Medical imaging: develop new technologies in the UK
Published 15 October 2018
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The UK continues to be a global leader in medical imaging, and offers world class opportunities for partnership.
UK innovation in medical imaging technology
Historically the UK is an international leader in medical imaging, research and innovation with:
- the development of the first ultrasound machine for medical investigation
- 3 UK Nobel Prize winners for the development of computer assisted tomography
- discoveries concerning magnetic resonance imaging
Recent commercial innovations resulting from research include:
- a portable cardiac triage diagnostic which utilises radical new developments in magnetocardiography
- a breast cancer imaging system using harmless radiowaves
- advanced developments in the imaging of biomarkers for neurological and cerebrovascular disorders
- real-time image guidance for surgery
- revolutionary arrhythmia detection systems
- novel digital pathology software
- pioneering new portable ultrasound devices
UK’s integrated medical imaging market
The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK performs over 45 million imaging procedures each year involving:
- X-rays (25 million)
- ultrasound scans (10.5 million)
- CT scans (5.5 million)
- MRI scans (4 million)
As part of its cancer programme, NHS England has launched its biggest investment in state-of-the-art radiotherapy machines in 15 years.
The UK’s diagnostic imaging equipment market is expected to reach $2.63 billion by the end of 2020.
Medical imaging product development in the UK
The UK offers a dynamic environment where medical imaging research is translated into world-leading innovations.
Companies with transformative technologies are able to access a unique network of NHS regional innovation and adoption hubs which have been established to fast-track the adoption of innovative new products, at pace and scale, within the NHS.
UK clinical research infrastructure for medical imaging
The UK has the most integrated clinical research infrastructure in the world, which coordinates and fast-tracks the delivery of clinical trials.
Most of the 20 UK biomedical research centres, which support translation of research into commercial products, use various imaging modalities, but 3 have imaging research as a major focus.
There are currently over a 1,000 clinical studies taking place in the NHS involving potentially important new imaging methods.
The world’s largest medical imaging study, scanning the bodies and brains of 100,000 Britons, is underway. This will create an unprecedented library of images of bones, brains, arteries and hearts, to provide information on the onset and progression of major diseases.
UK infrastructure for medical imaging technology R&D
The UK government, research councils, charities and private industry collaborate to fund world-leading imaging research.
Cancer Research UK and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) fund a cancer imaging initiative which has established a network of 4 cancer imaging centres and 4 imaging programmes. Each of these brings together multiple universities to share expertise and facilities, and to create world-leading imaging research.
The Medical Research Council also invests heavily in imaging research. It funds imaging centres and imaging networks across the UK, including an imaging network of 5 internationally renowned UK universities, as part of a novel UK dementia platform.
In Glasgow, the Imaging Centre of Excellence (ICE) houses the UK’s first ultra-high field 7 Tesla MRI scanner, located in a clinical setting. ICE, which opened in 2017, is the latest investment by the University of Glasgow at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, the largest acute hospital in western Europe. It focuses on stroke, cardiovascular disease and brain imaging with space to host industry.
Contact Life Sciences Organisation (LSO)
LSO is made up of a mixed team of civil servants and private sector specialists based in the UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT).
It provides support for:
- UK life sciences companies doing business overseas
- foreign life sciences companies wanting to invest in the UK
Contact LSO for more information on commercial opportunities in the UK’s life sciences sector.
You can find out more about investing in the UK at great.gov.uk.