Siemens to build first molecular imaging centre for UAE
16 February 2007 Mubadala Development has awarded Siemens Medical Solutions
a €16.7
million contract to build and operate a Molecular Imaging Centre (MIC) in
Abu Dhabi. This provide diagnostic services
for
oncology, cardiology and neurology. Expected to open in summer 2008, the
facility
will be the first of its kind in the region.
The contract was signed in the
presence of
Her Highness Sheikha Lubna Al Qassimi, Minister for Economy in the United
Arab
Emirates (UAE), and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The centre will be fully equipped with state-of-the-art medical diagnostic
equipment for
anatomic and functional diagnosis. These include a Siemens PET/CT
(a hybrid
combining positron emission tomography, PET, and computed tomography, CT)
diagnostic system and a cyclotron radioisotope delivery system.
A comprehensive IT infrastructure powered
by the Siemens' syngo
software will allow for seamless data and image
integration and
exchange across all parts of the MIC and with other clinics worldwide.
"Molecular medicine has huge potential to enable detection of diseases at a
much earlier stage. Molecular imaging techniques in combination with
specific biomarkers are helping
physicians to choose suitable medications for a particular patient, predict
and monitor the
effects of those medications and personalize patients' treatments — hence
contributing to a
more efficient and higher quality treatment of common maladies like cancer,
cardiovascular diseases or neurological degenerations", said Erich R.
Reinhardt, member
of the board of Siemens AG and CEO of Siemens Medical Solutions.
The MIC will also be the first in this region to feature a Cyclotron,
Siemens’ particle
accelerator that produces high yields of reliable radioisotope biomarkers.
These are
essential for accurate PET diagnosis.
In addition to supplying Mubadala’s
Molecular
Imaging Centre, the Cyclotron also enables other PET diagnostic facilities
in the vicinity to
have access to these biomarkers.
The first project phase in 2006 saw Siemens setting up a team of experts who
have been
working closely with Mubadala to conceptualize and design what will be a
unique facility
with the very latest in innovative molecular imaging diagnostic technology.
The contract
signing marks the move into the second phase of the project, when the
building of the MIC
will commence. A five-year facility management and operation contract is
expected to be
signed following completion of the facility construction.
Besides Medical
Solutions, also
Siemens’ Industrial Solutions and Services group (I&S) as well as Siemens
Building
Technologies (SBT) will be involved in the civil works and building
infrastructure of the
MIC. To top
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