First European hospital to equip itself with 3D X-ray scanner using CERN technology

Since 2008, CERN and the New Zealand company Bioimaging of Mars Collaboration to develop a 3D color X-ray scanner based on Medipix3 technology, which Medipix3 Collaboration It is originally. Inspired by particle physics detectors, the chips Medipix3 Timepix3 is now used for: Medical applicationsBut also My placeand for Artwork Authentication.

The scanner is now in Europe, at the University Hospital Centre Vaud (CHUV), in Switzerland, the first step towards the European phase of international clinical trials being conducted by MARS Bioimaging with the aim of certifying the technology for medical use.

MARS Bioimaging’s scanner, which images bone healing after fracture, enables high-resolution imaging near metal implants and is able to differentiate between many different tissue types without the need for contrast agents. These incredibly high-resolution images will lead to significant advances in the diagnosis of hand and wrist fractures, as well as monitoring the fixation process.

The CHUV team of radiologists and physicians looks forward to beginning clinical use of the scanner. “The MARS scanner will allow us to improve our understanding of arthritis: how the disease develops, and how to diagnose it. It should also help us develop targeted therapies that we currently lack to treat diseases caused by calcium crystal deposits.“Explains Fabio Bessi, assistant physician and lecturer at CHUV.

“These experiments, conducted in a Swiss hospital, are a shining example of how experiments conducted in a physics research laboratory can lead to technology that improves patient care.”Professor Anthony Butler, Head of MARS Bioimaging, adds.

“In June 2021, CERN and MARS Bioimaging extended their contract for five years, which will make it easier for MARS Bioimaging to obtain approval from relevant agencies in the United States and the European Union.”“This is a very exciting development,” explains Aurelie Bezos, from CERN’s Knowledge Transfer Group. “The partnership between CERN and the Medipix3 and MARS Bioimaging collaborations demonstrates how important collaboration with healthcare professionals is for medical innovation.”

Beyond knowledge transfer, this collaboration clearly demonstrates the potential of CERN AlumniMany of them worked on the radiation safety of the scanner. We can especially mention Lucía Gallego Manzano, a former CERN fellow in radiation protection, now working at the Institute of Radiophysics (IRA) of CHUV.