Philips and VU Medical Center Amsterdam sign long term research agreement aimed at new multi-modality imaging solutions
The Imaging solutions aim at improving the early detection and treatment of diseases such as cancer and neurological and cardiovascular diseases. By combining data from different imaging modalities to increase the visibility of structures of interest and by mapping biological processes such as metabolism onto these images, new multi-modality imaging solutions could help clinicians to determine the presence and extent of many diseases at an earlier stage. This diagnostic information could then help them to plan and guide minimally-invasive interventions. It is expected that such solutions will contribute to more timely and more personalized treatments for patients and thereby improve treatment success rates.
To this end, both parties will work on the development and validation of next-generation medical imaging procedures, with initial projects focusing on nuclear imaging, especially Positron Emission Tomography (PET), and optical imaging techniques. For these modalities, the joint research projects will explore novel imaging agents (disease-specific contrast agents and tracers) and develop dedicated software for quantitative image analysis and user-friendly data presentation. Research programs for other imaging modalities are currently being prepared.
“We are very excited about our collaboration with Philips,” says Elmer Mulder, CEO of VUmc. “I am confident that VUmc’s excellence in medical care and expertise in molecular imaging, combined with Philips’ innovation in next-generation medical scanners, will result in further progress in improving the lives of patients suffering from devastating oncological, neurological and cardiovascular diseases.”
“In view of today’s complex challenges in healthcare, such as the aging population, the demand for improved quality of care and rising healthcare costs, partnerships are one of the key ways to address the issues,” says Jim Beckett, Vice President Philips Healthcare and head of Philips’ Clinical Research Program. “Although medical technologies have consistently proved to be a significant part of the solution, we must always start with the needs of patients and care providers. Together with VUmc, we will work strenuously on developing novel medical imaging solutions aimed at detecting diseases at an earlier stage and on developing treatments that are ever-more tailored to individual patients.”
Source: Philips
