The Alfred Hospital Unveils Advanced Quadra PET Scanner
The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne has introduced a new advanced total body Quadra PET scanner, which became accessible to Victorian public patients this month. This state-of-the-art technology is set to revolutionize diagnostic imaging and patient care.
Key Features and Patient Impact
The new Quadra PET scanner brings significant improvements to the patient experience and diagnostic capabilities. Scan times are dramatically reduced, falling from over 35 minutes to under 10 minutes. Furthermore, it operates at a lower radiation dose compared to previous PET/CT scanners, enhancing patient safety and comfort.
Patients requiring frequent monitoring, such as those managing conditions like multiple sclerosis and metastatic melanoma, will particularly benefit. The scanner offers quicker, quieter, and more precise imaging, providing medical professionals with significantly more detailed information for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment tracking.
The Quadra PET scanner significantly reduces scan times and radiation dose, while offering quicker, quieter, and more precise imaging for patients requiring regular scans.
Expert Insights on Clinical Advancements
Medical professionals at The Alfred anticipate substantial advancements in patient management and clinical research. Associate Professor Andrew Haydon, an oncologist at The Alfred, highlights the scanner's ability to enable the hospital to see more patients in a timely fashion. He adds that the technology allows doctors to track the body's response to treatments in near real-time, facilitating quicker identification of effective therapies and potential side effects.
Associate Professor Ken Yap, Director of Nuclear Medicine and PET at The Alfred, emphasized the wider impact. He noted the crucial benefit of reducing the overall time patients spend at the hospital for appointments and procedures. Beyond patient comfort, A/Prof Yap underscored the scanner's vital role in advancing cancer diagnosis and treatment, including matching therapies to individual tumor biology in theranostics and bolstering clinical trials.
Funding for Innovation
The acquisition of this advanced Quadra PET scanner was made possible through a substantial $24 million investment. This funding was a collaborative effort, with contributions from:
- Federal Government: $12 million
- Victorian Government: $7 million
- The Alfred Foundation (philanthropic support): $5 million