MR Solutions wins third Queen’s Award for advanced PET imaging technology

MR Solutions has received the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in recognition of the company’s innovative PET imaging technology for use in pre-clinical research. MR Solutions already holds Queens Awards for innovation in 2016 and for export achievement in 2017.

MR Solutions has been the world leader in new developments in pre-clinical scanning firstly with the world’s first liquid helium free high field scanners and secondly the introduction of multi-modality scanners incorporating MRI with PET or SPECT and CT with PET or SPECT.

The Queens award was for the PET module which used the latest technology in silicon photomultipliers. This advanced technology improved performance and substantially shrank the size of the PET scanner.  MR Solutions’ PET scanner can now be inserted within the bore for simultaneous scanning or clipped on to the front of any of MR Solutions’ pre-clinical MRI or CT scanners for sequential scanning.

This is of great benefit to researchers. They are now able to visualize the combination of MRI for structural and functional tissue characterization with PET imaging for metabolism and tracking of uniquely labeled cell types or cell receptors and more accurate anatomical localization of PET findings which allows researchers to view rapidly changing physiological and pathological processes. This is particularly useful in oncology, cardiology, and neurology research. Superior imaging resolution results are the best on the market at <0.7 mm.

Michael More-Molyneux, Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant presented the award on behalf of The Queen to David Taylor, Physicist and Chairman, at MR Solutions, with Shahid Azeem, Deputy Lieutenant who read the citation. The award was formally conferred with a Grant of Appointment and presentation of a crystal bowl.

Dr David Taylor of MR Solutions commented:

We are really delighted to receive this prestigious award for our innovative technology. The whole drive of our company is to be at the cutting edge of science and to offer researchers the latest proven technology as these scanners will have to last many years. We have a really talented team of scientists and engineers who are constantly pushing the boundaries which will have the effect of both speeding up and improving new treatments for millions of people.”

MR Solutions is the only company in the world to offer a range of commercially available MRI multi-modality scanners from 3T to 9.4T (T is for Tesla - the power of the magnet) which does not require liquid helium. MR Solutions’ scanners, which are the size of a desk, can be wheeled into a lab compared to the helium cooled models which usually need their own room and substantial building modifications.

The Queen’s Award for Enterprise is valid for five years and is the most prestigious business award in the UK which is presented to a select group of businesses having been recognised for outstanding business achievement. Now in its 53^rd year, the awards are made annually by HM The Queen and are only given for the highest levels of business excellence. Companies have to demonstrate their financial strength as well as their sales success.