Seracam characterisation results presented at BNMS

Serac Imaging Systems, a medical technology company developing a portable hybrid gamma-optical camera for medical imaging, presented an abstract titled ‘Initial characterisation of the Seracam: a small footprint gamma-optical camera, with fully automated collimator changing capabilities’ at the British Nuclear
Medicine Society Spring Meeting in Harrogate.

Seracam is a compact and portable hybrid optical/gamma camera currently being developed to bring the benefits of high resolution molecular imaging to the patient’s bedside. This technology will enable users to see the uptake of targeted tracers, labelled with minute amounts of radioactivity, to patients in a wide range of settings such as the operating room, intensive care unit or doctor’s office. Currently the benefits of such imaging are largely confined to patients who can be referred to a hospital’s nuclear medicine department where the large and expensive conventional gamma cameras are sited in a fixed position in a dedicated room.

A further feature of Seracam is the combination of a gamma image overlaid with a co-aligned optical image of the same region of interest. This adds further information regarding the precise anatomical location of the molecular imaging tracer and could be used to aid the discussion between the clinician and patient regarding their condition and the optimal treatment path.

Serac Imaging Systems scientific advisor Professor Alan Perkins, one of the original developers of Seracam and former BNMS president, said: “Seracam has come so far from its original conception, which was based on technology developed for satellites to image distant stars, to offering a real step change in the development of small field of view gamma-optical camera systems. These results represent a great foundation for clinical testing, which will now assess the impact of the device’s novel features: its flexibility, mobility and hybrid imaging capabilities.”

The company says that characterisation results demonstrate that the gamma imaging performance of Seracam in aspects such as spatial resolution, spatial linearity and uniformity values, exceeds that of large field of view cameras. Full results were presented in the poster.

“These successful results from the characterisation of Seracam’s imaging performance are a critical and significant step forward in its development,” added ceo Mark
Rosser. “By successfully miniaturising the planar functionality of large field of view gamma cameras, this technology has the potential to extend the benefits of nuclear imaging to new patient groups in new locations, as well as improving workflows in the nuclear medicine department. We are now looking forward to confirming its performance in a clinical setting.”

Lead picture: Scientific advisor Professor Alan Perkins with the Seracam.

Published on page 15 of the June 2023 issue of RAD Magazine.