues.

Picture caption: Olympic and Commonwealth Games gold medallist for javelin, Tessa Sanderson CBE, has been re-appointed as Canon Medical Systems UK Business Ambassador for 2022.

Putting Self-RESPECT back into forgotten communities

Basketball is the second most popular sport played in the UK by young teenagers, after football, and is particularly popular among Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities[i]. Its popularity has risen since the London 2012 Olympic Games, in part due to a Sports England funding uplift, but also because it represents valuable engagement to young people from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds.

The importance of basketball beyond sport

Sheffield, once known as the heart of the industrial north, is now an ethnically diverse community with around 19% from black or minority ethnic groups such as Pakistani, Caribbean, Indian, Bangladeshi, Somali, Yemeni and Chinese communities[ii].

It is a city that lags behind other areas in the UK when averages are compared, including the difference in life expectancy which between the best and worse off is 20 years[iii]. It is also an area identified as one of the first to receive UK Government 2022 ‘levelling-up’ regeneration funding to help start narrowing the gap in health, education, housing and job outcomes.

But even before a national strategy was announced to help disadvantaged or ‘forgotten’ communities, a ‘home-grown’ focus on citizenship and wellbeing through the sport of basketball was forging strong gains and societal links.

Sheffield Sharks ‘dropping dimes’ with its community outreach initiative

Sheffield Sharks, the city’s professional basketball team that ranks third in the British Basketball League 2020/21, has not only been scoring its way up the league in play on the courts, but also rolling out a successful community outreach programme for local school children.

For the last 8 years close to 10,000 10-11-year-old primary school children at 16 inner-city Sheffield schools have been positively impacted by the RESPECT programme. This provides a fusion of fun basketball sessions with the players and citizenship workshops covering online safety and personal health topics.

More recently, RESPECT TOO, a Canon Medical Systems UK sponsored initiative for young adults aged 14-15 years at risk of county-lines drugs trafficking, violence and gangs, has been created. This provides vulnerable young people with a weekly workshop for six weeks about choosing the right path in life. The sessions are run with the help of Sheffield Sharks’ basketball players, many of whom have come from tough city backgrounds in the UK and USA, and can share their real-life experiences of overcoming obstacles and creating a positive future. The RESPECT TOO course includes socially oriented topics such as anger management, self-identity, behaviour & conduct, communication, healthy lifestyles and creating future goals.

“We are heavily intertwined with our local community through basketball, and it is our duty to make a positive impact with the young people in our city. We want to step in and help where parents or family networks may be lacking to give guidance to young people growing up in tough economic, academic and social situations,” states Marko Backovic, Head of Community at BBraun Sheffield Sharks Basketball Club. “The RESPECT initiatives give Sheffield schools greater support in delivering PSHE topics than they can achieve themselves with staff and budget constraints in the education system. Plus, our unique delivery of courses by our players ensures kids are inspired and their attention engaged. We wouldn’t be able to do any of this without the funding from Canon Medical UK and I firmly believe that this is keeping people out of gangs and ultimately prison.”

“As a result of the RESPECT initiatives we are told by teachers that some young people who were not expected to get any GCSEs, have made considerable positive changes to their attitudes and are now on track to go on to college,” Marko adds.

Teaching self-respect for a healthier future

Katy, a teacher at one of the participating RESPECT TOO schools in Sheffield adds, “Our students have benefitted a lot from the initiative – coming off the school site, for one, and meeting professional sports people. They’ve really enjoyed playing on the courts with the players and the classroom activities teach them to understand the way they conduct themselves. Schemes, such as these, give them a broader view of the world, beyond the school setting, to see different environments and give a wider range of influences. A big part of the programme is about behaviour and conduct at school – this helps the students to self-reflect. It is a great way for children to consider how they behave, and not just being repeatedly told within behavioural programmes of a school setting, but by external sports people that they look up to and respect.”

Mike Tuck, Captain of the Sheffield Sharks team and former Canadian and England international player concludes, “There probably isn’t any other team in the UK basketball league running something as unique as the RESPECT programmes. They continue to grow and will be a catalyst to help further children beyond Sheffield as we look to take content online. We’re not a big, fancy sports club making millions, but we keep true to ourselves by interacting directly with our fans and public to set good examples. What sets us apart is our desire to use sport to create better individuals and a better local community.”

Two RESPECT TOO students from a Sheffield-based school shared their thoughts on why the programme has been useful to them.

“It was interesting to listen to what the players have been through when they were my age as it helped me to think about my behaviour too,” states Ashantai, a Year 9 female student.

“There was an incident at school that could have got me banned from coming to the final RESPECT TOO session, but what I had learnt made me stop and think about my actions more and control my behaviour,” adds Lindo, a Year 9 male student.

[i] Basketball: Does the sport get the respect and support it deserves? Sky Sports, Sept 2020, https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/news/36244/12069769/basketball-does-the-sport-get-the-respect-and-support-it-deserves

[ii] Sheffield City Council, Population & Census, https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/home/your-city-council/population-in-sheffield

[iii] NHS Sheffield Clinical Commission Group, Annual Report 20/21, p.43 https://www.sheffieldccg.nhs.uk/Downloads/About%20US/Documents%20Policies%20and%20Publications/2020%2021%20Annual%20Report%20
including%20Annual%20Accounts%20without%20front%20page.pdf

CT scan to clinical decision in zero clicks cuts 30-minutes from process, potentially helping to save damage to the brain

A new stroke triage tool, ^AUTOStroke, powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now available in the UK. The imaging innovation analyses and categorises diagnostic brain images automatically following a CT scan to detect signs of ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke in 30 seconds, compared to a 30-minute scan to manual-reporting timeframe, which is even more challenging in the middle of the night which is often the case.

With stroke being the fourth single leading cause of death in the UK and occurring every five minutes*, this latest technological innovation has the potential to save lives and improve the long-term outcomes of neurological damage by speeding up the ‘golden hour’ of stroke diagnosis to drug treatment.

^AUTOStroke automates diagnosis with zero clicks from CT scan to a clinical decision, consolidating scan results into a single summary and alerting clinicians to any abnormalities. It can help a radiological team prioritise urgent patient cases, refocus valuable human resources and speed up diagnostic reporting. This, in turn, has the potential to reduce the time taken to make a clinical decision on incoming query stroke cases and administer life-saving treatment faster.

“While we have approximately 90 minutes to treat a patient with stroke, up to 30 minutes of that time might be spent on imaging alone. Using AI for strokes enables rapid interpretation within half a minute from when images are acquired, facilitating rapid and robust treatment and turnaround times that would be very difficult without that type of system,” states Dr. Peter Chang, Assistant Professor in Residence for the Departments of Radiological Sciences and Computer Science at University of California Irvine (UCI), who worked closely with Canon Medical Systems Corporation on the development of the new tool. “^AUTOStroke is used at UCI to automatically triage and evaluate every patient with suspected stroke that comes into the Emergency Room – it helps us in our workflow to augment and maximise the time that we have to focus on and take care of patients.”

“The faster stroke patients get treatment, the better their outcome as time saved is brain saved,” states Mark Hitchman, Managing Director at Canon Medical Systems UK. “As part of our innovation strategy to automate clinical workflows and layer AI into existing diagnostic imaging processes and equipment, we have launched ^AUTOStroke. It is not a concept or at research stages, but a market-ready solution that works as a triage software tool on CT scanners that are already in place in many UK NHS Trusts.”

Mark Hitchman continues,” It will help speed up the full scan-to-reporting process of suspected stroke cases and aims to avoid the extent of brain damage that can cause paralysis and loss of speech. This has wide-reaching recovery implications, not only for an individual and the family, but also for the entire stroke healthcare continuum of physio, occupational, speech and language therapists.”

^AUTOStroke from Canon Medical integrates a comprehensive set of stroke applications including: Non-contrast CT Intracranial Haemorrhage that helps quickly locate multiple variations of intracranial haemorrhage when time is critical; Non-contrast CT ASPECTS delivering scoring of early ischemic stroke signs that are routinely challenging to detect; CT Large Vessel Occlusion to help locate occlusions in cerebral infarction patients; and CT Perfusion maps created using validated Bayesian CTP+ algorithms to help indicate potential regions of penumbra and infarct core.

Photo caption: ^AUTOStroke integrates a comprehensive set of stroke applications including (1) Non-contrast CT ASPECTS delivering scoring of early ischemic stroke signs that are routinely challenging to detect; and (2) CT Large Vessel Occlusion to help locate occlusions in cerebral infarction patients.

Three-minute Chest X-ray test using AI producing encouraging results

An Artificial Intelligence (AI) programme created by Bering Limited and study conducted by iCAIRD, Scotland’s Industrial Centre for AI Research in Digital Diagnostics has yielded promising results from Chest X-rays in a simulated clinical test setting to speed up Covid-19 diagnosis in patients who had presented to hospital Emergency Departments (ED) with respiratory symptoms.

The iCAIRD studyⁱ, funded by Innovate UK, was in partnership with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, using Canon Medical Research Europe’s Safe Haven Artificial Intelligence Platform (SHAIP) as well as datasets from the Glasgow Safe Haven. It used a new AI algorithm giving an accurate Covid-19 result in a test environment under three minutes with performance on par with four certified radiologists.

“This is another welcome development demonstrating the potential for AI to support clinicians ensuring patients are getting the highest quality and most relevant treatment,” states Prof David Lowe, Joint Clinical Lead of the West of Scotland Innovation Hub and an Emergency Medicine Consultant at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. “Through testing in a safe environment we have been able to see that this algorithm can identify Covid-19 on Chest X-rays that were routinely taken during initial clinical assessment. This could not just help with the treatment of patients but may also speed up the process of isolating infected patients.”

Dr Mark Hall, Radiology Consultant at NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde added, “We continue to see the positive potential impact AI could have on radiology, from reducing waiting times to improving accuracy and reducing pressures on staff. Ongoing research highlights the importance of using developments in AI to enhance diagnosis and treatment. The level of accuracy may allow consultants to make even more informed decisions as we have a greater pool of data to use. There can often be a misconception that AI input will mean the public gets less time with doctors, but this is not the case. Technology like this may help us speed up processing high numbers of similar cases, while retaining accuracy, allowing for more time with patients and more complex cases.”

“Covid-19 along with many chronic diseases continually put pressure on our UK health services. Research and development into how we can speed-up diagnostic imaging is therefore incredibly important,” states Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical Systems UK. “There are also broader benefits of having AI research situated in the UK via our sister company Canon Medical Research Europe. It means that the AI algorithms developed using the Safe Haven Artificial Intelligence Platform are specific in terms of demographics, meaning more readiness for UK patient population deployment.”

The Canon Medical Research Europe AI Centre of Excellence includes a team of data sciences, clinical analysts and software engineers based in Edinburgh who collaborate with the universities of Glasgow and Aberdeen and NHS hospitals including Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. The team is developing a set of tools to help clinicians to create novel AI solutions using UK patient data for machine learning, together with infrastructure for data scientists to develop, train and validate algorithms without patient data ever leaving the hospital environment.

“Collaboration with academia, NHS and industry is vital for the safe collection of usable data, its annotation and testing, plus deployment into active AI research,” states Ken Sutherland, President of Canon Medical Research Europe. “Our work in Edinburgh underpins many exciting AI research projects in automation, decision support and ultimately precision medicine. We recently celebrated our 100^th patent and are proud to play a key role in advancing NHS access to the exciting opportunities of AI.”

i. Drozdov, I., Szubert, B., Reda, E. et al.Development and prospective validation of COVID-19 chest X-ray screening model for patients attending emergency departments. Sci Rep11, 20384 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-99986-3

Photo Caption: Image courtesy of iCAIRD’

Local and national service team from Canon Medical Systems UK praised in guiding new customers to achieve faster workflow and improved imaging processes

Causeway Hospital in Coleraine, County Londonderry, part of Northern Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland, has successfully gone live with its new Aquilion Prime SP CT scanner from Canon Medical UK. The system, situated near to the emergency department, will provide trauma and out-of-hours related scanning and will also support general and cardiac outpatient appointments.

The transition to the new CT has been smooth with radiography staff adjusting well to the new features of the AI-assisted scanner. Powered by Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE), which was the world’s first CT scanner to use such Deep-Learning reconstruction technology, it has helped to speed up processes to create time savings and improve the quality of diagnostic images for clinical interpretation.

“Every step of the new CT journey with Canon Medical UK has been hassle free,” states Rachel Brown, Trust Lead CT Radiographer at Northern Health and Social Care Trust. “From the start of the relationship in selecting and ordering the new CT system, to the system installation and user training, through to the after-sales service support we are now receiving, it has been a smooth ride. The locally based engineers bent over backwards to make sure everything went as planned at set-up stage and the access to the national support team is easy and always prompt.”

She continues, “Our imaging team has adjusted quickly to the new integrated features of the CT scanner and is impressed with the improved image quality. This has helped to speed up our processes giving us time savings while also providing accurate diagnostic images with huge dose savings for patients. We feel well supported and ready to provide the local community with a higher standard of imaging care into the future.”

“It is great to hear another positive experience from our customers,” states Billy Erwin, Account Manager at Canon Medical UK. “A relationship with Canon Medical UK goes far beyond just the installation and training on a new piece of kit. We are dedicated to building long-term imaging partnerships that ensure local, national and international teams are at the ready to respond to specific requests or provide ongoing proactive training and development through our Medical Imaging Academy.”

Photo caption: Causeway Hospital, part of Northern Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland, has successfully gone live with its new Aquilion Prime SP CT scanner from Canon Medical Systems UK. Pictured: Lesley Thompson, CT Radiographer.

Crawley Hospital doubles imaging capacity & expands range of patient procedures

Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust has installed two new CT scanners from Canon Medical Systems UK. An Aquilion ONE / PRISM Edition CT scanner has replaced an ageing system at East Surrey Hospital and an Aquilion Prime SP has been introduced for additional scanning capacity at Crawley Hospital. Together they will enable 1000 patient CT scans each month increasing outpatient imaging capacity.

“Daily work numbers have doubled at Crawley Hospital with the arrival of the Aquilion Prime SP from Canon Medical,” states Janis Duff, Cross-site CT Superintendent at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust. “The extra imaging capacity has not only helped us catch up on backlog numbers since Covid-restrictions were eased, but also broadened the range of examinations we can offer to patients, meaning more flexibility and closer-to-home appointments. This includes aortic arch-angiograms, peripheral angiograms and some neck procedures.“

Dr Tony Newman-Sanders, Consultant Radiologist and Chief of Cancer and Diagnostics, states, “We are pleased to be able to transform and improve patient care using the latest technology to perform specialised examinations. We have made significant investment within the radiology department to ensure that our services offer more flexibility to our patients and reduce wait times.”

Both CT systems from Canon Medical will be used to increase capacity for outpatient diagnostic appointments for the local community in East Surrey, Crawley and Horsham. This includes many of the Canon Medical UK team living close to the UK headquarters in Crawley.

Matt Shepherd, Account Manager at Canon Medical states, “We’re very pleased to provide the new CT systems to Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, supporting the local NHS hospitals closest to our UK headquarters. By future-proofing imaging capacity for local patients and choosing a provider that strives for 100% uptime targets, we are confident that the Trust will meet its care commitment to patients now and into the future.”

Photo caption: Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust has installed two new CT scanners from Canon Medical Systems UK. Pictured (L to R): Matt Shepherd, Account Manager at Canon Medical UK; Lindsay Brooks, Diagnostic Imaging Assistant; Sandra Brown, Diagnostic Imaging Assistant; Janis Duff, Superintendent Radiographer; Angela Eiffert, Operations Manager Diagnostic Imaging – Non acute sites; Jamile Siddiqui, Commercial Solutions Business Development Manager at Canon Medical UK.

Specialist Sports Imaging Hubs to be set up at three Birmingham 2022 athlete villages

Building on a decade of sports medicine partnerships to elite sports and premier league football, Canon Medical Systems UK is ramping up plans to provide three specialist ‘Sports Imaging Hubs’ to athletes and their support teams at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Canon Medical UK will provide the very latest medical imaging modalities including MRI, diagnostic ultrasound and digital radiography X-ray with full health IT connectivity to the NHS Trust supporting the event, or to preferred sports medicine clinicians overseas. The Sports Imaging Hubs will provide early detection, prevention and faster rehabilitation of sports injury and surveillance. They will be located at three locations for three weeks across the Birmingham 2022 campuses to support over 6,500 athletes and officials.

Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical UK states, “The partnership with Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games builds on a similar relationship we had at Glasgow in 2014. This time our focus is far more on preventable imaging than pure reactive injury assessment. Understanding the way the heart works, or identifying weaknesses in cartilage or joints is so important in elite sports as our long-term research with other sporting organisations has shown. This not only safeguards the future health of elite sports people, but it can also assist with training programmes or injury rehabilitation.”

He continues, “The most important element of being involved with sports events and organisations is how it can help the wider health systems in the future. A greater understanding of how the body works under pressure is giving clinicians greater insight and knowledge that can be applied to health projects more broadly. It also enables us to refine and develop specialist medical imaging applications that are then utilised by the NHS and other healthcare organisations. This is why every pixel matters to us – because continuous development of medical imaging will help transform the healthcare of the future and enable people to live longer, fuller lives.”

Ian Reid, CEO at Birmingham 2022, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Canon Medical UK as part of their partnership as our Official Imaging Supporter for Birmingham 2022 and are in no doubt that their industry-leading medical imaging technologies will help make the Birmingham 2022 next summer’s biggest sporting event. Using Canon Medical’s global expertise, the Sports Imaging Hubs will be an incredible resource for our athletes to help detect or prevent sports injuries, offering the very latest medical facilities for world-class athletes.”

Under the ‘every pixel matters’ banner, Canon Medical UK will work in synergy with Canon EMEA to provide their exceptional image-quality technologies to support the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. From cameras to print hardware and medical imaging: every system provided will enhance the clarity of the sporting event.

Photo Caption: Canon Medical Systems UK is ramping up plans to provide three specialist ‘Sports Imaging Hubs’ to athletes and their support teams at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical Systems UK pictured with ‘Perry’, the mascot for Birmingham 2022.

Practical advice & guidance curated for radiology departments to help make progressive steps towards the NHS net-zero carbon emissions targets

 A five-point guide for the UK diagnostic imaging community providing practical advice to start working towards meeting the aims of the NHS’ net-zero carbon targets by 2040 has been launched by Canon Medical Systems UK.

Building on its 7-year pedigree of being the UK’s only carbon-neutral medical equipment supplier, the Canon Medical guide sets out early steps that can be taken by radiographers, clinicians and health managers in procurement or sustainability roles, to start taking strides to improving radiology sustainability. It also dovetails green strategy suggestions to wider digital-health innovation transformation initiatives.

The ‘Green Guide for Diagnostic Imaging’ includes five key areas of discussion to champion new thinking inside the imaging community when looking ahead to the NHS’ 2040 net-zero carbon targets:

• How to embrace imaging equipment innovations to reduce departmental energy emissions at the same time as improving patient care
• Why selecting carbon-conscious supply chain partners is key
• The green benefits of taking imaging closer to the community
• Encouraging and rewarding green behaviours to help with cultural change
• Consider the case for standardising medical imaging equipment selection to speed-up access to modern technology.

Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical Systems states, “The impact of climate change and destruction of the natural environment is having a dramatic impact around the world. This has a knock-on effect on the long-term health conditions of populations. For example, a rise in air pollution is linked to heart disease, stroke and lung cancer; more heatwaves put additional pressure on the elderly and vulnerable people with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions; and poor air quality with aeroallergens drive up the numbers of fit and well people being diagnosed with asthma or other respiratory related illnesses. Now is the time to tackle the ticking timebomb of future healthcare pressures.”

The Canon Medical Green Guide for Diagnostic Imaging can be downloaded at https://uk.medical.canon/corporate-social-responsibilities/our-commitment-to-the-environment/

Photo caption: A five-point guide for the UK diagnostic imaging community providing practical advice and steps that can help with working towards meeting the aims of the NHS’ net-zero carbon targets by 2040 has been launched by Canon Medical Systems UK.

Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh welcomes Aquilion CT

NHS Lothian’s new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh fully opened earlier this year delivering state-of-the-art facilities and medical equipment to its patients and families. At the heart of its new diagnostic imaging strategy was an innovative CT scanner from Canon Medical Systems UK to speed up procedures for paediatric patients and drive down dose.

The Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition CT scanner includes the Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE), the next-generation CT reconstruction technology. It has helped to make complex paediatric examinations easier, reduced dose for young patients and improved diagnostic accuracy.

“The dose reduction for our paediatric patients is amazing,” states Jennifer Stewart, CT Radiographer at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People. “The 16cm detector can achieve a volume scan in 0.5 seconds on a head which is really helpful when examining young patients, and we no longer need anaesthetics or strategies to try and keep them still for as long. This fast speed really helps us perform the procedure quicker and is better for the small person concerned.”

She continues, “The in-room ‘Handy Snap’ start button is a great feature on the CT scanner as it is great for gaining that crucial one second of stillness to get the best image of a young patient and stay close to them for reassurance. Plus, the ‘Area Finder’ with laser collimation functionality helps plan the scan range and field of view at the gantry without needing to do traditional planning steps such as a scanogram. This further reduces dose for the patient.”

Iain Gray, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK states, “We have a long and close relationship with NHS Lothian which has been further cemented with the new CT scanner installation at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People. We will continue to provide applications support, training and our industry renowned service support to the imaging team, and look forward to ensuring they get the very best uptime and user experience to support patient care.”

Photo caption: The Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition CT scanner at NHS Lothian’s new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh. L to R: Iain Gray, Account Manager, Canon Medical Systems UK; Claire Donoghue, Radiographer; Jennifer Stewart, Radiographer; & Simon McGurk, Radiologist.

Canon, a global provider of imaging technologies and services, has been appointed as the Official Imaging Supporter for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The company will use its imaging expertise to showcase the event and inspire people across the world, while also nurturing a new generation of sports fans.

Through the sponsorship, Canon will demonstrate its full breadth of imaging technology by supporting athletes and organisers with on-site medical imaging services, dedicated Canon professional service (CPS) support and printing solutions which will help to bring the Games to life to more than a billion spectators and viewers.

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will see around 6,000 athletes from 72 nations and territories compete in 19 sports and eight para-sports across 14 competition venues from 28 July until 8 August 2022. As the biggest event ever to be held in the West Midlands, it is expected to attract more than one million spectators to the city and have a global TV audience of 1.5 billion.

Yuichi Ishizuka, President and CEO of Canon Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “At Canon we have a proud heritage of supporting world-class sporting events, so we are incredibly pleased to be the Official Imaging Supporter to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. We believe that imaging can transform our world, and we look forward to using our full-range of innovative technologies to support the welfare of athletes, ensure the smooth running of the Games and inspire sports fans across the globe.”

Through this sponsorship, Canon will help the Commonwealth Games to be seen like they’ve never been seen before. Canon Professional Services will give photographers and broadcasters behind-the-scenes support in capturing every moment of the action, while dedicated on-site printing services will help the event organisers and venues to deliver an exciting fan and spectator experience.

Cutting-edge medical imaging services will also support athletes’ performance during the Games. MRI, ultrasound and X-ray imaging services will be available throughout the athletes’ village and in diagnostic vehicles to provide unparalleled support for some of the biggest sports stars.

Mark Hitchman, UK Managing Director, Canon Medical Systems, said: “We’re excited to use our industry-leading medical imaging technologies to help make the Birmingham 2022 next summer’s biggest sporting event. High-level performance demands high-quality medical support, and our experience in using our technology to support some of Europe’s biggest sporting teams and events will be instrumental in keeping the athletes at the Games fit, healthy and at the top of their game.”

Canon and Birmingham 2022 are united in their aim to act as a catalyst for change by bringing people together and inspiring younger generations to improve their health and wellbeing. As part of this, Canon will connect with schools and communities in and around the Midlands through its Young People Programme, using the power of sport to inspire a new generation of creatives.

Ian Reid, CEO at Birmingham 2022, said: “We are delighted to have Canon on board as they join us as our Official Imaging Supporter for Birmingham 2022. Canon is a clear leader in imaging technologies and has an enviable pedigree when it comes to sports and leisure events and it is this that makes them the perfect partner to help us deliver a truly memorable edition of the Games.

“As well as inspiring fans and athletes across the world, Canon are using their expertise to work with us on our engagement programme across schools and communities. We are looking forward to working together to embrace and champion the youth, diversity, humanity and pride of the region and the Commonwealth.”

Martin Reynolds, Executive Director at the Commonwealth Games Federation, said: “The Commonwealth Sport Movement is delighted to welcome Canon as the Official Imaging Supporter for Birmingham 2022.

Their imaging expertise will help capture and showcase the very best of Commonwealth Sport and bring to life the inspiring stories across our 72 nations and territories.”

Birmingham 2022 recently announced the ticket ballot will run from 8 to 30 September. To be part of the largest sporting and cultural event to take place in the UK in a decade, visit birmingham2022.com and register for a ticket account to receive all the latest information about the ballot.

Photo Caption left to right: Adrian Corcoran, Chief Information Officer, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Yuichi Ishizuka, President & CEO, Canon EMEA, Ian Reid, Chief Executive Officer, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Mark Hitchman, UK Managing Director, Canon Medical Systems Ltd.

Dose and workflow optimisation benefits will help hospital to see more patients   

 An Alphenix Sky ceiling-mounted C-Arm interventional imaging system from Canon Medical Systems UK has been selected by North Manchester General Hospital to replace an incumbent system and steer non-vascular services into the future.

The versatility of the Alphenix Sky will give the interventional team more flexibility of movement and positioning during examinations with 270° unrestricted access around the patient and 201cm full patient coverage without needing to move the individual or table. The system’s innovative Dose Tracking System will also provide enhanced dose awareness, estimating skin dose in real time and displayed as a 3D colour map on a patient graphic. This helps imaging teams exclude regions of previous high exposure.

“We’re delighted with the Alphenix Sky – it has broadened the procedures we can do, helped speed up patient throughput and provides much better image quality than we had been used to,” states Helena Hill, Interventional Radiology and Fluoroscopy Manager at North Manchester General Hospital. “We have a long-standing, hugely positive experience with Canon Medical UK so we know that we’ve got a great product and many years of outstanding service support ahead of us to meet our patient service needs.”

“Looking to the future of interventional imaging equipment replacement isn’t only about selecting a system that meets the needs of today, but it is also about thinking ahead to ensure you can evolve with the changing needs of a department and patient cohort,” states Daniel Parr, Interventional X-ray & HIT Modality Manager. “The Alphenix Sky provides versatility and flexibility that will future-proof patient services at North Manchester General Hospital and also has the assurance of Canon Medical’s Apps for Life and Service support teams in the background to keep it running smoothly.”

Photo caption: An Alphenix Sky ceiling-mounted C-Arm interventional imaging system from Canon Medical Systems UK has been selected by North Manchester General Hospital. L to R: Jordan Niblock, Senior Radiographer; Bashir Siddiqi, Staff Nurse; Andy Mayes, Clinical Product & Applications Specialist VL/XR, Canon Medical Systems UK; Helena Hill, Interventional Radiology and Fluoroscopy Manager; Epiphania Muranda at North Manchester General Hospital.

New generation AI-assisted technology from Canon Medical Systems to underpin specialist congenital adult cardiac services

The Golden Jubilee National Hospital, a major diagnostic imaging unit and centre of excellence in heart and lung services in Clydebank, Scotland, has updated its cardiac CT scanning equipment. The new Aquilion ONE / PRISM Edition CT scanner with Deep Intelligence replaces a competitor CT system and introduces next generation reconstruction technology to assist with supporting high cardiac imaging caseloads.

The Canon Medical CT scanner includes the Advanced intelligence Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) that helps to see through imaging noise using Deep Learning Reconstruction AI technology to deliver sharp, clear and distinct images at speed and low dose. It also features a 16cm wide area detector to obtain an entire heart image in a single rotation. It will be used at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital to support routine cardiac imaging work, complex congenital cardiac cases along with a wide variety of general CT examinations and interventional work utilising the newly designed Hybrid Touch Panel Controls.

“We are delighted with the new Aquilion ONE / PRISM Edition CT scanner. It is easy to operate and our radiologists have been delighted with the fantastic quality of cardiac images at low dose to support our heart and lung patient services,” states Julie Morrison, CT Lead Radiographer at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital. “The CT system met our brief for all specifications. The wide area detector will enable us to obtain an entire heart in a fraction of a second and the AI-technology further enhances the ability to gain low dose, high quality images at speed. We feel ready for the future.”

Lee Simpson, Regional Sales Manager for Scotland and the Northern Region at Canon Medical Systems UK states, “It is great news to welcome a new customer to our UK CT community. We now look forward to supporting all their technical and knowledge development needs into the future to ensure they get the very best return on their CT investment.”

Photo caption: The Golden Jubilee National Hospital, a major diagnostic imaging unit and centre of excellence in heart & lung services in Clydebank, Scotland, has updated its cardiac CT scanning equipment with a new Aquilion ONE / PRISM Edition CT scanner. L to R: Lyndsey Johnston, Specialist Radiographer; Michelle Higgins, Specialist Radiographer; Lee Simpson, Regional Sales Manager, North & Scotland at Canon Medical Systems UK; Julie Morrison, CT Superintendent Radiographer; Gillian Wilson, Specialist Radiographer; and Hilary Beaton, Specialist Radiographer.

The Royal Oldham Hospital praises image quality & equipment service support

 London, 5 July 2021: The Royal Oldham Hospital, Greater Manchester, is celebrating the first anniversary of its Ultimax-i ‘three-in-one’ angiography, fluoroscopy and radiology system from Canon Medical Systems UK.

Reflecting on its first year of service, Helena Hill, Interventional Radiology and Fluoroscopy Manager at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust states, “The Ultimax-i has given us a flexible resource to manage Musculoskeletal (MSK) and upper gastrointestinal (GI) work. Our endoscopy staff and speech therapists feel it has changed the way they work with brilliant image quality and the multi-directional digital C-arm.”

“The quality of service and applications support we receive from Canon Medical is amazingly reliable – everyone is so friendly and helpful. If we need an engineer to support, one comes out straight away which gives total peace of mind that they were the right choice of provider and remain committed to our equipment long after the procurement process has ended. We look forward to many more years of working in imaging partnership,” she continues.

The Ultimax-i is a multi-directional, interactive digital C-arm requiring minimal space requirements. It is also a multi-purpose system designed for ultimate clinical flexibility to meet the needs of DR, angiography and fluoroscopy.

Daniel Parr, Interventional X-ray & HIT Modality Manager at Canon Medical states, “The Ultimax-i answers the need for improving efficiency in healthcare imaging by providing a single, multi-purpose system that can provide simple radiography procedures, full head-to-toe coverage and angio-lab capabilities at low dose. We’re delighted to hear from The Royal Oldham Hospital that our product innovation and NHS imaging service support still meets the grade, a year on.”

Photo caption: The Royal Oldham Hospital, Greater Manchester, is celebrating the first anniversary of its Ultimax-i ‘three-in-one’ angiography, fluoroscopy and radiology system from Canon Medical Systems UK.

Five new CT scanners installations will expand imaging capacity & cardiac capabilities

The introduction of five new CT scanners at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust will expand cardiac imaging across its hospital sites in Lincoln, Boston and Grantham. They will enable the Trust to enhance diagnostic services at all sites. The new equipment will also boost general imaging capacity across the region, giving greater healthcare resilience and a better patient experience.

Three Canon Medical Aquilion Prime SP CTs have already been installed: two at Pilgrim Hospital Boston as a replacement static CT inside the hospital, and one inside a new modular building; and one at Grantham and District Hospital. A further two CTs, including a state-of-the-art Aquilion ONE PRISM Edition featuring Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) are to be in place at Lincoln County Hospital by the summer of 2021.

Paul Clark, Radiology Service Manager at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust states, “The advanced technology inside the new Aquilion CT scanners is a vital part of modernising our imaging services to be fit for the future. Getting dose as low as reasonably practical to reduce the radiation burden on patients, whilst optimising image quality for diagnosis, has always been the challenge in CT. This was a key motivator in selecting the new Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) inside the Aquilion PRISM CT – it is a game-changer for the future of diagnostic imaging to speed up patient examinations yet keep image quality high and dose low for confident diagnoses. We have also added cardiac capabilities to all the new CT scanners which means patients can be seen closer to home rather than always needing to travel to the city hospital.”

Mark Thomas, CT Modality Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK states, “The enthusiasm at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust is great to hear and we know the Aquilion CT scanners designed for speed, high-quality imaging and low dose won’t disappoint. This is the third generation of CT scanner innovation that Canon Medical has provided to the Trust, and we can assure them of continued, first-class technical after care by our service team, Applications for Life and ongoing knowledge development through our Imaging Academy.”

Photo caption: The introduction of five new CT scanners at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust will enhance cardiac imaging services across its hospital sites. Pictured L to R: Sarah Robinson, Clinical Imaging Assistant; Nigel Allen, Radiology Operational Manager; Miguel Santa Cruz, CT Radiographer; and Afra Sulfikher, CT Modality Lead at Pilgrim Hospital Boston with the new Aquilion Prime SP CT.

Healthcare customers give big thumbs up to responsive & proactive service team keeping UK imaging systems in working order

Meeting the imaging equipment service demands of NHS and independent healthcare institutions and being well prepared for the Brexit transition period has served Canon Medical Systems UK well with a healthy start to 2021 in terms of customer feedback. The first part of the year has delivered more than usual 10/10 Net Promoter scores underpinning the company’s promise of standing by the side of its customers in the provision and support of diagnostic imaging systems.

“Installing new systems is one part of the process to overhaul health ecosystems to be fit for the future in a climate of COVID-19 backlogs and growing patient capacity demands. But ensuring staff are well trained, supporting breakdowns, and resolving technical issues swiftly are also imperative to ensure the NHS and independent healthcare providers are on point to serve their patients well,” states Paul Parsons, Director of Service and Customer Support at Canon Medical UK. “We’ve been through the whirlwinds of Covid and Brexit but feel in great shape to continue meeting the needs of our customers.”

In testimony to its detailed Brexit scenario planning, Canon Medical delivered 100% of all new customer orders on time and in full since the end of the transition period. From MRI and CT to X-ray and Ultrasound, there has been no disruption to the supply chain supporting NHS and independent healthcare providers. UK spare parts deployment and stock planning have also been unaffected.

Emma Liddle, Operations Manager, Mobile Diagnostics at Ramsay Health Care UK states, “Recent experiences of customer aftercare from Canon Medical have been hugely responsive and delivered a positive impact to ensure continued service provision on our mobile scanning units. The service team and engineers go above and beyond the call of duty providing in-depth technical experience and support for our CT scanners.”

NHS hospital customers also score Canon Medical UK highly. A CT/MRI Superintendent Radiographer in the South who needed support in early 2021 states,” We are very happy with the technical support Canon Medical provides – it resolves problems in a timely manner and always identify the correct replacement part swiftly to get us up and running as soon as possible. Its proactive thinking helps minimise delays to our patients.”

Another CT radiographer based at a Northern hospital Trust added, “Canon Medical provide prompt technical support to keep our scanners fully operational and resolve any problems we encounter with a high level of communication and skill. This helps minimise delays to our patients and keeps our imaging services running. I had no hesitation in scoring them 10/10 recently.”

Photo caption: Meeting the imaging equipment service demands of NHS and independent healthcare institutions and being well prepared for the Brexit transition period has served Canon Medical Systems UK well with a healthy start to 2021 in terms of customer feedback.

Northern Health and Social Care Trust to strengthen radiology services & improve diagnostic waiting times for local population

The first AI-assisted CT scanner in Northern Ireland has been ordered by Causeway Hospital in Coleraine, County Londonderry, part of Northern Health and Social Care Trust. The new scanner will strengthen radiology services and improve diagnostic waiting times for the local population, at the same time as having a net-zero carbon footprint to support health sustainability targets.

The Aquilion Prime SP CT from Canon Medical Systems UK will be situated in the main radiology department to support its Emergency Department imaging requirements and scheduled inpatient procedures. It is powered by an Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) and is the world’s first CT scanner using Deep-Learning reconstruction. It produces exceptionally detailed imaging for clinical interpretation at the lowest possible dose for patients.

The CT scanner will be delivered with a net-zero carbon footprint due to the robust carbon offset initiative run by Canon Medical UK. This will greatly assist the Trust’s sustainability reporting for the system as all CO2 from manufacture, shipping / delivery and energy consumption for the lifetime of the equipment has already been offset to a high-impact carbon reduction project.

“We are delighted to strengthen and renew our long-standing partnership with Canon Medical.  The new Aquilion Prime SP CT will be our second CT scanner within Causeway Hospital and will greatly benefit the local patient population around the Causeway Coast giving greater access to CT imaging capacity to improve diagnostic waiting times,” states Rachel Brown, Trust Lead CT Radiographer at Northern Health and Social Care Trust.

She continues, “We strive to achieve the best diagnostic images possible for clinical interpretation at the lowest radiation dose for patients, and this is certainly possible with the new Canon Medical CT scanner. It will introduce us to AI-assisted CT featuring Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) technology, designed to remove image noise with no degradation to the image information; help us automatically manage exposure controls according to the individual shape and size of each patient with ^SUREExposure; and provide variable Helical Parameters (vHP3) to combine gated and non-gated acquisition for fast and low-dose examinations.”

Billy Erwin, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK states, “We are very proud to be supporting Causeway Hospital with its radiology journey into a new chapter of AI-assisted CT. The new scanner will help future-proof imaging capacity now and into the future with greater image quality for clinical confidence, fewer repeats and improved patient dose. Collectively, this will help to strengthen imaging capabilities for the local community at the same time as considering the long-term health of the planet.”

Photo caption: The first Canon Medical AI-assisted CT scanner in Northern Ireland has been ordered by Causeway Hospital in Coleraine, County Londonderry, part of Northern Health and Social Care Trust.

High-frequency ultrasound probes deliver improved visualisation of bones, joints & soft tissues for patients at Addenbrooke’s Hospital

The widening range of diagnostic ultrasound probes available on the Aplio i-series ultrasound system is expanding the possibilities for Musculoskeletal (MSK) radiology clinical practice and reducing the need for MRI scan appointments at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, part of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Using high-frequency 24 MHz and 33 MHz linear matrix technology probes, the clinical team is gaining improved anatomical detail of superficial structures such as nerves and tendons in hands and fingers. This will help with hand and wrist injury explorations and provide greater detail in pre and post-operative examinations.

“The advantages of the innovation in high-frequency ultrasound probes mean gaining greater imaging detail to support clinical confidence. This includes giving excellent image resolution of superficial or close-to-skin surface structures such as nerves under the skin, to help identify damage following surgery or explore causes of a patient’s loss of sensation,” states Dr Andrew Grainger, Consultant MSK Radiologist at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The improved image quality from new probes improve capabilities to explore tendon injuries in fingers and hands. This can be to assess subtle damage from glass or knife injuries or post-operative issues.

There are also time and process savings that the development in ultrasound probes will also help with. For example, it takes 15 minutes to do a complicated MSK ultrasound scan compared to 30-45 minutes for an MRI scan and the additional administration associated with the paperwork for patient consent. So, being able to do a simple ultrasound examination and gain superb image detail to base decisions on is much better for improving the patient experience and care journey. Furthermore, it is this improvement in image quality that will also help with surgical planning. Traditionally, surgeons like MRI scan images as they show anatomical detail as true-to-life for procedural planning. With ultrasound, clinicians are now able to deliver comparable or even better superficial imaging, there is the potential to change the way radiology and surgery work together.

Iain Dunn, Business Development Manager & Territory Sales Manager Ultrasound at Canon Medical Systems UK states, “The constant development of medical technology is adding more advantages to clinical practice efficiency and improving the quality of patient care. The evolution in high-frequency ultrasound transducers means that it isn’t only the system that needs to be selected, but also the probes that are designed to broaden clinical application and offer better imaging outcomes compared to lower frequency probes and some MRIs. It is great to hear that patients at Addenbrooke’s Hospital are already benefitting from the innovation and that their MSK care is being enhanced.”

Photo caption 1: Dr Andrew Grainger, Consultant MSK Radiologist at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Photo caption 2&3: The widening range of diagnostic ultrasound probes available on the Aplio i-series ultrasound system is expanding the possibilities for Musculoskeletal (MSK) radiology clinical practice.

First AI-assisted Deep Learning scanners added to diagnostic imaging fleet

InHealth, the UK’s largest specialist provider of diagnostic and healthcare solutions, has recently increased its fleet of mobile CT scanners by selecting a number of new AI-assisted Aquilion Prime SP CTs from Canon Medical Systems UK.

The fully managed mobile CT services using the new Aquilion scanners will be provided to both NHS and independent sectors to help increase capacity of scanning to patients and enhance the quality of care provided. The new CT scanners are powered by an Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) to deliver high-quality medical imaging at speed and at low dose. This helps speed up image acquisition and reduces the need for imaging retakes, giving more time for quality patient care and expanding imaging capacity.

Martyn Beckett, Director of Operations, Mobile Fleet at InHealth states, “The new orders from Canon Medical UK are the latest in a decade-long CT partnership. The evolving technology is great to keep pace with our customers’ imaging needs as AI-assisted CT will future-proof capabilities for quick and confident diagnostic imaging. Plus, the after-sales service and support delivered is first class – our training needs are met, and faults can be fixed remotely to keep our downtime to a minimum.”

Colin Murray, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK states, “It is great to have another wave of CT orders from InHealth and play our part in keeping high-quality mobile imaging on the road. By introducing AI-assisted CT, radiographers can be assured of gaining higher quality images first time without noise distortion, and radiologists will have superior images for interpretation at a much lower dose for the patient.”

Photo caption: InHealth, the UK’s largest specialist provider of diagnostic and healthcare solutions, has further increased its fleet of mobile CT scanners by selecting new AI-assisted Aquilion Prime SP CTs from Canon Medical Systems UK.

Socially distanced, practical courses announced to inspire confidence & build new skills

A gentle return to valuable ‘hands-on’, accredited CPD training workshops offered by Canon Medical and Wessex Diagnostic has been announced for Summer & Autumn 2021. Four socially distanced courses* are to be run, offering a mix of lectures by faculty members aimed at developing knowledge and technology focused workshops using the latest ultrasound imaging equipment to practice investigation protocols:

• Carotid Ultrasound Imaging: 6 July, Birmingham: A one-day training course on the application of B-scan and duplex, pulsed wave, colour and power Doppler techniques in the investigation of the extracranial and intracranial vasculature.
• Vascular Ultrasound Imaging: 6-7 July, Birmingham & 21-22 September, Manchester: An intensive two-day course on the application of duplex, pulsed wave, colour and power Doppler techniques in the investigation of the abdominal, extra and intra-cranial and peripheral vasculature.
• Venous Ultrasound Imaging: 6 November, London: A one-day specialist Venous course focusing on ultrasound colour duplex imaging of the deep and superficial venous system.

Each session will be led by Wessex Diagnostic’s dedicated faculty representatives, some of the UK’s foremost hospital ultrasound specialists and leaders in their field, who enjoy inspiring and engaging delegates with their expertise. This includes Dr Colin Deane from King’s College London; Professor Neil Pugh from Cardiff University, Wales; Mr Tim Hartshorne from Leicester Royal Infirmary; and Mr Alok Tiwari from Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

“We are excited to announce our first socially-distanced practical ultrasound course, after a challenging year for physical training courses and events,” states Helen Humphries, Director at Wessex Diagnostic. “Nothing beats theory sessions supported by ultrasound scanning practice, under the guiding hands of our highly skilled faculty. Here delegates can bounce ideas off some of the leading lights in the ultrasound sector. We’re delighted to be offering delegates a safe learning space, keeping the courses small, and starting to get ultrasound training back on track.”

“We are delighted to be in the process of planning to meet imaging professionals again this year, supporting this education programme with a range of ultrasound systems. Receiving highly skilled support, of hands on practice, is an extremely valued aspect of ultrasound courses – it helps to inspire confidence in newly developed skills, which can then be used clinically, for the benefit of both patients and colleagues. The feedback in past years has always been complementary with regard to the practical sessions, states Sally Davey, Ultrasound Product Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK.

For more information or to book a place visit Canon Medical’s online education platform, The Imaging Academy, https://imaging-academy.co.uk/.

*Subject to Government guidance

Photo caption: Canon Medical Systems UK and Wessex Diagnostic training courses for 2021 have been announced. [Illustrating image from early 2020 session pre-Covid].

Microvascular imaging & matrix probe innovations enhance detail and resolution for better quality diagnostic ultrasound care in the North East

Obstetrics and Gynaecology patients at The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough and Friarage Hospital in Northallerton are benefitting from improved ultrasound imaging and fewer invasive procedures due to the arrival of seven new ultrasound systems.

The Aplio i700 ultrasound systems from Canon Medical Systems update the imaging capabilities in Women’s Health at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The Trust will now be able to deliver Superb Microvascular Imaging (SMI), a colour Doppler technology that can visualise low-velocity microvascular flow in foetus and placenta, and matrix wide-band probe technology that offers better resolution in patients with higher BMI. The exceptional image quality will help give more confidence to clinical interpretation, meaning fewer patient image recalls and fewer invasive, internal probe examinations.

“First-time image success is better for our expectant mothers or concerned gynaecology patients,” states Kendra Exley, Lead Sonographer at The James Cook University Hospital. “The SMI innovation on the Aplio i700 ultrasound systems means that we get a much clearer view of small vessels of the foetus giving confidence in what we are seeing. The matrix probes are also better for ladies with higher BMI as they can provide improved image penetration through abdominal tissue and avoid the need for uncomfortable internal transducers.”

She continues, “We have a great relationship with Canon Medical and have worked with them for over 25 years. Image quality, reliability, value for money and the after-sales care and applications support are just a few of the many reasons we keep coming back.”

“Delivering accurate and high-quality patient services in Obstetrics and Gynaecology is essential. So, too, is the selection of diagnostic ultrasound imaging tools that ensure the best possible image quality for making clinical decisions and providing comfortable examinations to patients. We look forward to continuing our close partnership working with South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,” states Rosie Beattie, Ultrasound Regional Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK.

Photo caption: Seven Aplio i700 ultrasound systems from Canon Medical Systems update the imaging capabilities in Women’s Health at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Pictured: Nicola Hunt, Trainee Midwife Sonographer; Danielle Vout, Sonographer; Kendra Exley, Lead Sonographer; Sean Gibson, Ultrasound Applications Specialist at Canon Medical Systems UK; and Penny Hepplestone, Sonographer at The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

Deep intelligent CT scanners with AI inside transform breadth of clinical procedures

The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, a major acute teaching hospital in Scotland and part of NHS Lothian, has recently installed two new AI-assisted CT scanners from Canon Medical. Designed using Deep Learning Reconstruction, the systems are powered by an Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) to deliver high quality medical imaging at speed to overcome the time vs patient demand challenge that most hospitals face today. A range of software applications also expands the procedures and possibilities for patient clinical practice and research.

In CT Pulmonary Angiography, iodine mapping is used as standard which provides the radiologists with extra information to aid diagnosis. A greater level of information delivered more quickly is better for clinical decision-making and is now achieved at lower dose. Similarly, Interventional Radiologists have found the subtraction package for CT Peripheral Angiograms extremely valuable. This provides excellent visualisation of the vessels, replacing the need to see vascular calcification via an MRI scan, which is not suitable for many patients, but still with reassurance of the dose being low. All of the processing is done automatically by the CT. Furthermore, using the CT fluoroscopy package, the time taken to undertake biopsies has halved, therefore reducing appointment times for patients experiencing uncomfortable procedures.

“As radiographers we can become blasé about the imaging equipment we use on a daily basis, but the arrival of the new Aquilion ONE PRISM Edition CT and Aquilion Prime SP CT have reminded us of the amazing innovation going into medical imaging today. Our cardiologists have been blown away with how quick a cardiac CT is acquired using the wide detector, as well as the image quality achieved at such low doses.” states Lynne Thomson, CT/MRI Superintendent at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

She continues, “It’s not just the speed, low dose and image quality that have impressed us, but also the versatility of the new CT scanners. The ‘Area Finder’ functionality is useful for 4D joints and extremity imaging, which means we can seat patients at the end of the scanner. We have plans to adapt the way we book appointments for inpatients and outpatients since the arrival of the new CTs, which will lead to better workflow across a number of departments at the hospital.”

Mark Thomas, CT Modality Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK states, “There is no trade off in welcoming AI into the imaging department today through modality CT. No apprehension or anxiety should be part of the decision about embracing the future of AI in medical imaging. Our scanners are built to be used in the same way that radiographers are used to but have intelligent technology inside powering the processing and steering the quality of image output. This illuminates enthusiasm and initiates a brighter future of CT scanning.”

“We have had trust in Canon Medical Systems for nearly two decades with a long-standing positive relationship in its medical imaging innovation, and for its after-sales and customer service. When our current 10-year-old CT scanners reached end of life, Canon Medical was again the natural choice. The new generation of Aquilion CT scanners is outstanding compared to what we were used to. Our radiologists have been amazed by the improved image quality and speed of procedures, and as radiographers, we are very pleased at the significantly reduced dose to patients,” Lynne Thomson concludes.

Photo caption: The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, part of NHS Lothian, has recently installed two new AI-assisted CT scanners from Canon Medical. Pictured L to R: Iain Gray, Account Manager at Canon Medical; Lorna Chalmers, Radiographer; Lynne Thomson, CT/MRI Superintendent; Matthew Reilly, Radiographer; and Colin Fraser, Clinical Assistant.

Superb CT image quality, at speed and at ultra-low dose expands clinical possibilities and improves positive patient outcomes

 The insatiable demand for speed and high-quality graphics in the gaming industry has brought with it affordable, high-end computing power that is now being utilised in AI-assisted CT scanners in UK hospitals. For the first time high quality, ultra-low dose CT imaging at speeds fast enough to be used in real time on every patient has now become a reality.

Leighton Hospital, part of Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, was one of the first hospitals in the UK to install a new CT scanner with a ‘super computer’ inside, and is now one of the first to receive the version two upgrade of the Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE). This maintains the incredibly low doses achieved previously, but further enhances the true-to-life image quality of patient scan images to deliver earlier diagnosis and treatment planning to improve patient health outcomes.

“AI-assisted CT has made the impossible, possible. Before, to produce high quality images at super low doses was not possible in useable real world time frames. Now, the Deep Learning Reconstruction algorithms on the Canon Medical range of Aquilion CT scanners has driven down dose to ultra-low levels – reductions of up to 92% below UK National Diagnostic Reference Levels – at the same time as delivering high-quality images never seen before. This is vital in an era where CT demand has grown exponentially as a frontline triage tool for earlier and more detailed diagnosis,” states Dr Richard Hawkins, Consultant Radiologist at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

“Dose is such an important factor in medical technology innovation. Take for example, a young patient with kidney stones – they potentially face a lifetime of CT scans and this has a cumulative radiation dose risk over time. Therefore, the sizeable reduction in the dose administered to patients at each scan, whilst still gaining excellent images for clinical decision making, is revolutionising medicine,” he continues. “It is the ultra-low dose and clear quality images at high speed from AI-assisted CT that will underpin and drive forward CT, including recent calls for proactive CT screening for lung cancer. Identifying tiny cancers before they grow to an inoperable size will save lives and to do this with high quality CT equivalent to the dose of just a few chest X-rays is now possible. Furthermore, ultra-low dose CT Pulmonary Angiograms (CTPA) are now standard in pregnant mothers and more recently COVID-19 patients, many of which at this stage are young or middle aged. Low dose is essential for long-term health beyond the condition for which they are being treated.”

“The computing power of Aquilion CT scanners with Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) has been made possible by a partnership with NVIDIA, the company behind computer graphics processing units that are powering consumer gaming and driverless cars. This has helped to provide the high-performance computing power needed for the CT reconstruction technology inside our CT scanners, making AI-assisted CT affordable and accessible to all hospitals,” states Mark Thomas, CT Modality Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK.

Leighton Hospital has Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) on an Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition CT and Aquilion Prime SP CT, both installed by Canon Medical over the last eighteen months.

Photo caption: Gaming tech innovation drives advances in UK medical imaging

Harley Street clinic welcomes new era of high quality & low dose diagnostic imaging

The European Scanning Centre, a specialist medical imaging clinic on Harley Street in London, has welcomed AI-assisted CT to its range of equipment for cardiac and wider patient examinations. The Aquilion ONE PRISM CT from Canon Medical will be used to deliver a higher standard and more detailed level of care to its patients.

“Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in the UK. Earlier diagnosis can help patients alter their lifestyles or enable preventative clinical actions,” states Dr Azad Ghuran, Consultant Cardiologist at The European Scanning Centre. “Our cardiovascular disease risk assessment programme uses CT coronary angiography to not only calcium score but also to assess plaque characteristics, which can identify patients at higher risk. The new Aquilion PRISM will assist greatly with this giving us much higher quality images of the heart and coronary artery anatomy, at a much faster acquisition speed than we’ve had before. It also offers the patient a more comfortable and quicker scan experience, at a much lower radiation dose.”

He continues, “The evolution of CT innovation heralds a new era for imaging assisted by Artificial Intelligence. Through the Advanced Intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) on the Aquilion PRISM, sharp and clear images are delivered with low noise properties. This gives us the future of medical imaging today and will assist with earlier and more confident clinical diagnoses for our patients.”

In addition to the world’s first Deep Learning Reconstruction method, the Aquilion PRISM also provides the European Scanning Centre with ^PUREVision Optics detector and filtration functionality to gain the optimal balance between image quality and radiation dose. It also means that the need for contrast media is reduced in patient examinations. A further innovative application algorithm called Single Energy Metal Artifact Reduction (SEMAR) is also included to remove image artifacts caused by metal inside the patient and improve visualisation of the heart, lungs, bone and soft tissue structures. This is useful when examining patients with metallic prostheses, cardiovascular implanted electronic devices or medically implanted coils or clips.

“AI-assisted CT is delivering deeper intelligence to clinical teams to explore the structure and function deep inside the body,” states Mark Thomas, CT Modality Manager at Canon Medical. “Our Advanced Intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) on new generation CT scanners is built from the knowledge and data of CT reconstruction. Its algorithms restore low-quality CT data to match the properties of advanced Model-based Iterative Reconstruction without the need for multiple forward-projected iteration cycles, saving workflow time and dose. AI isn’t just a vision in medical imaging, it is a reality already.”

Photo Caption: The European Scanning Centre, a specialist medical imaging clinic on Harley Street in London, has welcomed an Aquilion ONE PRISM CT from Canon Medical to its range of equipment for cardiac and wider patient examinations.

Photo caption: Cardiology / Coronary LAD plaque via Advanced Intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) on the Aquilion ONE PRISM CT.

 Alphenix Sky+ accepts the individuality of every patient and clinical procedure

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, one of the biggest and busiest NHS Trusts in the country, has praised the benefits of a ceiling-mounted Alphenix Sky+ interventional imaging system six months on from becoming the first location in the UK to receive the solution from Canon Medical.

The Trust, serving one million residents in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, has commended its great advantages to patients and clinicians, enabling less invasive medical procedures with lower associated risk to improve patient recovery times and shorten hospital stays. Greater visualisation of anatomical details at lower dose also improves clinical confidence, giving earlier patient diagnoses and swifter treatment planning.

The Alphenix Sky+ is located at the Leicester General Hospital site and has been designed to accept that every patient is different, and that unrestricted access is key for expanding clinical procedures. For example, its 270° C-arm rotation around the table gives great flexibility for patient access and procedure planning.

“The double C-arm design of the Alphenix Sky+ means that we can do a CT spin from the patient’s side rather than from the head and enable prostate imaging on tall patients. This will increase our imaging flexibility for a range of different procedures, and also understands the individuality of every patient we see,” states Sarita Modi, Superintendent Radiographer at Leicester’s Hospitals.

“We needed to future-proof our interventional imaging services with a new system that would give us greater reliability, better imaging resolution and further advances to expand our patient services. The Alphenix Sky+ with 3D workstation ticked all the boxes and has impressed us from the start,” continues Sarita Modi.

The Alphenix system features a unique ‘Dose Tracking System’ that tracks X-ray beam movement and provides real-time feedback on skin dose information, mapping it visually as a simple, colour-coded visual on the system interface. This advanced warning system gives quick and easy-to-see alerts to operators to adjust C-arm angulation, frame rate settings and collimation to reduce skin dose.

“Early UK evaluations following the launch of the Alphenix interventional imaging system suggest the potential for a 50% dose reduction to patients when compared with replaced systems and UK National Diagnostic Reference Levels (NDRLs),” states Daniel Parr, XR Modality Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK. “The dose display is unique to the Alphenix and a giant leap for interventional radiology in managing ionizing radiation for both staff and patients.”

Photo caption: Sarita Modi, Superintendent Radiographer at Leicester’s Hospitals praises the ceiling mounted Alphenix Sky+ interventional imaging system from Canon Medical following its first six months of service.

Canon Medical calls for a dedicated focus on net-zero radiology by 2040 as new NHS report illustrates 10% of estate carbon emissions come from medical equipment

NHS sustainability officers and radiology service managers working towards NHS net-zero carbon targets will be reassured by the latest carbon footprint data released by Canon Medical Systems UK.

The recent publication of the NHS report ‘Delivering a Net Zero National Health Service’ highlights that the greatest opportunity for green change is in the NHS supply chain. It states that 62% of carbon emission sources in the NHS are generated by ‘medicines, medical equipment and other supply chain’: medicines (20%), medical equipment (10%), non-medical equipment (8%) and other supply chain (24%). In sharp contrast all medical imaging equipment installed by Canon Medical into healthcare organisations comes with a zero-carbon footprint to support sustainability agendas.

Canon Medical’s Carbon Offset Impact Report¹, developed and monitored independently to Gold Standards for UN Global Goals, shows that the importance of being a carbon zero supplier to the NHS has not been forgotten, despite the rapid mobilisation and fight against the global coronavirus pandemic taking centre stage in 2020. For example, fifteen relocatable Canon Medical CT scanners, deployed by NHS England’s COVID-19 recovery plan to help with patient imaging backlog and winter COVID-19 preparations, had zero carbon tonnes of emission for the NHS to incorporate into its environmental reporting totals. The 1,161.75 tonnes had already been offset by Canon Medical’s robust carbon offset which includes the CO2 emissions during manufacturer and the lifetime electrical running of the system once inside the hospital estate.

“The NHS net-zero report highlights the interrelationship between the NHS (compounded by the COVID-19 global pandemic) and the fragile state of our environment. It reinforces the need to have global eyes to minimise impact on the natural world and prepare for climate change,” states Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical Systems UK. “The world around us has a profound effect on our local health systems as the pandemic has served to illustrate recently. Future changes in climate, such as extreme weather and poor air quality, will further increase pressures on UK healthcare, such as asthma or respiratory issues. 2019 alone saw 900 more deaths from the summer heatwave.”

“The health system in England is responsible for 4% of the UK’s carbon footprint so has a moral obligation to look after the wider health of the planet. As a key imaging equipment provider to the NHS, and the only OEM with net-carbon credentials already, we will do all we can to support UK radiology with a focus on green and sustainable management of the imaging departments,” Mark Hitchman continues. “The recent announcement to create Diagnostic Community Hubs will keep patients closer to home and thus reduce travel related carbon emissions. But a rapid ramp up of medical equipment inside the ‘one-stop-shops’ to recover and renew UK diagnostics needs careful consideration – a green NHS needs sustainably focused equipment innovators.”

Paul Chiplen, Director at CO2balance, a specialist provider of innovative carbon management and offset solutions to UK industry states, “Supply chains that include independently verified carbon neutral players are incredibly important in verifying the strength of sustainability credentials. Our work with Canon Medical for over 6 years assures its customers and partners that its carbon statements and data are independently verified and validated. The NHS net-carbon targets alongside that of wider UK Government are positive steps forward to protecting the health of our precious planet.”

Photo caption: Canon Medical calls for a dedicated focus on net-zero UK Radiology by 2040 as new NHS report illustrates 10% of estate carbon emissions come from medical equipment.

Upgrading patient services and speeding up diagnosis with new Ultimax-i imaging technology

Two new Ultimax-i multi-purpose digital C-arms from Canon Medical are now operational at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust located at Lincoln County Hospital and Pilgrim Hospital, Boston.

The two ‘three-in-one’ Ultimax-i angiography, fluoroscopy and radiography systems update 20-year old redundant systems to provide clinicians with modern imaging insights to perform patient procedures and deliver prompt diagnosis and treatments. For patients this means reduced waiting times and local appointments, removing the need to travel to other hospital locations outside their locality. This is especially beneficial to paediatric patients who can now remain in their region without the need to be transferred over long distances.

“The Ultimax-i was a unanimous choice by our radiologists and radiographers to update our fluoroscopy services,” states Nigel Allen, Radiology Operations Manager. “We have worked with Canon Medical for many years, who have proven to be responsive and deliver superb service. The first system at Pilgrim Hospital went live smoothly at the end of March 2020 and despite the arrival of the Coronavirus pandemic, our second system also achieved go-live on time shortly afterwards with building contractors, installation teams and applications training showing full commitment to ensure there were no delays in the installation process despite the pandemic challenges.”

He continues, “The Ultimax-i provides a super balance of low dose and exceptional image quality which the radiologists are extremely satisfied with. It is very intuitive to use and its versatility gives us interventional resilience as a back-up to our interventional suite should we be at full capacity or undergoing maintenance.”

“The Ulitimax-i manages gastrointestinal studies, interventional radiology and angiographic procedures via a multidirectional and interactive digital C-arm. This gives super flexibility, ultimate image quality and at low dose,” states Billy Erwin, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK. “It has been a great case of two-way teamwork at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust to have the systems installed during a national emergency. We look forward to a continued partnership with the Trust and supporting the needs of the imaging team.”

Photo caption: Pilgrim Hospital, Boston welcomes two ‘three-in-one’ Ultimax-i angiography, fluoroscopy and radiography systems from Canon Medical. Pictured (L to R): Kelly Keir, Deputy Sister; Cesar Herrera, Senior Radiographer; Andrew Mayes, Applications Specialist at Canon Medical Systems UK; Dr Emmanouil Blevrakis, Consultant Interventional Radiologist; Nigel Allen, Radiology Operations Manager; Pieter Oberholzer, Service Engineer at Canon Medical Systems.

New ultrasound system supported with dedicated applications support

Victoria Community Hospital, part of Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust, recently changed ultrasound imaging partners opting for an Aplio i-series i600 diagnostic ultrasound system from Canon Medical for its general radiology needs. In addition to the functional and operational benefits of the new system, such as great image quality, ergonomic design and transducer versatility, the agreement also includes unlimited access to a dedicated applications specialist to address all technical questions.

Ian Brodie, Lead Sonographer at Victoria Community Hospital states, “The clarity of the image provided by the Aplio i600 i-series has been the most pleasing aspect of the new system. Finer detail can be observed, and the Doppler performance is outstanding. In particular, the 4-probe input is extremely useful in a multidisciplinary setting. Manoeuvrability of the system is also an advantage, helping to alleviate musculoskeletal impact on our users.”

He continues, “We have had unlimited access to a Canon Medical Ultrasound Application Specialist who is always readily available for technical questions and it took no time to learn all the everyday functionality of the system due to the easy-to-use display.”

Suzanne Holloway, Radiology Manager at Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust, adds, “The Canon Medical team has gone the extra mile in supporting our needs. This is greatly appreciated by our team and gives reassurance that we are providing the best possible service to our patient population.”

Tim Palarm, Regional Manager, Ultrasound Sales at Canon Medical Systems UK adds, “It is always great to hear such positive feedback from customers regarding our products, as well as the excellent after-sales service that Canon Medical provide. We aspire to be best-in-class and provide the highest levels of customer support in the market.”

Photo caption: Ian Brodie, Lead Sonographer and Suzanne Holloway, Radiology Manager at Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust with the Aplio i-series i600 diagnostic ultrasound system from Canon Medical.

AI-Powered Premium CT Scanner Offers Industry’s Largest Bore and Widest Field-of-View

Zoetermeer, The Netherlands, 23 October 2020 – The predicted global cancer burden is expected to grow to 27.5 million new cancer cases by 2040 due to the rapid growth and aging of the population worldwide. Some of the most common cancer types, such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, oral cancer and colorectal cancer are largely curable if they are detected early and treated appropriately¹. With a disease so prevalent, clinicians require accuracy, precision, and speed while planning for radiation therapy treatment. Giving clinicians the opportunity to see more during radiation therapy planning, Canon Medical Systems is introducing the Aquilion Exceed LB CT scanner (pending 510(k) clearance) during this year’s virtual American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.

Canon Medical CEO, Toshio Takiguchi, said, “At Canon Medical, we deliver solutions that meet healthcare providers’ needs but also push the boundaries of traditional CT simulation. Accurate simulation across even the most challenging radiation therapy treatment plans is imperative during the planning phase of the patient care journey. With the Aquilion Exceed LB, we brought deep learning reconstruction technology to the radiation oncology market. This will give the radiation oncology team the confidence and precision they need for accurate therapy planning for their patients and will leave patients with a positive experience when undergoing a CT scan.”

The Aquilion Exceed LB can help radiation oncologists with fast and efficient radiation oncology workflows without compromising on patient position, image quality, or reproducibility. Features include:

• Accuracy in even the most complex simulations through industry-leading capabilities, like the largest bore size (90 cm), edge-to-edge extended Field-of-View (90 cm) reconstruction, and widest detector coverage (4 cm).
• Better contouring using Artificial Intelligence (AI) with sharp, clear and distinct images from Canon Medical’s Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) Deep Learning Reconstruction (DLR) technology.
• Expanded capabilities – because of the Aquilion Exceed LB’s suite of premium CT capabilities to further increase clinical utility, it integrates seamlessly with a range of respiratory gating devices and can perform both phase and amplitude sorting.

Learn more about Canon Medical’s new Aquilion Exceed LB CT system by visiting our website.

1) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) February 2020

Temporary scanner helped catch up with seasonal CT backlog and arrived in time to support imaging services during COVID-19

 Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust has successfully managed its CT imaging backlog during COVID-19 with the help of a Canon Medical relocatable with Aquilion Prime SP CT. The unit was installed as part of winter 2019/20 contingency funding, but also played a critical role in supporting imaging services during the pandemic.

Positioned on a disused ambulance and disabled parking bay, the relocatable unit’s main objective was to help the imaging department to clear a backlog of outpatient scans from the winter period and ensure same day care for emergency patients. This was successfully achieved, and its arrival just before the Coronavirus crisis ensured the Trust had a scanner separate from the main department for infection control purposes and defend against further backlogs in oncology referrals.

“We are a landlocked hospital with no room for further expansion of imaging facilities,” states Stuart Andrew, Lead Radiographer CT at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust. “Therefore, the option of a relocatable CT in the car park seemed the perfect solution to our needs to increase scanning capacity to clear a backlog of outpatient scans from the winter period, and plan for a future CT upgrade in the main building. It has also helped us defend our imaging services from the unexpected arrival of Coronavirus by providing an additional outpatient scanner that is not directly linked to the main building.”

He continues, “We have been able to maintain our two-week urgent cancer referral targets during the COVID crisis by having the additional CT scanner and working longer hours and at weekends. This would have been far more difficult without the extra scanner.”

The Canon Medical relocatable scan unit is designed to feel like a clinical part of the hospital estate. It is a ground floor level structure with no staircases featuring changing area, control and scanning room. The units include clinical flooring, hospital grade heating, ventilation and air conditioning, plus data link connectivity to hospital systems.

“This year has shown us the need to remain agile in healthcare and to expect the unexpected,” states Joe Vincent, Commercial Solutions Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK. “Patient imaging demands, radiology workforce shortages, winter pressures and lack of space on hospital estates have long squeezed the capacity of diagnostic imaging in the UK. Now we have the added pressures of infection control and a global virus pandemic. Keeping imaging solutions responsive with the supply of relocatable or mobile CT and MRI units, are one step, alongside flexibility in terms of finance or rental solutions. Keeping responsive is critical as a key supplier to the NHS.”

Photo caption: Pictured L to R: Iain Burley, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK; Sarah Guzvica, CT Clinical Lead Radiographer; Beverly Besana, Radiographer; and Stuart Andrew, Lead Radiographer CT at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust.

Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition takes its place inside the new Department of Clinical Neurosciences

The Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DCN) and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) at NHS Lothian have both selected Canon Medical’s Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition CT scanner to support routine and research imaging services. Both systems were chosen to replace an incumbent CT supplier and support services inside the new £150 million hospital in Edinburgh, a project that involved the re-location of the both the DCN and the Royal Hospital Sick Children from other parts of the city to under one roof at the Little France site at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

The CT scanner is now operational at the Department of Clinical Neurosciences for neurology, general imaging, CT angiography and interventional procedures with the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People also set to bring into service its own Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition CT when the hospital is fully open. The new building will adjoin the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh via adult and children emergency departments.

Canon Medical was awarded the CT contract for balancing high-end medical imaging technology with value for money. It also offers low dose capabilities, excellent image quality and innovative CT reconstruction through its Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE). Together this will lead to enhanced clinical confidence and an improved patient experience.

Lesley McKinlay, Principal Radiographer at DCN/RHCYP at NHS Lothian states, “Despite the Coronavirus pandemic the CT installation has been completed by Canon Medical and we are operational. We are already seeing the benefits of its wide-ranging functionality in the delivery of routine clinical work and research projects. The staff have been extremely well supported by the Canon applications and support teams.”

“We are delighted to have been awarded the CT partnership at NHS Lothian and welcome them to our stable of NHS customers across the UK. We hold great pride at Canon Medical that the end of a sale is just the start of a long term imaging partnership – we look forward to providing online and physical application and service support into the future,” states Iain Gray, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK.

West Midlands location allocated one of fifteen relocatable Canon Medical CT Scan Units in direct response to expanding patient access to diagnostic imaging

The impact of COVID-19 on diagnostic imaging at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust has increased demand for chest CT scans, created a backlog of routine patient scans, and increased time for cleaning CT scan rooms between patients. It is estimated that an extra 62 hours of CT scanning time is required per week.

To meet imaging demand, NHS England has allocated Stratford Hospital, a community site at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust, with one of fifteen specially commissioned Canon Medical Systems relocatable CT Scan Units. The cost has been met by NHS England and NHS Improvement’s COVID-19 recovery fund, with installation, staffing and maintenance picked up by the Trust for the 18-month period.

Helen Lancaster, Director of Operations at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust states, “We are thrilled to be allocated this capital resource by NHS England / Improvement. Year-on-year demand for CT scans has grown significantly and is unlikely to decrease given the changes required in cancer pathways and diagnostic techniques. With the added considerable impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the Trust’s capacity to perform many diagnostic procedures, the implementation of the CT scanner at Stratford Hospital is significant in ensuring our patients are seen and treated as soon as possible.”

The CT Scan Unit is an easily transportable, temporary scanning facility featuring CT scanner, control room and patient changing area. Designed and made in the UK by Canon Medical Systems as a direct response to the Coronavirus crisis, the units can be easily deployed to hospital sites on the back of a lorry and sited in car parks to provide instant imaging capacity. Each unit features a best-of-breed Canon Medical Aquilion CT scanner and features correct clinical flooring, hospital grade heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) requirements plus datalink connectivity. The CT scanner also includes ‘InnerVision™’, a remote diagnostics software solution that can predict, diagnose or fix system issues fast without the need for engineers to visit hospital sites.

Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical Systems UK states, “The relocatable CT scan unit was quickly designed and manufactured by our team and partners at the start of the Coronavirus crisis. It is a quick-to-deploy solution for hospitals needing additional imaging capacity for routine work, or a separate red / infectious zone to keep COVID-19 risk patients separate. It can be positioned without building works or hospital reconfiguration by simply being sited in a car park or land adjacent to a hospital. We are delighted to see the corona-concept now being rolled out to hospital locations such as South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust. We will continue to be on-call to deliver maintenance and swift resolutions to problems by our virtual remote service solution.”

Photo caption: A Canon Medical relocatable CT Scan Unit has been deployed to Stratford Hospital at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust as part of NHS England’s COVID-19 recovery plan.

Collaboration includes co-funding a PhD studentship & providing echo equipment

Canon Medical Systems UK has announced that it is supporting University of Exeter research by co-funding a PhD studentship to research cardiac function and health and fitness in children with paediatric congenital heart disease. The aim of the project is to improve the understanding of the interaction between heart diseases and exercise and to improve and refine exercise guidelines for young people with congenital heart disease with the hope of improving the wellbeing of thousands of children in the UK and beyond.

The PhD candidate, Curtis Wadey, started in January 2020 and is working closely with Professor Craig Williams, Head of the Children’s Health and Exercise Research Centre (CHERC). Mr Wadey is also working with Dr Guido Pieles, Paediatric Cardiologist at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and the Bristol Heart Institute. The CHERC team will have access to state-of-the-art Canon Medical echocardiography ultrasound equipment, as well as bespoke training and support delivered by the Canon Medical team.

“This collaboration with Canon Medical is essential to further the research in paediatric heart research,” states Curtis Wadey. “Canon Medical provide the university and our research group with the essential tools, support and financial backing to research children’s heart disease.”

“Having had the chance to work alongside Canon Medical for the last five years, we are really excited by this growing relationship and future opportunities, especially related to paediatric health care,” states Professor Williams. “There are few centres around the world dedicated to these topics and we are proud of this partnership.”

Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical Systems UK, states “Canon Medical is motivated by partnerships such as this one which we have valued for many years now. Taking the partnership to a new level to benefit the young, with known or unknown heart problems, is reward enough. However, working in partnership with great people and highly reputable institutions to improve the quality of life, improve life expectancy and even save lives is what really drives us. On that basis we are particularly proud of this collaboration.”

Mr Wadey is joined by two other PhD students: Dr Dan-Mihai Dorobantu, a cardiologist whose PhD is funded by the GW4 MRC Doctoral Training Programme; and Nurul Amir, a specialist in rehabilitation, based at the University of Bristol. Two experienced research fellows, based in Exeter and funded by Canon Medical and the charity Heart Research UK, will join the team later this year.

The aim of the University of Exeter research unit has always been to raise the profile of children’s health and wellbeing both nationally and internationally. This includes creating awareness about the health risks of children’s inactivity, working on the prevention of cardiovascular diseases in school-aged children or advancing the knowledge of exercise benefits for children with chronic medical conditions. Another of the research unit’s main focuses has also been investigating the health and wellbeing of young athletes, which led to a fruitful first collaboration with Canon Medical, the Bristol Heart Institute and the youth division of Manchester United Football Academy, to investigate the physiology of the young athlete’s heart.

Professor Craig Williams, Director of the Children’s Health & Exercise Research Centre (CHERC); Tim Palarm, Regional Manager, Canon Medical Systems UK; and Curtis Wadey, PhD student at the University of Exeter.

Metal artefact reduction technology on new CT scanner benefits A&E team in Glasgow

 A new CT scanner situated in the Accident & Emergency (A&E) Department of Glasgow Royal Infirmary has been praised for its metal artefact reduction algorithm that enables hospital staff to gain clearer imaging to assist more confident and faster diagnosis.

The SEMAR™ application on the Canon Medical Aquilion Prime SP CT eliminates the distortion of metallic artefacts inside patients generated from items such as orthopaedic plates or screws; medically implanted coils or clips; or fragments from trauma incidents. It automatically removes the streaks of distortion around the metal items, even retrospectively, to improve the visualisation of medical images for clinical interpretation with no increase in patient dose.

“Metal management in patients is an issue that has been on the CT imaging innovation radar for some time,” states Iain Gray, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK. “For A&E departments it can help with imaging patients with metal trauma wounds. Add to this the fact that our population is ageing, and so too are their joints, there is also a growing increase in the use of replacement metal prostheses. Plus, the advancements of managing life threatening conditions such as coiling or clipping aneurysms further adds to the potential of metal being present inside the twenty first century patient.”

“It is an unfortunate fact of life that in a busy city A&E we see all sorts of trauma cases. Being able to examine a patient precisely with potential metal fragments inside them is a great advantage in treatment planning. Without the SEMAR CT technology the metal would cause distortion on the resulting medical images and could obscure tissue or bone imagery. Now, we can confidently see if fragments are inside the body and rapidly understand what impact they have caused,” states Karen Macdonald, CT Modality Lead Radiographer at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

The Aquilion Prime SP CT at Glasgow Royal Infirmary remained as an A&E scanner during the COVID-19 crisis but has undertaken both acute trauma cases and COVID-19 chest scans with stringent cleaning in between procedures. It has quickly delivered many advantages to the radiology team compared to the previous ageing scanner it replaced.

Karen Macdonald adds, “An additional benefit of the new Canon Medical CT scanner is cardiac gating. Previously a patient presenting at A&E would need to be transferred to the Radiology Department – this incurred time and required transfer staff. Now, high-quality gating can happen as soon as patients present at the front door of A&E which gives them a much better outcome.”

The Aquilion Prime SP CT installation at Glasgow Royal Infirmary is one of five Canon Medical CTs recently awarded by Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board. The other sites include one at Inverclyde Royal Hospital; two at Gartnavel General Hospital; and one at The Institute of Neurological Sciences.

Canon Medical’s Aplio systems selected for image quality, compact size & ergonomics

The Obstetric Department at Bedford Hospital, part of Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has installed two new Aplio a450 diagnostic ultrasounds to replace aging units. The new systems introduce refreshed imaging technology and continue a long-standing imaging relationship between the Trust and Canon Medical Systems UK.

“The new Aplio systems are great all-rounders for our obstetric and gynaecology needs, introducing better image quality with clearer resolution than we had before. The new technology gives a greater depth of image penetration that is much better for technically challenging patient cases such as those with high BMIs,” states Caroline Byrne, Modality Lead for Ultrasound at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. “The Aplio systems are also suitably compact for the restricted space that they operate in, lighter to manoeuvre and with better user ergonomics.”

“The Aplio range of diagnostic ultrasound systems is designed to increase clinical confidence in imaging outputs and expand the capabilities of hospital departments,” states Iain Dunn, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK. “It is great news that Bedford Hospital has re-selected our systems and service for its obstetrics department. Further sales have since been secured in the radiology and interventional departments, and we look forward to working together in the future.”

Photo caption: The Obstetric Department at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has introduced two new Aplio a450 diagnostic ultrasounds from Canon Medical.

Pictured left to right: Elizabeth Ash, Sonographer; Sarah Kennard, Sonographer; Christian Kasmeridis, Deputy Director Radiology & Emergency Departments; Lisa Wright, Ultrasound Applications Specialist at Canon Medical Systems; Caroline Byrne, Modality Lead for Ultrasound; and Christine Somervell, Sonographer.

Patient dose up to 90% below UK National Diagnostic Reference Levels

A Deep Learning Reconstruction Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation, built into an Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition CT scanner from Canon Medical Systems UK, is delivering a ‘new era’ of patient imaging at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Patient dose reductions of up to 90% below National Diagnostic Reference Levels (NDRLs) have been achieved at Leighton Hospital in Crewe using the Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE), a Deep Learning Reconstruction AI algorithm integrated into its new Canon Medical CT scanner. The low doses have even been achieved when examining traditionally difficult to image patients such as severely ill patients with their arms by their sides, patients unable to hold their breath and bariatric patients.

“Advanced Deep Learning Reconstruction of clinical images using Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) heralds a new era in CT. It enables phenomenal patient dose reduction, up to 90% below the National Diagnostic Reference Levels, at the same time as providing extremely high-quality clinical images and all in a rapid timeframe suitable for everyday clinical use. This goes far beyond model-based iterative reconstruction on CT and as Canon Medical was first to innovate in this area, it offers the most mature system of this kind,” states Dr Richard Hawkins, Consultant Radiologist at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

He continues, “The clinical images generated using Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) are much more natural and acceptable in appearance to radiologists reporting on cases. Previously, with model-based iterative reconstruction, the images looked as if they had been painted with watercolours. This is a great improvement – once you see them you’ll never look back. As a department we have always been very proactive when it comes to keeping patient dose down and our experiences of using the system every day for in inpatients and outpatients has exceeded our expectations. Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) is a game changer for radiology.”

“Advancements in Artificial Intelligence to further the capacity and capabilities of radiology are very exciting. It isn’t theory or pilot studies, it is real and being used in the UK by busy NHS hospitals to power the improvement in patient care, speed-up processes and empower clinical confidence,” states Mark Thomas, CT Modality Manager at Canon Medical. “Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) is trained using a deep learning algorithm to differentiate ‘noise’ from true signal, reducing distortions, preserving edges and maintaining details in image outputs at the same time as achieving lower doses than ever seen before in routine CT imaging.”

Photo caption: Leighton Hospital, part of Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is one of the first NHS hospitals using Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE), a Deep Learning Reconstruction AI algorithm on its Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition CT scanner from Canon Medical Systems UK. [Picture taken pre-Covid-19]

Pictured L to R: (Rear) Tamzin Culverhouse, Medical Imaging Assistant; Alex Finnie, Senior Radiographer; Matt Simpson, Consultant Radiologist; Barnaby Harrison, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK. (Front) Justin Edwards, Advanced Radiographer Practitioner; Sophie Vaux, Senior Radiographer; Dr Richard Hawkins, Consultant Radiologist; and Mark Thompson, Medical Imaging Assistant.

School children meet & greet with Manchester United first team players part of
Canon Medical’s collaboration with Sheffield Sharks Basketball Club RESPECT initiative

Despite the challenges of coronavirus in 2020, the collaboration between Canon Medical and B-Braun Sheffield Sharks professional basketball team continues to flourish. This partnership highlights the positive issues of community respect and educating about anti-social activity and cyber bullying prevention. Although interaction plans for the RESPECT community outreach initiatives in South Yorkshire, such as citizenship workshops and sports coaching, have altered this year due to the virus pandemic, keeping in touch with vulnerable school children and supporting teachers has continued.

Prior to the pandemic and social distancing measures, a group of year 6 primary school children were rewarded for their energy and determination following a win at an inter-schools basketball tournament arranged by the RESPECT campaign. The winners had a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ visit to Manchester United Football Club for a behind the scenes stadium tour, plus a meet and greet with first team players including Tim Fosu-Mensah, Nemanja Matic and Sergio Romero.

The visit to Manchester United Football Club was arranged by Canon Medical who is the Official Medical Systems Partner’ to the premier league team. The tour included a walk around the stadium and through the player’s tunnel; a visit to the dugout, dressing rooms, museum, press and trophy rooms; and was followed by lunch in the Directors suite.

Positive role modelling in sports and life is part of the philosophy of the RESPECT programme. Sheffield Sharks players and RESPECT leaders have real-life stories to tell of growing up in challenging circumstances and how choosing a path of sport enabled them to gain skills and stay trouble free. The RESPECT programme aims to inspire and engage children from all walks of life with sports, social and citizenship skills and often works in conjunction with local agencies such as South Yorkshire Police and Fire & Rescue Service.

“Understanding the positive principles of team sport and learning directly from role models is a vital part of helping young people believe in themselves and understand the value of community,” states Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical Systems UK. “Taking the right path in life is not only important to individuals, but also to the areas they live in. A positive sense of community makes our city streets safer and helps to make the world we live in a safer, kinder place.”

“We can’t thank Canon Medical enough as our RESPECT sponsors for being instrumental in giving a once-in-a-lifetime experience to children from one of our outreach schools. It is a day the children, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, will never forget and we hope it will give them the inspiration and determination to aim high and be whatever they want to be,” states Marko Backovic, Sheffield Sharks’ Head of Community.

Multi-purpose digital C-arm that delivers on angiography, fluoroscopy & radiography  

George Eliot Hospital has installed an Ultimax-i multi-purpose digital C-arm from Canon Medical Systems UK. The unit was selected for its small footprint to fit into a restricted space and also for the versatility of being able to undertake fluoroscopy, angiography and digital radiographs on a single system.

The Ultimax-i replaced an end of life system and fulfils the need to expand services at the hospital. It features a ceiling mounted over-couch tube (OTC) and C-arm with extensive angulation and movement range, to help increase patient comfort and improve workflow. The system also includes a wireless flat panel detector (43cm x 35cm) to provide a wide range of DR examinations and deliver excellent image quality.

“The Ultimax-i has been a welcome addition to our imaging department. It offers exceptional versatility for our services which means the room never stands idle. When the system is not in use for fluoroscopy or angio work it can be used for radiography, meaning greater workflow efficiencies across the department,” states Matthew Rayner, Lead Radiographer at George Eliot Hospital.

He continues, “It was the smallest footprint system we saw as part of our market evaluations and it also delivered many functionality benefits with high image quality and low dose. The service support from Canon Medical is one of the best we receive and was also a selection factor. If ever we have a system go down, Canon Medical immediately provides help over the phone or sends an engineer in quickly. This gives great confidence to keep our services running smoothly.”

Daniel Parr, XR Modality Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK states, “We are delighted that George Eliot Hospital refreshed its partnership with Canon Medical by renewing its fluoroscopy system to the multi-purpose Ultimax-i. Now, it can extend its imaging capacity to ensure the room and system are working hard at all times to deliver fluoroscopy, radiography and angiography procedures. This delivers maximum return on investment and versatility.”

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust is located on the outskirts of Nuneaton serving a population of nearly 300,000 in north Warwickshire, south-west Leicestershire and north Coventry.

Photo caption: George Eliot Hospital has installed an Ultimax-i digital C-arm from Canon Medical Systems UK. Pictured left to right: Matthew Rayner, Lead Radiographer; Josh Saliba, Assistant Practitioner; Barnaby Harrison, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK; Dan Parr, XR Modality Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK; Dr. Sinha, Consultant Radiologist; Lisa Buckton, Senior ODP; Sradha Kundalia, Senior Radiographer.

UK sales momentum builds for new generation CT featuring Deep Learning Reconstruction

UK momentum of Canon Medical’s new generation Aquilion ONE PRISM CT system featuring Deep Learning Reconstruction technology via its Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) is building with further sales and installations announced. Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is the latest organisation to update its imaging facilities selecting Canon Medical Systems as its new CT imaging partner.

The Aquilion ONE PRISM CT, launched in the UK this year, was selected by the Dorset County Hospital team for its high image quality and low dose. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hospital team in conjunction with Canon Medical and its turnkey builders worked seamlessly together to ensure installation of this vitally important equipment.

Simon Jones, Lead CT Radiographer at Dorset County Hospital states, “We entered a market evaluation process for a new CT scanner with open eyes and selected the Aquilion ONE PRISM for its amazing functionality, high quality images and low dose.”

“The cardiac CT functionality of the Aquilion ONE PRISM is very impressive and fully meets our needs. Other clinical applications on the scanner will also help us achieve positive workflow. ^SURESubtraction Angiography will save us time in post processing by automatically removing bone, calcium and stents. Ortho Area Finder makes complex orthopaedic work much easier,” he concludes.

The Aquilion ONE PRISM maximises the ability to consistently obtain high-quality images across different patients. It features a 16cm wide area detector and with just one rotation in a fraction of a second can acquire an entire heart. Its Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) sees through noise delivering sharp, clear and low dose images at speed.

“The Aquilion ONE PRISM is an AI-assisted CT system built using Deep Learning reconstruction algorithms trained to reduce noise and boost signal to deliver sharp, clear and distinct images at speed. When combined with our range of clinical software applications it provides a powerful imaging tool to meet future radiology demands,” states Mark Thomas, CT Modality Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK. “We have been pleased by the UK market response to this evolution in our Aquilion CT range and welcome Dorset County Hospital as a new CT customer.”

Photo caption: Dorset County Hospital installs Aquilion ONE PRISM CT during COVID-19 pandemic. Pictured left to right: Joseph Rodriguez, CT Radiographer; Dr Ajay Varghese, Consultant Radiologist; Simon Jones, CT Lead Radiographer; Ophelia Walters, Senior CT Radiographer; Katie Bigwood, Radiology Department Assistant.

Radiology capacity boosted to separate patient cases, catch up with imaging backlog & roll out routine pre-surgery chest scans

Bradford Royal Infirmary has increased its diagnostic imaging capacity and reorganised its suspected COVID-19 and normal imaging radiology workflow with the introduction of a Relocatable CT Scanner. Rapidly deployed by Canon Medical Systems UK, the new temporary facility is located in a hospital car park between A&E and Radiology.

“The Relocatable CT Scanner allows us to keep ‘Green’ patients (without suspected COVID-19) separate from Red (suspected COVID-19 patients), mirroring the cohorting we have on the wards,” states Mark Kon, Consultant Thoracic Radiologist & Clinical Director of Radiology. “Although our teams of radiographers were divided into red and green at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, they shared a common CT control room. Having an entirely separate scan facility means there is much less risk of cross infection.”

He continues, “An additional and rapidly installed CT scanner will also bring clear benefits of increasing our radiology capacity. We will be carrying out pre-operation chest scans to ensure our patients are COVID-19 free before undergoing major surgery, and the scanner may also be useful in the recovery phase when we start to catch-up with the patient imaging workload that has been put on hold during April & May.”

The Relocatable CT Scanner features an Aquilion PRIME CT and includes a control room and small changing/storage area. It is designed with the correct clinical flooring, hospital grade heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) requirements plus datalink connectivity.

Ian Watson, Director, Commercial Solutions at Canon Medical Systems UK states, “The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK has meant that we have needed to be rapid and flexible in our response. We are proud to support Bradford Royal Infirmary, a customer for many years, with its need to temporarily ramp up its CT imaging capacity and reorganise the way it sees patients. Our Relocatable CT Scanners are designed for just that – to be rapidly deployed on the back of a lorry, and to work outside of hospital buildings when capacity pressures demand. We have already commenced rapid production of more units to meet future hospital enquiries.”

Bradford Royal Infirmary, part of Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, is a principal city hospital providing inpatient services to a patient population of around 500,000 across Yorkshire.

Photo caption: Bradford Royal Infirmary has increased its diagnostic imaging capacity with the introduction of a Relocatable CT Scanner from Canon Medical Systems UK.

New scanner from Canon Medical alleviates pressure to fast-track lung cancer referrals

An Aquilion Prime SP CT scanner from Canon Medical Systems UK has been installed at Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust as part of the Dorset Lung Cancer Pathway. The new scanner will enable greater imaging capacity to fulfil high priority fast-track lung cancer appointments across the county of Dorset, taking patient referrals from its own Poole catchment, plus those from Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Dorchester.

The Poole Hospital site was selected for the additional lung cancer referral CT scanner as it is geographically central to the neighbouring Trusts. The increased imaging capacity will help to deliver CT scans of patients with high suspicion chest X-rays within 72 hours, and reporting within three days. A Canon Medical scanner was selected for its high imaging speeds and to give image continuity across the three hospitals, as reporting of patient diagnostic images takes place at the originating referral hospital. Outside of lung cancer referral work, the scanner will be used for general imaging requirements.

“We have been delighted with the speed of imaging from the Canon Medical Aquilion Prime SP CT and its ease-of-use,” states Amy Morris, Lead CT Radiographer at Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. “It will provide ‘bread and butter’ surveillance and staging scans, the vital part of lung cancer diagnosis and treatment planning in our county.”

Mark Thomas, CT Modality Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK states, “The Aquilion Prime SP is an efficient and fast solution for increasing general imaging workloads or extending specific patient services. We look forward to supporting the Dorset scanner and ensuring the imaging team has all the necessary user skills to maximise productivity and patient workflow.”

Photo caption: An Aquilion Prime SP CT scanner from Canon Medical Systems UK has been installed at Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust as part of the Dorset Lung Cancer Pathway. Standing: Jesus Rengalota, CT Radiographer; Gabrielle Miles, Care Support Worker; Darren Brooke, Care Support Worker; Cliodhna Brennan, CT Radiographer. Seated: Iain Burley, Account Manager, Canon Medical UK; & Katy Bysh, Deputy CT Superintendent.

Carbon neutral ultrasound system from Canon Medical helps
obstetrics & gynaecology patients in UK, plus improves lives in Africa

Two new Aplio a-series ultrasound systems have been installed into Derriford Hospital, part of University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, to assist with obstetric and gynaecological patient examinations. At the same time, the ultrasound systems’ carbon footprint, taking into account manufacturing, packaging, shipping and average energy usage for the standard lifetime, has been offset by Canon Medical to a high impact project in Uganda and Kenya.

The new ultrasound systems will help the clinical team at Derriford Hospital make informed decisions about patient cases. Simultaneously, people in rural villages of East Africa will be helped by improved cooking-stove and water borehole projects. These schemes have huge healthcare and sustainability impacts to the individuals involved and the wider world. For example, new energy saving cooking stoves mean a 50% reduction in firewood, cutting carbon emissions by 3 tonnes while also reducing indoor smoke that has serious long-term health implications on families.

“Having come from East Africa, I know first-hand how important it is to invest in these countries and help them develop,” states Dr Umesh Acharya, Consultant at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust. “Canon Medical’s Made for Life initiative not only helps to reduce the carbon footprint of the countries they work with on sustainability projects, but also helps by making communities self-sufficient, improving education for the young and looking after the old.”

He continues, “The installation of our new Aplio a-series ultrasound systems is therefore a win-win solution for all the world. We continue to help our patients, and we also play a part in making a better life for people in developing nations. I am delighted to be associated with a company that is working to make a better world.”

Canon Medical has been running its Carbon Zero programme since 2014 and is still the only UK medical equipment provider to be ‘carbon neutral’ meeting all PAS 2060 requirements by the British Standards Institute, and has gained official partner status from the United Nations’ Division for Sustainable Development Goals. Carbon offset metrics are calculated and monitored by a specialist carbon zero partner and verified by Gold Standard for Global Goals developed by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) or United Nations’ Division for Sustainable Development Goals approved auditor.

“Carbon neutral ultrasound systems is one small step of a giant leap forward in raising the issues of climate change and environmental crisis,” states Tim Palarm, Ultrasound Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK. “We have a corporate responsibility to lead by example in putting the environment first in our commercial consciousness. Canon Medical is unique in the medical imaging marketplace by combining clinically robust and proven systems for improving healthcare, with an ethical approach to making a difference to the future of the plant.”

Photo caption: Canon Medical Systems UK hands over the Aplio ultrasound systems and Carbon Offset certificate to Derriford Hospital, part of University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust. Pictured (L to R): Dr Umesh Acharya, Consultant at Derriford Hospital; Tim Palarm, Ultrasound Regional Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK.

Mobile facilities to help UK radiology departments meet expected increase in imaging capacity requirements after immediate COVID-19 response

The first orders of Canon Medical’s relocatable CT scanners that can work outside the normal healthcare environment, for example, in hospital car parks or in newly created arena field health centres, have been received. The CT Scan Units can tackle routine imaging diagnostics in the areas of cancer and heart disease that were put on hold during the initial response stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Drawing on its close partnerships with bespoke modular buildings and mobile trailer manufacturers, Canon Medical has quickly and collaboratively developed a new fast build mobile CT Scan Unit. The first units are nearing completion and will provide a clinically safe environment to meet increasing imaging capacity demands or to keep highly infectious patients separate from normal routine CT examinations.

The relocatable scanning units are equipped with Aquilion Prime SP, Aquilion Lighting SP, or the top of the range Aquilion One Genesis CT scanners and include control room and small changing/storage areas. They can be easily transported to locations that need them by road. Designed with the correct clinical flooring, hospital grade heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) requirements plus datalink connectivity, the system can be deployed as a fast response to high dependent patients in the current crisis and can be operational within hours. All CT scanners inside the CT Scan Units feature ‘InnerVision™’ a remote diagnostics software that can predict, diagnose or fix system issues fast without the need for engineers to visit sites.

“For many years, we have worked closely with UK customers in flexing-up imaging requirements during winter pressures, emergency incidents, or building works, by providing our best-of-breed CT scanners in mobile trailers or relocatable units,” states Mark Hitchman, Managing Director at Canon Medical Systems UK. “Today, we put that imaging versatility into rapid and scaled-up production to meet the needs of front-line UK radiology teams following the initial response stages to the COVID-19 crisis. As medical technology innovators, it is our duty to react quickly and be there to support the needs of our NHS at this unprecedented time.”

Photo caption: The first orders of Canon Medical’s CT Scan Units that can work outside the normal healthcare environment have been received.

Impressive image quality noted within first 24 hours of operation

Warrington Hospital, part of Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has received the UK’s first Aquilion ONE PRISM Edition CT from Canon Medical Systems. It has been very impressed in the first 24 hours of operation with image quality and acquisition speed, which is a particular advantage for patients who are technically challenging and require a high level of care.

The scanner was selected to enhance the Trust’s cardiac imaging service and support interventional imaging requirements, while delivering a robust general CT service. The Aquilion One PRISM’s 16cm detector, which supports fast brain imaging and the ability to perform orthopaedic imaging with the patient seated at the scanner, was also a significant selection factor. Greater image resolution will bring enhanced levels of clinical confidence on image outputs and enable a higher standard of care for patients.

Located between Liverpool and Manchester in the North West of England, Warrington Hospital focuses on emergency and specialist care. It is a designated trauma unit and its Accident and Emergency Department sees over 100,000 patients each year. The hospital is also home to specialist critical care, stroke, cardiac and surgical units.

The new-to-market Aquilion ONE PRISM Edition CT features Deep Learning Reconstruction technology via its Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) that delivers sharp, clear and distinct low-dose images at speed. It also features a 16cm wide area detector to obtain high-quality cardiac images of the entire heart in a single rotation in a fraction of a second. Furthermore, the new CT Fluoroscopy interface on the system enables simple and streamlined interventional CT.

“Our team has been delighted with the arrival of the innovative Aquilion ONE PRISM Edition CT. Despite the Coronavirus pandemic, the install remained on schedule and clinical go-live was agreed. From the first operational 24 hours, we were very impressed with the image quality. This bodes well for gaining numerous benefits to support the high level of patient care and experience we expect to deliver,” states Diane Duret, Principal Radiographer, Cross Sectional Imaging at Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. “Canon Medical also worked closely with our Estates Department during the equipment planning and installation stage. We are redeveloping the whole CT scanning department as part of this project to provide separate in and out-patient areas. This will give a better patient experience and optimise our operational workflow.”

Mark Thomas, CT Modality Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK states, “The launch of the new Aquilion ONE PRISM Edition CT into the UK hospital marketplace is part of an innovative CT strategy to ensure that our highly regarded CT systems continue to illuminate clinical insights and initiate the highest standard of patient care. We’re delighted to receive such good feedback in the first few days of the Warrington Hospital installation. We are now committed to ensure the imaging team at the hospital gains all the necessary applications and technical training needed to push the system to its full cardiac and interventional potential to power productivity and enhance clinical gains now and into the future.“

Photo caption: Pictured left to right: Prof Simon Constable, Chief Executive; Chris Evans, Chief Operating Officer; Hilary Stennings, CBU Manager; Dr Vijay Kesavanarayanan, Consultant Radiologist; Karen Green, CT Manager; Ashley Clare, Radiology Department Assistant; Lucy Finland, Specialist Radiographer; Mark Jones, Radiology Service Manager; Hannah Critchley, Specialist Radiographer; Anna Gadd, Specialist Radiographer; and Chris Grayson, Advanced Practitioner.

 Canon Medical Systems UK reselected to deliver productive imaging partnership

Canon Medical has been reselected by Aintree University Hospital, part of Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, to replace two end of life CT scanners with two new Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition CT systems.

Aintree University Hospital serves a large patient population and is a regional major trauma centre. The biggest challenge the Trust faced in the last year has been an unprecedented increase of six percent in emergency attendances. An investment upgrade, including the latest CT scanners, aims to strengthen frontline clinical services.

Canon Medical is a long-standing provider of medical imaging equipment to Aintree University Hospital. It was reselected to provide the replacement CT scanners based on its service reliability and latest generation innovations that lower patient dose, enhance patient comfort and powers departmental workflow productivity.

“The new Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition CTs offer the latest technology for our clinical imaging services and drive down dose,” states Karen Irwin, Cross Sectional Imaging Manager at Aintree University Hospital. “However, an imaging partnership isn’t just about a technology upgrade or installation. We can rely on Canon Medical’s service team to be responsive and reliable to keep our scanners up and running. Should we experience a breakdown, they will get us back up and running as quickly as possible – this gives us incredible confidence in a climate of growing NHS pressures.”

“We have enjoyed a great relationship with Aintree University Hospital for many years providing commercial, application and service support,” states Colin Murray, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK. “This has developed honest, close and productive collaborative working that the Trust was keen to continue. We’re delighted to see the new generation CT scanners take their place in the imaging department and look forward to supporting the delivery of better patient outcomes, increased comfort and reduced examination times.”

Photo caption: Aintree University Hospital, part of Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has reselected Canon Medical Systems UK to install two new Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition CT Systems. Left to right: Jenny Coulter, CSI Radiographer; Colin Murray, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK; Jeanette Hawkins, CT Lead Radiographer; Amy Hailey, CSI Radiographer; Janetmarie Anderson Crockson, Radiology Department Assistant; Dawn Prendergast, Lead MR Radiographer; Joanna Sargent, Radiographer; and Karen Watson, Deputy Clinical Business Manager.

Supply chain continuity, remote diagnostics & 7-day support to maintain continued delivery of exceptional service

To reassure and actively support its NHS and independent healthcare customers and stakeholders, Canon Medical has announced that it has created a ‘fast response task force’ to quickly adapt to a fast changing environment and ensure business continuity in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This is in full swing to ensure the continued delivery of first class, reliable imaging equipment service to healthcare organisations.

Canon Medical is continuing to maintain a 7-day support network on critical healthcare equipment including CT, X-ray, MRI and ultrasound, with minimal changes. It is working to provide uninterrupted supply chain management for products and spare parts. Brexit contingency stock is already on location in the UK, ready to deploy and maintain equipment to ensure hospital imaging systems are fully operational at this time of additional pressure.

The Canon Medical remote diagnostics service solution ‘InnerVision™’, is being enhanced for faster response and predicting issues before they become apparent, as well as improving remote fix to relieve the need for engineers to visit hospital sites. These systems enable remote fault diagnosis on all products and even customer training, it also allows applications teams to support clinical questions, aids remote training on all systems and speed up the resolution of equipment issues to prevent patient care interruptions.

Plans to increase access to and deployment of mobile and relocatable Canon Medical CT scanners, diagnostic ultrasound and X-ray are also in preparation. This will help hospitals increase frontline imaging capacities as part of emerging diagnostic pathway planning. Stocks of new products are being built to quickly respond to emergency demand, and personnel are ready to embrace the new challenge.

“Working for the good of all is at the heart of our organisational philosophy. Now, more than ever, it is the time to show a spirit of cooperation and work together to battle the Coronavirus pandemic,” states Mark Hitchman, Managing Director at Canon Medical Systems UK. “We are following closely the guidance from the Department of Health, Public Health England and devolved health administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This will support the global supply chain and put the safety of our staff, our healthcare customers and patients at the forefront of our business operations in this unique time.”

Ongoing updates to Canon Medical’s COVID-19 statement can be viewed at https://uk.medical.canon/coronavirus-covid19-supply-chain-impact/

See our working guidelines and partnership approach here: https://uk.medical.canon/covid-19/

Photo caption: Canon Medical Systems UK service team continuously working to deliver the best imaging equipment support to healthcare organisations.

Four practical events planned in Birmingham, Manchester & London

The first of four Canon Medical and Wessex Diagnostic training days of 2020 on ultrasound imaging has successfully taken place in Birmingham. Delegates attended to gain knowledge about the latest application of B-mode, pulsed wave and colour Doppler techniques, in the investigation of the abdominal, extra and intra-cranial and peripheral vasculature. Four different platforms, from across the Canon Medical ultrasound range, were used to support the hands-on sessions.

A further three courses have been scheduled for 2020*. A one day carotid ultrasound imaging training day is planned for 16 May in London* to cover the application of B-scan and duplex, pulsed wave, colour and power Doppler techniques in the investigation of the extracranial and intracranial vasculature; on 22-23 September in Manchester vascular ultrasound imaging will again be covered; and a venous ultrasound imaging training course on 7 November in London is scheduled to focus on ultrasound colour duplex imaging of the deep and superficial venous system.

“The emphasis at all 2020 training workshops with Wessex Diagnostic will be about ‘hands on’ practical working using the latest Canon Medical ultrasound imaging systems. This will enable delegates to practise the investigation protocols under discussion and expand their knowledge in an interactive way,” states Sally Davey, Ultrasound Product Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK.

Helen Humphries, Director at Wessex Diagnostic states, “NHS and independent healthcare specialists are continually expanding and developing their use of diagnostic ultrasound as a front-line clinical tool. Our training courses are designed to keep pushing the boundaries of ultrasound knowledge to meet the challenges of modern healthcare. We’re delighted to have the support of Canon Medical in providing the hands-on system for delegates to use and have received really positive feedback from people attending the first course.”

A full programme of Canon Medical 2020 events* and the ability to book online can be found at  https://uk.medical.canon/courses/

*Courses running to timetable are subject to the latest Public Health England advice due to COVID-19.

Canon Medical’s innovation designed to improve clinical image clarity & confidence

The first UK NHS hospital installation of Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE), a deep learning reconstruction Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm, is now live at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey. It is integrated into an Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition CT scanner from Canon Medical Systems UK and being used to improve the reconstruction and reporting of vascular cases by radiologists.

The innovative software Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) delivers quick, reliable and high-quality image reconstructions from patient CT scans to assist reporting clinicians with more accurate image information to support diagnosis and treatment plans. Using the deep learning algorithm, the solution is trained to differentiate ‘noise’ from true signal, reducing distortions, preserving edges and maintaining details in image outputs. At the same time, the innovation is achieving lower doses than ever seen before in routine CT imaging.

“From a CT scanning operative point of view, we don’t even know that we’ve entered the world of AI as we don’t need to do anything different when setting protocols before patient examinations, it’s all part of the CT system. So there is no barrier to acceptance or AI change management issues from the installation of a new innovation,” states Carmina Esperanza, CT Lead Radiographer at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust. “The advantages to our radiologists of Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) is much sharper images to report on. The benefits to our patient population is confidence that they are gaining the highest standard of care via investment in the latest medical imaging equipment.”

“Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) is a deep learning medical imaging innovation borne from the momentum of big data and health collaboration projects where high quality information from real patient datasets is drawn into AI systems to automate routine or repetitive tasks,” states Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical Systems UK. “AI is an exciting future for healthcare, where patients will be able to spend more time with their consulting clinicians who are freed from repetitive or routine image review tasks to focus back onto patient care and specialist cases. Our global and UK R&D labs are fully engaged in expanding the boundaries of medical imaging with AI to integrate simply into our existing modality equipment. This approach will easily pave the path for UK AI adoption.”

The Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE) installation on an Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition CT scanner from Canon Medical UK at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust was part of three new CT scanners installed at the Trust replacing incumbent systems. An Aquilion Prime SP CT system was also installed into Frimley Park Hospital for acute work to support A&E and inpatients, plus a further Aquilion Prime SP was installed into Aldershot Centre for Health, an outlying medical centre for outpatient diagnostics.

Commenting on the selection of the CT scanners, Carmina Esperanza states, “Canon Medical UK ticked all the boxes for what we needed to update our CT services. We looked at other providers as part of our replacement evaluation, looking at the scope of the technology, the size of the system and after-sales service, but it was a unanimous decision between the Trust selection panel consisting of radiographers and radiologists. Canon Medical UK is best placed to serve our future needs.”

Photo caption: The first UK NHS hospital installation of Advanced intelligent Clear-IQ Engine (AiCE), a deep learning reconstruction Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm, is now live at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey following the installation of an Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition CT scanner from Canon Medical Systems UK

Pictured L to R: Iain Burley, Account Manager at Canon Medical UK; Megan Wilkins, Site Lead Radiographer; Bridget Manock, Radiology Services Manager; Mark Foxall, Account Manager at Canon Medical UK; Robert McFaul, Senior Radiographer; Orianna Friday, Senior Radiographer; Carmina Esperanza, CT Lead Radiographer; and Alissa Andrews, CT Deputy Lead Radiographer.

Future-proofing of services to expand clinical procedures and create scheduling efficiencies

Royal Bournemouth Hospital has installed a ceiling-mounted Alphenix Sky vascular interventional imaging system from Canon Medical Systems UK to expand its range of clinical services and improve department efficiency.

The Alphenix Sky was selected to replace an incumbent over-the-couch fluoroscopy system that was used mostly for barium procedures, arthograms and hysterosalpingography (HSG). The Alphenix Sky will expand the range of procedures available to clinical staff and be ready to facilitate evolving procedural needs into the future.

“We’re very pleased to welcome the new Alphenix Sky to help future-proof our services and ease pressure on other rooms. We are already experiencing better workflow management and scheduling of the room as we now book slots for insertion of Picc lines and it can be a back-up room should we lose capability or capacity in our other fluoroscopy room. This ensures a high level of service continuity for our patients,” states Anne-Marie Jenkins, X-ray and Ultrasound Service Manager at Royal Bournemouth Hospital, part of The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

She continues, “The new technology makes us ready to expand our capacity for fluoroscopy procedures and Interventional Radiology – enabling us to expand the types of procedures we can undertake to support our clinicians and patients. The system has been really intuitive to use and we have received really good apps support from the Canon Medical team.”

Daniel Parr, XR Modality Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK states, “It is great to add Royal Bournemouth Hospital to our growing roster of new Alphenix imaging customers. We look forward to guiding them on how to gain the very best operational and clinical return on their interventional investment focusing on low dose, image clarity and expanding procedure techniques.”

Photo caption: L-R: Gemma Turley, Senior Radiographer; Clare Robbin, Advanced Practitioner; Polly Cutmore, Radiographer; Sharon Boon, Clinical Applications Specialist XR at Canon Medical Systems UK; Ann Marie Jenkins, Imaging Superintendent; Katy Legg, Radiographer; Catherine Bond, Advanced Practitioner; and Iain Burley, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK.

Aquilion Prime SP joins the team to deliver low dose & fast patient scanning

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has added a further Canon Medical CT system to its diagnostic imaging department with the installation of a new Aquilion Prime SP CT scanner to sit alongside an existing Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition. It was selected due to the hospital’s familiarity with Canon Medical and the positive experience of equipment reliability, and trust in its service team.

The new CT replaced an ageing scanner and will now deliver faster, more efficient workflow to the department. The system is twice as quick as its predecessor, boosting the number of patients that can be seen and at reduced dose.

A range of new applications is also included with the scanner to introduce new procedures. For example, SEMAR™ will improve visualisation of bone and soft tissue reducing artifacts when imaging patients with metal implants; and ^SURESubtraction will deliver low dose 3D vascular studies with bone and calcification subtracted for better image visualisation.

“We are very pleased with our new Aquilion Prime SP CT. It offers lower radiation doses with excellent image quality, along with being twice as fast therefore improving efficiency,” states Emma Fondacaro, CT Superintendent Radiographer at The Countess of Chester Hospital. “Our experience of working with Canon Medical is always positive and this repeat purchase of a CT reflects the equipment’s reliability and strong service credentials from the team.”

Photo caption: Left to right: Colin Murray, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK; Emma Fondacaro, CT Superintendent Radiographer; Sergej Postovoj, Service Engineer at Canon Medical Systems; Shelagh Hollowood, Radiographer; Kelly Davies, Radiographer; and Anne Kember, Radiographer.

Manchester United FC welcomes first-class MRI for quick, quiet & quality sports imaging

Routine monitoring of player health and specialist sports medicine research projects at Manchester United Football Club have received a boost with the introduction of the Vantage Galan 3T MRI from Canon Medical Systems UK. The system has taken its place in the club’s state-of-the-art imaging centre at Old Trafford training ground alongside CT and ultrasound imaging systems supplied as part of Canon Medical’s role as ‘Official Medical Systems Partner’.

Manchester United FC’s doctors and physiotherapists will benefit from quicker MRI scans and more detailed image outputs via the Vantage Galan MRI, ensuring optimum health planning of the team’s premier and youth league players. Reactive and proactive health surveillance, performance management & injury grading will also be optimised from enhanced functionality of the system, delivering sharper, clearer images for decision making. The players undergoing MRI procedures will benefit from a quieter and more comfortable scan due to Canon Medical’s Pianissimo and Pianissimo Zen technology that significantly reduce noise in and around the MRI environment.

“Even the smallest injury in elite sports has implications. Having the right diagnostic tool at the peak of its development is vital to diagnosing subtle injuries that could impact player health,” states Dr Steve McNally, Head of Football Medicine & Science at Manchester United Football Club. “Using high resolution MRI therefore helps to identify very minute intra-articular joint injuries, muscle oedema changes or very small fibre tears.”

He continues, “We are very pleased with the ease of image acquisition and quality from the new Vantage Galan MRI for diagnostic purposes. We are looking forward to the additional opportunities the new technology provides for specialist imaging and post-processing applications that will enhance our ‘performance imaging’ and athlete health surveillance projects.”

The Vantage Galan 3T MRI from Canon Medical enhances image quality for more confident diagnoses and makes examinations faster for better workflow efficiencies. It offers a maximum gradient amplitude of 45 mT/m, a sew rate of 200 T/m/sec and employs propriety Pure RF Rx and Pure RF Tx technology dramatically increasing the signal to noise (SNR).

Scan planning can also be enhanced with ForeSee View, a new tool that previews slice planning in real time, particularly useful for anatomies that are traditionally difficult to scan. In sports medicine this is particularly useful when imaging orthopaedic joints and ligaments. This includes the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), a key knee joint ligament most often torn during sports that involve rapid change in direction and sharp stops in movement. The ForeSee View functionality will reduce the need for re-scanning and can save time on planning for all body regions.

EasyTech Cardiac incorporating CardioLine+, an application that accurately and automatically identifies all the right and left ventricular and cardiac valvular planes, is also included in the Manchester United FC Vantage Galan MRI installation. It reduces examination times to a minimum, enabling challenging cardiac examinations to be performed easily as part of daily routines. This functionality will be particularly useful for proactive sporting health surveillance campaigns, for example, cardiology profiling that is required every two years on anyone undertaking vigorous training and competitive sports matches.

“Adding the Vantage Galan MRI to our system line-up at Manchester United Football Club is a natural progression of providing our best-of-breed imaging solutions over the last 6 years to monitor the very highest echelon of professional athletes,” states Mark Hitchman, Managing Director at Canon Medical Systems UK. “At the same time, the Galan MRI will be used for research projects that have the potential to cascade understanding of anatomical conditions to benefit wider health populations.”

Canon Medical has been Manchester United Football Club’s ‘Official Medical Systems Partner’ since 2012 providing CT, MRI and Ultrasound systems to ensure that the world-class players and youth academy receive the best possible diagnostic care. Other football medicine partnerships include FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and English national league club Barnet FC in North London and Spanish La Liga team RCD Espanyol. Wider sports medicine collaborations across Europe include basketball, cycling, ice hockey, rugby and tennis.

Diagnostic ultrasound from Canon Medical deployed for sports, stroke & ageing projects

The most advanced research centre in the world for developing innovations that will increase physical activity and improve population health has been officially opened by Sheffield Hallam University. The new multi-million pound Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC) is supported by several strategic partners including Canon Medical Systems to provide cutting-edge equipment and technology, expertise in the health sector, and research and development opportunities.

The AWRC has been supported by £14m of funding from the Department of Health and Social Care and a £905k investment from the European Regional Development Fund. It is located in the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park and has a mission to prevent and treat chronic disease through co-designed research into physical activity. It was officially opened by the Active Travel Commissioner for Sheffield City Region and Britain’s most successful Paralympian, Dame Sarah Storey.

Canon Medical is providing a diagnostic ultrasound system to the AWRC to help gain an insight into health and wellbeing issues ranging from performance management of elite athletes to the rehabilitation of stoke patients and the health of older people. For example, the Canon Medical ultrasound system is being used to explore the effectiveness of power assisted exercises in the rehabilitation of stroke patients that can improve muscle mass and strength.

Professor Robert Copeland, Director of the AWRC, states, “Our mission is to prevent and treat chronic disease through world-class research into physical activity. This will mean re-engineering movement back into our lives which requires a radical re-think in the way we live, work, manage and monitor our health, and travel around our towns and cities. This mission can’t be achieved by a single agency or discipline, and the opening of the AWRC marks the start of an exciting collaborative journey. By bringing together academic expertise from across Sheffield Hallam University within this world-class facility, and creating meaningful partnerships with industry, local communities, local authorities and the health and technology sector, we will address the social, behavioural and economic determinants of health, creating equitable and active communities for all.”

 Mark Hitchman, Managing Director at Canon Medical Systems UK states, “We are inspired by the research and innovation work underway at AWRC. Using our diagnostic ultrasound systems the teams are able to push the boundaries of what we currently know about the human body and find new ways to help prevent sports injuries, rehabilitate people with chronic illness and make us all fighting fit as our bodies age.”

Dr Tom Maden-Wilkinson, Lecturer, Health and Wellbeing, Sheffield Hallam University states, “The projects will help us understand a range of issues related to muscle strength – from strength training in older adults to help maintain their independence, to elite athletes and efficiency or injury prevention. The Canon Medical ultrasound is providing us with technology to take huge strides in examining the relationship between muscles, exercise and recovery.”

Other AWRC strategic collaborations include Westfield Health, EXOS, the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine in Sheffield, Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity, Ingesport and parkrun.

Photo caption: Left to right: Ian Watson, Director of Commercial Solutions Canon Medical Systems UK, Mark Holmshaw, President & CEO of Canon Medical Systems Europe; and Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical Systems UK attending the opening of the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC) as strategic partners.

Aquilion Prime SP CT to support complex and routine clinical procedures

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust has installed a new Aquilion Prime SP CT from Canon Medical. A new scanning room optimised for the system has been created from a relocated angio-suite. In addition, an extensive range of applications have been included with the scanner to boost its versatility across a wide range of complex to routine clinical procedures in neuro, cardiac, ortho, oncology, CT guided intervention and general work.

The Aquilion Prime SP CT is designed to keep pace with demanding work lists and deliver high-quality images at the lowest possible dose for every patient. Using the application AIDR 3D, the scanner delivers enhanced iterative reconstruction to ensure excellent image detail with significant dose savings for all patients. SEMAR (Single Energy Metal Artifact Reduction) is also included and uses a sophisticated reconstruction technique to deliver clearer image quality during scanning. It removes artifacts caused by metal to improve visualisation of the implant, supporting bone and adjacent soft tissue for clearer and more confident image review.

“The SEMAR application is really helpful when imaging patients with metal implants. We do lots of spinal and orthopaedic imaging, especially on scoliosis patients, so having clear images without distortion is much better. We’re also increasingly seeing patients with hip and knee replacements so prior to the installation we would have struggled to gain clinically confident images when doing general cancer work – now we can get a much clearer view of the lower pelvis and bladder area,” states Angela Abbott, CT Lead Radiographer at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust.

“The new Aquilion Prime SP CT has made our working life much easier. We used to be split over three departments but are now reconfigured to two within the same area. This means that should there be any downtime or we’re behind on our lists, we can move to another scanner with less disruption to patients. We also have a new recovery room attached to the CT suite which means we can recover our own biopsy patients without taking up a valuable hospital bed elsewhere,” Angela Abbott continues. “We’re looking to start cardiac CT scanning soon and the versatility of the scanner will give patients a much closer to home service, rather than being sent elsewhere for procedures.”

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust is rated as ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission and is part of The Northern Care Alliance NHS Group. The new Aquilion Prime SP is the seventh CT system from Canon Medical to be selected and deployed at the Group serving Greater Manchester and the North West.

“It has been exciting to see the transformation of the old angiography room into a state-of-the-art CT imaging suite at Salford Royal Hospital,” states Colin Murray, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK. “The hospital’s CT team is excited about the new possibilities for the patients and we’ll continue supporting with application knowledge and service requirements.”

Photo caption:

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, part of The Northern Care Alliance NHS Group, has installed an Aquilion Prime SP CT from Canon Medical Systems UK.  (L to R): Caroline Roberts, Radiographer; Linda Mason, Advanced Practitioner CT Radiographer; Colin Murray, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK; Arianne Carruth, Advanced Practitioner CT Radiographer; James King, Project Manager; and Angela Abbott, CT Lead Radiographer.

New CT scanner from Canon Medical Systems UK improves workflow & efficiency

CT imaging services in the Emergency Department (ED) at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust has taken a big step forward in modernisation with the installation of an Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition CT scanner from Canon Medical. Routine and specialist patient CT procedures will be quicker, at low dose and provide excellent image quality due to the functionality and unique features of the scanner.

The capabilities of the Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition have assisted the Trust to meet increasing workload challenges. Improvements in speed, efficiency and workflow are made possible with ‘Ultra Helical’, which captures a routine body scan in less than five seconds producing high-quality, lower dose images for faster diagnosis and treatment planning that are ideal for trauma-based examinations.

Additional operational features include: ‘Area Finder’ which allows field of view and scan range to be set at the gantry with volumetric imaging without the need for a scanogram, for speed and reduced radiation dose; ‘Variable Helical Parameters’ allow prescribed and optimised image quality in each body region, scanning in a single helical acquisition, used for trauma cases and also oncology and TAVI planning; plus ‘Tech Assist Lateral Slide’, Canon Medical’s unique lateral couch movement, beneficial for all patients, but invaluable for positioning trauma patients with speed and accuracy and for improving manual handling for the Radiographers.

“The Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition replaces an end of life head CT scanner and is an impressive step up in our clinical functionality in the Emergency Department. We now have advanced front-line CT scanning resources in the ED, removing the time delay factors of transferring patients to our main CT department,” states Elizabeth Van Lingen, CT Superintendent at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust. “We feel confident that we have the department to meet increasing workload challenges and support emerging clinical guidelines in cardiac and stroke. The Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition CT has exceeded our expectations with its unique features and continued support from Canon Medical Systems UK. We feel clinically and operationally ready for the 2020s!”

“Fast, low dose and excellent image quality are the key factors when reshaping the resilience of frontline CT imaging,” states Megan Newberry, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK. “We are delighted that the Aquilion ONE GENESIS was selected to meet the Trust’s needs and the Canon Medical team look forward to providing continued support in Radiology, expanding into the ED.”

Photo caption:

Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust selects Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition CT from Canon Medical Systems UK. (L to R): Yvonne Roberts, Senior Radiographer; Emma Spouse, Imaging Lead; Elizabeth Van Lingen, CT Superintendent; Graham Martin, CT Applications Specialist at Canon Medical Systems UK; Megan Newberry, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK; Karen Trebilcock, Senior Radiographer; Dr Andrew Edwards, Consultant Radiologist; Dr Madeline Strugnell, Consultant Radiologist; Florence Weatherly, Senior Radiographer; and Kate Shields, CEO.

– Static & mobile units put through testing to ensure clinical efficacy & patient comfort –

Crawley, United Kingdom, A thorough testing and validation process by Canon Medical has been undertaken to give confidence and certification to customers purchasing static or mobile Lamboo Mobile Medical imaging units featuring Aquilion Prime SP CT systems.

A number of lab and ‘on-the-road’ examinations put the Lamboo units through their paces with  Canon Medical’s CT on board. Vibration, deflection, gantry balance testing plus support legs, base plate and bracket assessments formed part of the robust validation. A detailed site planning manual was also developed to assure customers of the best value and specification requirements for successful return on their mobile imaging investment.

“The rigorous testing and accreditation process with Canon Medical’s Aquilion Prime SP CT is the first we’ve undertaken in Europe and will provide a blueprint for further CT systems to be verified in the future,” states Joost Jr Lamboo, Director at Lamboo Mobile Medical, an independent manufacturer of mobile medical solutions. “Knowing that medical imaging modalities have been tested thoroughly in-situ on our trailers means that our customers are assured of clinical confidence, even with high speed rotation, and that their patients experience the ultimate comfort during examinations.”

“Putting our CT imaging systems through their paces on board a mobile imaging unit is testimony to our quest for ultimate customer satisfaction,” states Alistair Howseman, Sales Director at Canon Medical Systems UK. “Mobile units are different to a fixed hospital or clinic location installation as there can be fluctuation in floor or structure movements when the equipment is in use. Ensuring that every element of the vibration, fixing mechanisms and balance is tested is vital to ensure that our customers have total confidence in the units they are buying to achieve clinical and operational goals.”

InHealth, the UK’s largest specialist provider of diagnostic and healthcare solutions to the NHS and independent sector is the first customer to procure a number of Lamboo Mobile Medical trailers featuring approved Canon Medical’s Aquilion Prime SP CT systems.

Graham Ogden, Director of Operations at InHealth states, “InHealth was delighted to work so closely with Canon Medical and Lamboo to facilitate the accreditation process and to become the first diagnostic service provider to purchase these approved systems. Knowing that the Lamboo mobile units are built to an approved and consistent standard for our choice of Canon Medical’s CT systems provides total peace of mind. We are assured that our staff and patients will experience the highest standard of imaging, through the delivery of swift, comfortable and accurate scans; thereby ultimately improving the patient care pathway to facilitate early diagnosis or treatment planning.”

“Validation and accreditation of Canon Medical’s modality imaging devices on Lamboo Mobile Medical imaging units also includes certified refurbished CT systems from the Secondlife™ refurbishment program,” states Johan Vochteloo, Senior Manager Secondlife at Canon Medical Systems Europe. “This means that reliable pre-owned systems with advanced technology are also available as static or mobile imaging units, assuring that every budget level of our customers have been considered.”

Photo caption: A thorough testing and validation process by Canon Medical has been undertaken to give confidence and certification to customers purchasing static or mobile Lamboo Mobile Medical imaging units featuring Aquilion Prime SP CT systems.

Luminaries share how pushing the boundaries of MSK and cardiology in sports can widen diagnosis & treatment for all

Manchester United Football Club’s Old Trafford stadium recently played host to an event dedicated to the world of sports medicine to promote the sharing of best clinical practice. The occasion, hosted by Canon Medical Systems UK, drew together clinicians, researchers and industry experts to discuss how medical imaging can assist elite sports and the wider public with injury prevention, earlier diagnosis and faster rehabilitation.

Over one hundred sports physiologists, radiologists and physiotherapists joined the forum to hear about sports medicine developments in musculoskeletal (MSK) and cardiology. The latest MR, CT and ultrasound imaging systems were also discussed to educate on how technical innovations can help unlock deeper information to support informed decision-making on sports health.

Best practice and clinical research speakers included Dr Steve McNally, Head of Football Medicine & Science at Manchester United Football Club who delivered a talk on progression to the next level at a football club medical imaging department; Dr Guido Pieles, Consultant Congenital Cardiologist at Bristol Heart Institute and University of Bristol presented state-of-the-art cardiac performance monitoring in elite sports clubs; and Dr Gil Rodas, Team Doctor & Medical Director Barca Innovation Hub from FC Barcelona highlighted experience of genomics to return to play in professional team sport players.

“The Sports Medicine & MSK Solutions event was a great opportunity to hear how sports medicine luminaries are pushing the boundaries of MSK and cardiology knowledge using innovative imaging solutions. Across Europe, Canon Medical is working with football, tennis, basketball, rugby and cycling teams. These sporting partnerships, from grass roots to the higher echelons, are giving greater insight into the anatomical and physiological understanding of the human body to prevent, diagnose and recover from illness and injury. This has the potential to positively cascade into wider healthcare and the general population by the development of screening programmes or more detailed treatment planning,” states Mark Hitchman, Managing Director at Canon Medical Systems UK.

Feedback from delegates included expressions of gratitude for a rich and informative event that highlighted the enormity of research and development that goes into professional athletes. Comments were also received about the content and range of speakers helping to broaden people’s understanding of MSK, profiling techniques and innovation in imaging solutions.

Photo caption: Canon Medical Systems UK hosted The Sports Medicine & MSK Solutions event at Manchester United Football Club’s Old Trafford Stadium to share best clinical practice in sports medicine.

Pictured L to R: Professor Wim Derave Department of Movement and Sports Sciences at Ghent University; Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical Systems UK; Dr Steve McNally, Head of Football Medicine & Science at Manchester United Football Club; Dr Guido E Pieles, Paediatric and Adult Sports Cardiologist at Bristol Heart Institute and University of Bristol; Tessa Sanderson CBE, Six times Olympian athlete & Sports Ambassador; Dennis Irwin, 1990s Manchester United Player; Dr Pedro Augusto Gondim Teixeira, MSK Radiologist at Hospital Central CHRU-Nancy in France; Andrew Unwin, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at The Windsor Knee Clinic; and Ken Sutherland, President of Canon Medical Research Europe.

Canon Medical UK raises the profile of carbon neutral imaging equipment

Delegates at this year’s annual scientific meeting of the British Medical Ultrasound Society (BMUS) in Harrogate learned more about carbon neutral diagnostic imaging systems and how equipment with environmental credentials help to make significant contributions to the health of the earth and fighting climate change. This is at the same time as also meeting the needs of patient care through high quality imaging.

Canon Medical provided an education session delivered by CO2balance, a carbon neutrality specialist, to detail how every imaging system inside a health establishment has a carbon footprint. This is the amount of greenhouse gas, primarily carbon dioxide (CO₂), it releases into the world’s atmosphere calculated from the energy and fuel emissions during manufacture, packaging and delivery of the system plus the lifetime running of the equipment once inside a hospital or clinic.

“Many NHS Trusts and independent healthcare organisations are focusing on the sustainability aspects of their operations and looking to drive down their own carbon footprints to make a difference to the health of the planet. Not only can we meet the demand for high-standard clinical imaging for patient diagnosis and treatment, but we can also prove that our systems are not harming the health of the planet,” states Rosie Beattie, Ultrasound Regional Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK. “Being carbon neutral helps to address the issues of climate change, particularly when it comes to the next generation and their future. It is vital to continue this work for the planet and for the health of everyone today and beyond. Whilst our research and development teams focus on the innovations required to reduce the energy usage of our medical imaging system in the near future, we are acting now with our carbon off-set scheme.”

Paul Chiplen, Director at CO2balance states, “It was great to be at BMUS 2019 with Canon Medical. There was great enthusiasm from delegates about how the medical imaging community can play its part in slowing the effects of climate change by reducing CO₂ in the earth’s atmosphere. There is real recognition that if we don’t all come together, at home and at work, in the quest to improve the health of the world, there will be greater medical issues or chronic illnesses facing people in all nations in the future. This will be from higher temperatures, flooding and other extreme weather events.”

The total CO₂ footprint figure calculated by the Canon Medical Carbon Zero scheme is verified by Gold Standard for Global Goals developed by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) or an approved auditor from the United Nations’ Division for Sustainable Development Goals. CO2balance also explained to BMUS delegates how Canon Medical’s Carbon Zero offset scheme works and how it helps fragile communities in East Africa by improving their day-to-day lives and eliminating CO₂ from wood fires and stoves used to cook or to sterilise water.

Support Dogs, the national charity that provides life changing assistance dogs to families, was also in attendance on the Canon Medical stand. A charitable collection from BMUS delegates raised over £650 that has been gratefully received.

Photo caption: Paul Chiplen, Director at CO2balance provided an education session on the Canon Medical stand at BMUS 2019 explaining carbon neutral diagnostic imaging systems and how equipment with environmental credentials help to make significant contributions to the health of the earth and fighting climate change.

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.

Canon Medical Systems’ innovation will identify issues earlier to improve clinical outcomes

Eight new diagnostic ultrasound systems have been installed across The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust to update obstetrics and gynaecology imaging services for the patient communities of the north-east sector of Greater Manchester. An advanced level of imaging detail delivered by the new Aplio i600’s from Canon Medical Systems UK will help with diagnosing conditions or concerns in women or their babies earlier across North Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale and Bury. This will enable faster treatment planning, prioritise cases needing greater observation or repeat scans, and lead to improved health outcomes for all.

Featuring Superb micro-vascular imaging (SMI), the Aplio i600 expands the range of visible blood flow to visualise low-velocity microvascular flow never seen before with diagnostic ultrasound. This is done by a unique algorithm that minimises motion artifacts. It will support the diagnosis of fetal heart abnormalities in babies at an earlier stage of pregnancy.

The eight Aplio i600’s from Canon Medical Systems UK have been selected to replace incumbent systems at the Trust. They have been chosen for their ease-of-use, detailed vascular imaging capabilities, plus accessible after-sales application and service support. Four systems have been installed into The Royal Oldham Hospital; two into North Manchester General Hospital; and one each into Rochdale Infirmary and Fairfield General Hospital in Bury.

“We have worked with Canon Medical Systems, formerly Toshiba Medical Systems, for many years and the partnership working after a sale is excellent. The team is always just a call away and so easy to get hold of for application and service support. This, and the ease of use of the ultrasound systems and innovative SMI, made it an obvious choice when we needed to replace our obs and gynae ultrasound systems,” states Zoe Mottram, Ultrasound Service Manager at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

She continues, “The SMI functionality on the Aplio i600 is much more colour sensitive and will help us pick up vascular concerns earlier giving greater clinical confidence and increasing the standard of care we deliver to our patients. The applications support from Canon Medical Systems will help guide us to achieve the full potential of the new systems to enhance the perinatal services delivered across our hospital sites.”

“A sale of a Canon Medical Systems UK ultrasound system is just the start of a long partnership with our customers, to ensure that the units and applications are being used as effectively and efficiently as possible. We look forward to providing the ongoing support and service to The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and building our close relationship further,” states Steve Johnson, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK.

Photo caption:

Welcoming eight new Aplio i600’s from Canon Medical Systems UK. Pictured L to R at The Royal Oldham Hospital, part of The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust: Laura Elliott; Saffiyah Sabat; Julie Stanley; Paula Connor; Steve Johnson, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK; Zoe Mottram, Marcia Wild, Joanne Lewis and Elizabeth Footit.

UK joins the USA and Australia with introduction of MRI safety accreditations to safeguard users and deliver higher standard of imaging patient care

Almost 200 radiologists, radiographers and medical physicists have recently attended the first European MRI Safety Matters^® training seminar. The 2-day event, held in London and sponsored by Canon Medical Systems UK, was a platform to call for greater collaboration between industry and healthcare, and for a standardised approach to MRI user and patient safety. It was delivered by the internationally renowned MRSO/MRMD safety luminary Dr. Emanuel Kanal.

At the event there was overwhelming support from delegates to bring MRI safety standardisation and certification to Europe, with many delegates surprised that there is not a regulated minimum MRI safety standard nor standardised mandatory training already in place in the UK. Topics covered during the event included: understanding static magnetic fields; time varying RF and Gradient fields; focal power deposition, auditory concerns; neurostimulation; implant and foreign body safety assessments; and overall peer-to-peer best practice discussions on all aspects of MRI safety.

In a European first, the event was followed by UK relevant examinations leading to MR Safety certification, administered by The American Board of MR Safety (ABMRS). Radiographers, Physicists and Radiologists sat the exam and, if successful, will be the first UK MRI cohort to obtain an accreditation for MRI safety. These individuals are expected to influence and shape the safety culture of the UK MRI industry by embracing the certification.

Barbara Nugent, Founder of MRI Safety Matters^®, MRI safety specialist and MRI & CT Radiographer states, “The busier MRI modalities are becoming for frontline imaging care, the more accidents there are. Yet despite every incident being preventable, there is still no standardised MRI safety training or safety certification mandated for or even available for MRI staff. A big challenge is the disparity in the reporting of accidents which hampers learning. Whilst many healthcare organisations are great at ensuring safety practices and policies, there is nothing guiding a mandatory safety framework and so it remains a grey area in terms of managing radiology workforces. We were delighted with the positive feedback this year and look forward to championing more safety certifications and discussions at next year’s event.”

“When we launched our latest MRI system, the Vantage Orian, into the UK last year, we reviewed our commitment to the duty of care delivered to the MRI imaging community,” states Vanessa Ellis, MR Modality Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK. “In addition to delivering high productivity and enhanced clinical confidence, its design is also about the safety of people operating and maintaining the systems, and of course, the patients being examined. MRI safety is of the utmost importance in all healthcare organisations and we strongly support the aims of the MRI Safety Matters team and the roll out of a standardised UK safety standard.”

Photo caption: Almost 200 radiologists, radiographers and medical physicists have recently attended the first European MRI Safety Matters^® training seminar sponsored by Canon Medical Systems UK.

Donations to Support Dogs charity boosted at Liverpool event

Canon Medical Systems UK has announced a boost to its chosen charity ‘Support Dogs’, part of its #madeforlife CSR commitments, following donations from the radiology community at UKIO 2019.

In addition to the latest medical imaging innovations, knowledge building seminars and peer-to-peer networking at UKIO, Support Dogs, the national charity that provides life changing assistance dogs to families, was in attendance on the Canon Medical Systems UK stand. ‘Dave, and ‘Ruby, two black Labradors supporting their owners with disabilities, met with delegates to discuss their daily roles.

Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical Systems UK states, “Nearly £800 was raised for Support Dogs at UKIO by contributions to donation tins, encouraged by receiving a free support dog toy giveaway, on the Canon Medical Systems UK exhibition stand. This is fantastic and we thank the UKIO community for embracing the charity so enthusiastically. Meeting our clinical community and industry peers at UKIO is always one of the highlights of the calendar year, but to have also helped a worthy assistive healthcare cause at the same time is an added boost.”

“Thank you to all involved at UKIO 2019. Support Dogs greatly enjoyed being part of the event and meeting so many people to spread the word about how we help families challenged by disabilities, autism and epilepsy. The amount raised from event delegates is gratefully received and will help upkeep a Support Dog family partnership for about four months in terms of subsistence and maintenance of their assistance dog,” states Danny Anderson, Fundraising Manager at Support Dogs.

Support Dogs was chosen as a UK charity by Canon Medical Systems earlier this year as part of a wider #madeforlife CSR initiative. The charity trains specialist assistance dogs to provide safety and independence for children and adults affected by a range of medical conditions. For example, they train assistance dogs to provide warnings up to 50 minute in advance of epileptic seizures; autism assistance dogs to help children with the condition to stay safe and reduce anxiety; and disability support dogs to provide day-to-day help for those with conditions including Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Cerebral Palsy.

The United Kingdom Imaging & Oncology Congress (UKIO) was held in Liverpool, 10-12 June 2019. The annual event draws over 2,000 attendees and consists of multidisciplinary scientific congress and technical exhibition aimed at all people involved in the field of radiological science and radiation oncology. Canon Medical Systems UK launched its new Alphenix range of interventional imaging systems and showcased CT, MRI and ultrasound equipment, a range of service options and a relocatable CT unit.

Photo caption: In addition to the latest medical imaging innovations, knowledge building seminars and peer-to-peer networking at UKIO 2019, Support Dogs, the national charity that provides life changing assistance dogs to families, was in attendance on the Canon Medical Systems UK stand.

20-year imaging equipment partnership renewed with CT upgrade project                   

The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, part of the Northern Care Alliance NHS Group, has bolstered a 20-year imaging equipment relationship with Canon Medical Systems UK with the introduction of three new CT systems across the Trust in as many months.

The Royal Oldham Hospital has taken delivery of its Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition CT to futureproof demand pressure on its 24/7 trauma imaging service, particularly for cardiac. Fairfield General Hospital in Bury has a new Aquilion Prime SP CT to enhance frontline stroke imaging services, and Rochdale Infirmary has also received an Aquilion Prime SP CT to help alleviate scanning pressures. All hospitals had interim mobile CT units on site managed by Canon Medical Systems UK for continuity of patient scanning with no downtime during the installation project.

“For 20 years Canon Medical Systems, formerly Toshiba Medical Systems, has delivered great service to us so they were the obvious choice to go with to upgrade our CT systems. We also have six of its CT systems across the Trust so a standardised equipment strategy helps with giving staff operational continuity,” states Tamsin Hamilton, CT Service Manager at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

She continues, “Pressure on our imaging services keeps increasing, for example urgent cancer referral scans have gone up by 37% in the last year alone. To be fighting fit with new CT systems will help us meet future imaging demand and continue to provide the highest standard of care to our patient population.”

“Retaining a CT customer such as The Pennine Acute Hospital NHS Trust for over 20 years is a great accolade and testimony to our service team who frequently goes the extra mile in answering every question or concern. We look forward to working in partnership with the Trust into the future and supporting all its application and maintenance needs,” states Colin Murray, Account Manager at Canon Medical Systems UK.

Photo caption: The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has bolstered a 20-year imaging equipment relationship with Canon Medical Systems UK with the introduction of three new CT systems.

Pictured L to R: Leonardo Borges De Souza, Radiographer; Angela Keeney, Radiology Assistant; Colin Murray, Account Manager for Canon Medical Systems UK; Maju Choudhury, Radiographer; Stephen Green, Radiology Project Manager at Northern Care Alliance; James King, Project Manager for Canon Medical Systems UK; Paul Barker, Senior Directorate Manager for Radiology and Neurophysiology.

Imaging procedures at National Spinal Injuries Centre, 24 hour A&E, cancer care, cardiac & stroke unit to be enhanced & future-proofed at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust has placed an order for two Vantage Orian 1.5T MRI scanners from Canon Medical Systems UK to future-proof its imaging services. This represents the first UK orders of the premier MRI system. The two MRIs will be installed into Wycombe Hospital and Stoke Mandeville Hospital to provide patients with the latest techniques for cancer, stroke, heart, spine and wider frontline imaging requirements. The purchase of the scanners will be funded by Buckinghamshire based charity ‘Scannappeal’.

Wycombe Hospital will be first to receive the new scanner later this year to replace an ageing system and support its busy district general imaging needs such as stroke and MSK research work. The Vantage Orian MRI will facilitate shorter patient scan times and thus reduce appointment times for some examinations and enhance patient experience. This will help to drive improved throughput and meet the 13% year-on-year increase in demand at the Trust for MRI examinations.

Stoke Mandeville Hospital, which includes the internationally recognised National Spinal Injuries Centre and busy 24 hour A&E department, will take delivery of its Vantage Orian MRI in 2020. The benefits of high productivity, patient comfort and greater clinical confidence will boost the standard of care delivered to patients, increase capacity and enable new research projects to be undertaken.

Deborah King, Lead Radiographer MRI at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust states, “We have great CT support service from Canon Medical Systems UK so they were a natural choice to help us modernise our MRI facilities. With 22,000 MRI scans each year, and growing by double digits annually, we needed to replace old systems and get ourselves fighting fit to support patients into the future. Canon Medical Systems listened closely to our needs and supported us on our brief.”

Scannappeal Chairman, William Baxter CBE states, “Scannappeal has been proudly supporting and working with communities across Buckinghamshire since 1987 and this is the biggest appeal that we have run in our history. It is a tremendous commitment, but the new Bucks MRI Appeal provides a wonderful opportunity for the local community to work with us to ensure we have the best possible equipment available at our hospitals.”

“It’s great that the UK’s first orders of the Vantage Orian MRI will be going to hospitals that are so focused on improving the clinical services to the patients they serve,” states Vanessa Ellis, MR Modality Manager at Canon Medical Systems. “From the amazing Scannappeal charity, the committed staff in the departments and the enthusiastic research Radiologists, everyone is determined to make a difference, which we will support in partnership with all of them.”

Photo caption: The UK’s first Vantage Orian 1.5T MRI scanners from Canon Medical Systems have been ordered by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.

Service partnership with Imagex Medical will deliver productivity benefits to hospital radiology, EBME & procurement departments

A new multi-vendor service partnership has been announced into the UK health marketplace by equipment manufacturer Canon Medical Systems UK and specialist, independent ultrasound service provider, Imagex Medical. The unique offering will provide cost, operational and administrative benefits to time pressured NHS and independent hospitals by streamlining productivity in the way maintenance and repairs are carried out on frontline diagnostic ultrasound imaging systems.

The offering will change the way ultrasound imaging servicing can be handled. Instead of 2-4 different Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) visiting hospital departments at different times to service systems or undertake repairs, one specialist engineer trained across many different OEM systems can undertake all the equipment service needs. This delivers many time, administrative and cost savings for EBME (Electro-Biomedical Engineering) and health estates & facilities departments managing the maintenance of systems.

It will also minimise impact on the associated clinical departments of radiology, obstetrics and cardiology that experience equipment downtime whilst planned or unexpected ultrasound repairs are undertaken. At the same time, back office administrative burdens of multiple vendor reviews, contracts and invoices generated by procurement or finance teams will be reduced by simplifying equipment maintenance to one specialist organisation.

“Productivity and efficiency are ongoing mantras in healthcare as we enter 2019, especially in light of the NHS’ new long-term plan. As an equipment manufacturer we understand how important it is for our customers to receive high quality servicing quickly for diagnostic ultrasound systems, to not only maximise the life and uptime of the imaging system, but also to meet operational targets and patient needs. By entering into this partnership with Imagex Medical we can broaden our specialist service offerings to our installed base and reassure them that we’re working in partnership to meet the challenges of today’s healthcare industry head on,” states Paul Parsons, Director Service & Technical Support at Canon Medical Systems UK. “One quote, one contract and a single point of contact for all ultrasound equipment concerns will be beneficial for many healthcare providers.”

Jeff Norrie, Chief Technician, Medical Engineering Department at Good Hope Hospital, part of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust states, “We have 45 ultrasound systems at Good Hope Hospital serving a patient catchment population of 450,000. Smooth maintenance and servicing is essential to have good service audit trails and ensure equipment health is kept at an optimum level to meet increasing clinical demands.”

Jim Lowbridge, Commercial Director at Imagex Medical states, “We’re excited to be entering into this multi-vendor partnership with Canon Medical Systems UK and supporting the UK healthcare marketplace with an alternative to OEM service support or managed equipment providers. As an independent specialist in ultrasound service support we focus on keeping equipment running to meet all clinical and operational needs.”

 Photo caption: A new multi-vendor service partnership has been announced into the UK health marketplace by equipment manufacturer Canon Medical Systems UK and specialist, independent ultrasound service provider, Imagex Medical.

Dr. Gray’s Hospital, Elgin, part of NHS Grampian recently replaced its Aquilion 64 with a state-of-the-art Aquilion Prime SP 160 CT scanner from Canon Medical Systems

Mark Shannon, Radiography Manager, comments, “Having for many years valued the quality of service and support from Canon for various modalities, it was clear to the team at Dr. Gray’s that the Canon CT range was going to be considered for our replacement scanner. In the ten years since our last scanner was installed, the progress in software development, within the industry in general, has added considerable options to access high-end functionality to all modalities, not just CT. This is fantastic news for patients and clinicians alike as it reduces dose, improves acquisition times and yields more information.”

Dr. Gray’s is a District General Hospital and only has a single CT scanner. Mark explains, “During any installation we have to ensure a cross-sectional imaging service is available at all times. We also have to remain flexible for the needs of elective and unplanned exams, and to ensure the safety and well-being of patients and staff.” Instead of the ‘traditional’ van in a car park solution Canon offered to install an interim service within the department. Mark continues, “This provided us with a range of exams to maintain the service and allowed the workflow within the safe environment of the department to be maintained. Following the installation of our replacement scanner, Canon’s Aquilion Prime SP, the response from patients, staff and referrers has been highly positive. The radiography team was delighted with the transition from old to new. Not only does the new software platform provide ease and familiarity to acquisition, but applying additional functions was an intuitive process. On a practical level, the larger bore and lateral couch movement contribute to a less stressful and physically demanding day, as well as allowing patients to feel more relaxed. Radiologists appreciate the additional software available within the package, and particularly value the thin-client post-processing capability afforded with the introduction of Vitrea-Extend. These additional packages are all very intuitive to learn, but nonetheless, delivered with minimal fuss and well supported by an excellent applications specialist”.  

In conclusion, Mark says, “Hardware and software aside, the most positive impact of this installation has been the ease with which it happened. From initial discussion to completion of the build, Canon and the company’s partners have been excellent, providing regular updates and advice. We are now better prepared to meet the challenges that face us!”

The Aquilion Prime SP sets new standards of image quality, whilst providing the lowest possible dose for every patient. Built with premium technology migrated straight from the company’s high-end CT, it facilitates the handling of all patients from paediatric to bariatric, including the most challenging cases, while providing staff with a fast and efficient solution to make their work easier.

Photo caption: Left to right; Deborah Searle, Radiographer; Eilidh Jackson, Charge Nurse; Dr. Struan Wilkie, Consultant Radiologist; Lyndsay Smith, Radiographer; Mark Shannon , Radiography Manager; Nicola Goodman, Anne Wood, Rachael Brown, Catherine Dyer, Arlene More, Radiographers and Iain Gray, Account Manager, Canon Medical Systems

Social, health, sports & citizenship lessons passed on to future generations

The RESPECT Programme, a community outreach initiative in South Yorkshire run by professional basketball club Sheffield Sharks, is celebrating its 10^th anniversary of delivering proactive sports, social and citizenship workshops to primary school children.

This important milestone year of the not-for-profit scheme is supported by diagnostic imaging company Canon Medical Systems UK, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility #madeforlife commitments. The 2018/19 RESPECT scheme is currently seeing over 600 Year 5 and 6 primary school children via workshops on bullying, staying safe online, fire safety and basketball skills. The academic year will conclude with a celebratory basketball tournament between participating schools in June at the English Institute of Sport Sheffield.

Over the past ten years, the RESPECT programme has grown in scale, interacting with nearly 5,000 nine and ten year old pupils at schools in the disadvantaged South Yorkshire areas of Barnsley, Rotherham and Sheffield. Participating schools gain external support and resource sessions in the non-statutory curriculum area of Personal, Social, Health and Citizen Education (PSHCE) combined with practical sports coaching and role model psychology from Sheffield Sharks professional basketball players.

“The Year 5 children love it when Sheffield Sharks come to visit – they engage, listen and want to take part – who wouldn’t when a 7ft tall professional basketball player comes into the room!” states Mandy Fenech, Safeguarding Officer at Arbourthorne Community Primary School. “The Sheffield Sharks RESPECT programme has been so important to our school over many years. It complements our own PSHE curriculum and safeguarding topics perfectly, covering bullying, online safety, crime plus fire and safety. Delivery of the sessions is unique and our pre-teen pupils sit up and take notice – you can see their interest and engagement rise during the sessions.”

“The ethos of the RESPECT programme is to encourage participation in physical activity such as basketball; to promote an understanding of the need for community values; and to help young people stay safe using technology such as the Internet,” states Joel Mills, Operations Manager and RESPECT Programme Leader at DBL Sharks Sheffield Basketball Club. “The sessions are run with Year 5 primary school children, the age that criminal responsibility starts, and aims to openly discuss making the right choices in life.”

“The RESPECT programme delivered by Sheffield Sharks is about striving for the greater good. It mirrors our own Japanese business culture and the philosophy behind our long-standing ‘Made for Life’ vision of building relationships that rely on trust, respect and transparency to improve life for all,” states Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical Systems UK. “We are proud to see the positive impacts that the RESPECT scheme is having on local children, families and the wider community.”

Sheffield Sharks players and RESPECT leaders are mostly from black or minority ethnic groups and have real-life stories to tell of growing up in challenging circumstances and how choosing a path of sport enabled them to gain skills and stay trouble free. South Yorkshire Police and Fire & Rescue Service also play a part with the RESPECT programme in addressing the wide range of issues that impact local communities, not least in educating the children that the criminal age of responsibility is from age 10.

Mandy Fenech concludes, “Almost 70% of our pupils are entitled to free school meals and some of our families face many hardships. We give the children a routine and safe environment to belong to and our Core Values are echoed through the RESPECT programme. Giving our pupils proactive guidance in life is incredibly important and we’re so thankful, as parents and teachers, to have the support of Sheffield Sharks and the RESPECT programme in our area.”

Due to the success of the RESPECT programme with primary school children, plans for RESPECT2 a programme targeting secondary schools and encouraging teenagers to stay out of gangs and knife crime is under development and due to be piloted in 2020.

Photo caption: The RESPECT Programme, a multi-agency community outreach initiative in South Yorkshire run by professional basketball club, Sheffield Sharks is celebrating its 10^th anniversary of delivering proactive sports, social and citizenship sessions to primary school children. It is supported by diagnostic imaging company Canon Medical Systems UK.

Image quality, ergonomics & industry reputation cited as reasons for selection

Canon Medical Systems UK has installed an Aplio^™ i600 diagnostic ultrasound system at North Devon District Hospital, part of Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust, to support the expansion of imaging service capacity and bolster clinical confidence. It will be situated in a new multi-use room and used predominately for breast imaging procedures.

Featuring Superb micro-vascular imaging (SMI), the Aplio i600 at North Devon District Hospital will be able to expand the level of vascular visualisation and detail to enhance clinical diagnostic confidence when evaluating lesions, cysts and tumours.

Shelley Thompson, Superintendent Sonographer at North Devon District Hospital states, “One of the main drivers for a new ultrasound system was to develop our capacity for breast imaging. The imaging quality and ergonomics of the Aplio i600 stood out during the clinical evaluations, as did the industry reputation of Canon Medical Systems. The Aplio i600 is a very versatile system to suit the wide spectrum of work we carry out in the department, which includes interventional procedures performed by Radiologists.”

“We’re delighted to have installed our first Canon Medical Systems ultrasound unit into North Devon District Hospital and that technical quality, versatility, ergonomics and market reputation played a part in our selection,” states Henry Lewis, Sales Specialist at Canon Medical Systems UK. “We will now continue to support the department with ongoing service and applications needs.”

In addition to breast imaging workload, the Canon Medical Systems Aplio i600 was also selected by North Devon District Hospital for its versatility in interventional imaging. The installation includes the full range of diagnostic ultrasound transducers to give clinical flexibility across breast, paediatric, vascular, interventional and general procedures.

Photo caption: Canon Medical Systems UK has installed an Aplio^™ i600 diagnostic ultrasound system into North Devon District Hospital, part of Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust.

Pictured (left to right): Dr Sandra Owen, Consultant Radiologist; Clare Leworthy, HCA; Neli Nyathi, Sonographer; Maria Grigg, Sonographer; Shelley Thompson, Superintendent Sonographer; Vikki Nicholson, Sonographer; Stefan Ramkissoon, Radiology Registrar; Henry Lewis, Sales Specialist at Canon Medical Systems UK; Shane Hanlon, Applications Specialist at Canon Medical Systems UK; and Emma Kiff, Sonographer.

Donations given in exchange for radiology customers’ time to complete performance poll

Nearly £2,500 has been donated by Canon Medical Systems UK, formally Toshiba Medical Systems, to UK charities in exchange for its radiology customers completing a short online or telephone survey about people, products and customer service. The qualitative and quantitative survey enabled the viewpoints of radiographers, sonographers and clinicians to be collected to ensure the ongoing improvement in Canon Medical System’s offerings in the areas of product support and customer service.

The total amount raised will be split between three health related charities: Little Hearts Matter, a UK charity offering help to anyone affected by the diagnosis of single ventricle heart condition; The Stroke Association, a UK charity working to change the world for people affected by stroke; and a leading national Cancer research charity.

Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical Systems UK states, “Our customer satisfaction surveys are very important to gauge the views of the people we serve and for the wider healthcare ecosystem. Keeping equipment uptime rates high, being highly responsive to breakdowns or delivering smooth and quick equipment installations, are vital to support our customers delivering frontline diagnostic imaging services to growing numbers of patients. It is part of our Made for Life commitment to put the patient at the heart of everything we do and it’s great to see the results of this survey showing a significant increase in customer satisfaction since the last survey 3 years ago.”

Photo caption: Mark Hitchman, Managing Director of Canon Medical Systems UK presents cheque to David Walmsley, Regional Fundraiser at Stroke Association.

Castle Hill Hospital, part of Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust, recently replaced a ten-year old 40-slice CT system with a Canon Medical Systems Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition scanner. The new system is the second Canon CT scanner to be installed at Castle Hill Hospital. The first system, an Aquilion PRIME, installed in 2017, was delivered with cardiac software and replaced an aged 16-slice system.

The 2017 installation was the hospital’s first experience with a Canon CT scanner. Features that convinced the hospital to purchase a second Canon Medical Systems system included low dose with iterative construction and improved image quality with Canon’s ‘FIRST model-based reconstruction’ (MBIR). Andrew Stephens comments, “We already have a Canon system, purchased in 2017, and we have been very pleased with the reliability of the system. Based on the positive experience with our first system, we decided to go ahead and acquire a second Canon CT scanner.”

Stephens continues, “We have moved from 16 and 40 slice systems to the Canon Medical Systems Aquilion PRIME and Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition. It has been a huge leap in technology. As a regional cardiothoracic centre, high quality cardiac imaging is paramount. We are now able to obtain sub mSv, high quality volumetric cardiac CT scans. SURESubtraction for angiographic studies has produced excellent results, particularly in bone removal at the base of the skull. The training and support from Canon was first-class and the radiographers have quickly learned the new interface of the Canon scanner. Innovative features such as SEMAR, Lateral Tech and Area Finder have all proved to have clinical and workflow benefits.”

Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition transforms routine imaging to new levels of image detail and low contrast resolution, balanced for each clinical question at the right dose. It comes with Canon’s Dual Energy scanning including Dual Energy Composition Analysis and Dual Energy Raw Data Analysis.

The system at Castle Hill includes an array of software including FIRST, the world’s first integrated solution which utilises forward projection iterations to deliver high-quality images with up to 82 percent dose reduction. A full volumetric reconstruction for routine clinical use can be obtained in just three minutes. Other features include SURE Coronary Subtraction, Variable Helical Parameter (vHP), Adaptive Motion Correction  and Area Finder.

Photo Caption: Shown left to right, standing: Helen Wright, Senior CT Radiographer; Dr. Nadia Jawad, Radiology Registrar; Bridie Hutchings, Senior CT Radiographer; Dawn Latham, CISW; Nicola Webster, CT Speciality Manager; and Ruth Rowe, Account Manager, Canon Medical Systems. Seated on the left, Andrew Stephens, CT Section Manager, and on the right Heather Dring, CT Applications Specialist, Canon Medical Systems.

North Manchester General Hospital, part of the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, recently replaced a twelve year old Canon image intensifier-based system, in its ERCP room, with the latest version of Canon’s Ultimax-i. The replacement is the second Ultimax-i unit to be installed at the hospital in the last two years, the acquisitions being an important investment and it is anticipated they will improve fluoroscopy services available to patients across the Pennine Acute Trust, by using the latest imaging technology.

Helena Hill, Specialist Interventional/Fluoroscopy Radiographer, says, “We chose Canon as we have had previous experience of the company’s X-ray equipment, and we have found the Ultimax to be extremely reliable and hardworking. In addition, it has always provided the best image quality and dose reduction. Another of the main reasons for our choice is the customer service that Canon provides.  Canon stood out over other suppliers, as we find the customer service second-to-none. Having local engineers makes such a difference as to how quickly we can get an answer to a query or fault. An engineer is always available, either on the phone, or will attend the hospital, if needed. The response is very prompt – we have never waited long for assistance and the personnel at the end of the phone are very friendly and helpful.”  Helena continues, “The applications training was superb and we have found the specialists always willing to answer any questions, no matter how trivial. They are excellent at what they do and we know that we are always able to call on them if needed.”  

The new system enables the hospital to increase efficiency, whilst providing a higher degree of patient comfort than ever before. The Ultimax-i is flexible and versatile, capable of performing multi-purpose imaging with a large field-of-view and excellent image quality. Its innovative design, with a multi-directional interactive digital C-arm, facilitates all gastrointestinal studies, interventional radiology and angiographic procedures, with anatomical coverage from head-to-toe and shoulder-to-shoulder on even the tallest patients.

Following the initial positioning of the patient, the Ultimax-i can be moved to any orientation required, without the need for additional patient movement. In addition, the system has integrated anti-collision technology to protect the patient at all times and a comprehensive dose reduction programme that ensures maximum diagnostic information at the lowest possible dose.

Commenting on the installation, Helena says, “We now have two Ultimax-i systems in place and they have helped to reduce our waiting lists significantly. With one of the rooms, it has enabled us to continue with ERCP procedures as, without the room being replaced, these could not have gone ahead.  We have also been able to reduce our doses significantly with our two new rooms. For the installation last year, the room was redecorated and remodelled to provide an extra door into the room for safety reasons”.

Photo caption: Shown left to right, Jackie Coleman, Endoscopy; Gemma Sangster, Senior Radiographer; Colin Murray, Account Manager, Canon Medical Systems; Helena Hill, Lead Radiographer; Andrew Mayes, Clinical Applications Specialist, Canon Medical Systems, and Gillian Hill and Vivian Waller, Endoscopy.

Canon Medical Systems recently supplied Warwick Hospital with a state-of-the-art Aquilion Prime SP CT scanner, including an upgrade to their Vitrea Enterprise system, providing advanced visualisation solutions for both Aquilion CT scanners at Warwick.

Beverley Bradley, CT/MRI Lead Radiographer says, “We have been so pleased with the Canon Aquilion CX installed at Warwick seven years ago, that out choice for the Aquilion Prime SP as a second CT scanner was an easy one to make. Low doses, reliability, ease-of-use and excellent customer support were all influencing factors. Having a second scanner has enabled us to significantly improve our throughput, helping to reduce waiting times and to relieve the pressure placed upon the service from having a single CT scanner within the Trust. We are particularly impressed with the rapid image reconstruction and integrated software packages the Aquilion Prime SP offers. The noticeable reduction in post-processing applications has already impacted upon our productivity.”

Productivity is enhanced with the Aquilion Prime SP’s integrated workflow solutions, which render even the most complex tasks easy. The new all three phase variable Helical Parameters (vHP3) provides the flexibility to perform three separate scans into a seamless acquisition to potentially save radiation dose, contrast dose, or both.  Overall fast scan times make vHP3 compliant to the needs of the patient, and shorten exam times for trauma imaging when every second is critical.  A single series reconstruction enables several studies to be interpreted simultaneously for faster reading.

Photo caption: Shown left to right, back row, standing Oliver Letchford, Radiographer; Beverley Bradley, CT/MRI Lead radiographer; Barnaby Harrison, Account Manager, and Nicola Venuto Project Manager, both of Canon Medical Systems. Seated in front, left to right, Samantha Randall, Senior Radiographer; Nicky Dillow, CT Senior Radiographer and Professor Rakesh Sinha, Radiology Clinical Director

Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH) NHS Foundation Trust have acquired a Canon Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition CT scanner. The equipment replaced an existing system that had reached the end of its useful life.

Dr. Bernhard Tins, Consultant Radiologist says, “We chose the Aquilion ONE GENESIS Edition after a rigorous competitive procurement process. The new system provides excellent image quality with high spatial resolution and proven dose savings. The dual energy option allows us to assess cases of metabolic disease and the large 16cm wide diameter enables us to perform 3D dynamic joint imaging, aiding problem solving in difficult orthopaedic cases.” Dr. Tins continues, “It has already proven excellent for interventional MSK work with the relatively large bore and lateral table movement. The large detector allows us to image large areas in real time while performing procedures and intermittent screening can be performed with a large number of slice thickness combinations. The 3D features support needle paths outside the gantry plane.”

 The new system was supplied with Canon’s latest technology including Dual Energy, CT fluoroscopy, Tech Assist Lateral Slide and Area Finder, plus ^SURESubtraction Ortho and Lung software and 4D orthopaedic analysis package.

Dr. Tins concludes, “The advanced technical features will support a number of research projects we have planned. The procurement process and installation and apps training were supported throughout by the competent and helpful Canon team and in particular by Barnaby Harrison, Mark Condron and Huw Jones. Canon, particularly our local reps, were very supportive throughout, helping to keep the project on track.” 

 The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital is a leading orthopaedic centre. A specialist hospital with a reputation for innovation, the Trust provides a comprehensive range of musculoskeletal, surgical, medical and rehabilitation services, locally, regionally and nationally.

Photo Caption: Shown left to right: Huw Jones, Canon Medical Systems; Valerie Jones, CT Superintendent; Gemma Jones,CT/MRI Radiographer;Dr. Bernhard Tins (standing), Consultant Radiologist; Meg Evans, CT/MRI Radiographer; Jodie Rogers, CT/MRI Radiographer and Eric Hughes, Diagnostics Divisional Manager

Canon Medical Systems recently replaced another manufacturer’s CT scanner at Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust with a state-of-the-art Aquilion Prime SP 160 CT system. In addition, the company supplied a software upgrade for a first-generation Aquilion PRIME CT scanner, installed in 2012. The upgrade brings the original scanner into line with the functionality of the newly-delivered system. The new scanner is equipped with the latest technology, including three phase Variable Helical Parameters (vHP), and offers fast patient throughput, together with robust cardiac scanning and new diagnostic capabilities.

In fulfilling the contract, Canon undertook a complete turnkey solution, to expand the hospital’s CT area and also to refurbish the CT examination and control rooms. The new scanner came with Canon’s tried and tested software packages, ^SURECardio, and ^SURESubtraction Head and Neck, Lung and Ortho.  It was also delivered with the company’s latest bariatric couch with Tech Assist Lateral slide technology to ensure safety and comfort. In addition, a Vitrea Enterprise system upgrade was provided, offering advanced visualisation solutions for Aquilion CT scanners.

Zoe Saunders, CT/MRI Superintendent Radiographer says; “Canon worked with the Trust to ensure we were able to maintain our high throughput of patients during the installation of the new scanner and upgrade of the existing scanner. This included a provision of a Canon CT mobile system during the building works and system installation.”

Georgina Waddington, CT/MRI Superintendent Radiographer comments; “We now no longer have to wait for the new scanner to be available for paediatric or complex patients – both scanners provide excellent image quality at low dose.” Georgina adds; The Canon Medical Systems’ Applications team was very supportive in optimising our protocols for both the mobile and our new CT system.”  

Photo Caption: Shown left to right, Hayley Tartaglia, Superintendent Radiographer, Tony Squirrell and Anna Servillion from the Radiography team, with Colin Pellow, Account Manager, Canon Medical Systems and CT/MRI Superintendent Radiographers Zoe Saunders and Georgina Waddington, and Radiographers, Pavan Kumar and Joyleen Sankar

Four Aquilion Prime SP CT systems selected to deliver improved outcomes to patients.

InHealth, the UK’s largest specialist provider of diagnostic and healthcare solutions to the NHS and independent sector, has selected Canon Medical Systems UK to replace and expand its range of CT scanners. Four Aquilion Prime SP CT Systems have been ordered to support InHealth’s high-quality service provision to over 2 million patients per year, and underpin the clinical and operational needs of its radiographers and reporting radiologists.

The new orders are the latest in a decade long CT partnership between the two companies. The four new CT scanners will all operate within InHealth’s mobile fleet as part of its aim to meet the growing needs of general and specialist CT imaging as a frontline healthcare treatment planning and review tool.

“This deal represents a significant investment in renewing and increasing our portfolio of scanners to allow us to continue to meet the growing demand from the healthcare sector, and help deliver better outcomes for our patients. We are excited to be working with Canon Medical Systems and continue to strengthen and expand our presence in the field of diagnostics,” states Geoff Searle, Managing Director – Integrated Services at InHealth.

Alistair Howseman, Sales Director at Canon Medical Systems UK states, “Our strong and long partnership with InHealth is testimony to Canon Medical Systems’ record of providing imaging equipment that is not only best in class for clinical and operational needs, but also to it giving a sound financial return on investment. We are delighted to receive the new order and look forward to providing a smooth installation of the equipment as well as training and meeting ongoing service needs.”

The Aquilion Prime SP CT powers productivity within imaging departments by speeding up and simplifying complex or routine procedures and automating patient positioning. It has been designed to help save time and increase patient throughput, as well as deliver exceptionally low radiation doses and assure clinical confidence in the resulting scans.                 

Photo caption: The four new Canon Medical Systems Aquilion Prime SP CT Systems will operate within InHealth’s mobile fleet to meet the growing needs of general and specialist CT imaging.