Launch of total body scanner extends world-class imaging platform to Scotland
Scotland’s first total body PET scanner is now operational at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. It is co-managed by the universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, delivered by the National PET Imaging Platform (NPIP) and run by UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Medical Research Council, Innovate UK and Medicines Discovery Catapult. NPIP is funded by a £32 million investment from the UKRI Infrastructure Fund.
Total body PET systems are up to 40 times more sensitive, up to 10 times faster and can scan 50 per cent more patients a day than existing machines. The UK is driving the adoption of this technology through NPIP, a national imaging technology network that delivers this clinical infrastructure of scanners and allows clinicians, industry and researchers to collaborate on an international scale. It establishes a platform for the development of precision radio-pharmaceuticals and attracts industry to trial its newest drugs in the region and inventors to develop and test AI and diagnostics tools.
NPIP director of operations and engagement Dr Juliana Maynard commented: “We see the NPIP network as both critical and clinical national infrastructure; a connected nationwide network for data sharing, discovery and innovation we could only dream of a decade ago.
“Using these total body PET scanners, we can observe disease in real time across the entire body, and now throughout the entire country. That’s game-changing for drug discovery and treatment in the UK and, more importantly, for how quickly patients can benefit from it.
“Researchers will gain access to vastly improved clinical data, not only by tapping into the network for their own trials, but from every study connected to the platform. This will create an unprecedented level of collaboration in imaging, putting the UK on the world map as a centre of excellence.”
“We are delighted Edinburgh joins the NPIP network with the installation of the Biograph Vision Quadra whole body PETCT from Siemens Healthineers,” said Siemens Healthineers Great Britain and Ireland managing director Ghada Trotabas. “This is a transformative milestone in NHS innovation, both from the viewpoint of accelerating cutting-edge research and opening doors to faster diagnosis and treatment. Equipped with technical precision that redefines molecular imaging and optimises operational performance, the Biograph Vision Quadra system from Siemens Healthineers enables near real-time imaging of a patient’s entire body. With an in-depth look at how the body interacts with administered substances, tumours can be characterised, allowing for more personalised and precise treatment.”
Picture: a Siemens Healthineers Biograph Vision Quadra system has been installed at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Read this report on page 7 of the August 2025 issue of RAD Magazine.
