Kromek Group PLC (LON:KMK) has been awarded a three-year project by the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK to deliver a molecular breast imaging device.
The radiation monitoring company said in a statement that the project, commencing in mid-2018, is worth £1.4mln.
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The AIM-listed company added that it has been awarded the funding in partnership with Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, to deliver Low Dose Molecular Breast Imaging (LDMBI) technology based on Kromek’s CZT-based SPECT detectors.
By leveraging its SPECT detector technology to develop a functional low dose device, Kromek said it will help unlock the potential for molecular breast imaging, thereby improving detection of cancerous breast tissue in women with denser breast structures.
Kromek said that in the first phase of the project, it will utilise new developments in its SPECT detector technology to reduce the required dose of radiation in molecular breast imaging, a cutting-edge technology, which uses a radioactive tracer to identify tumours.
The LDMBI device will subsequently be used in a pilot study with the Newcastle Hospitals to demonstrate the clinical benefits of incorporating Kromek's SPECT detectors.
Dr Arnab Basu, CEO of Kromek, said: “This project is further evidence that CZT-based detectors are becoming a core technology in replacing legacy diagnostic products across the medical imaging sector.
"Our innovative SPECT detectors are capable of significantly lowering radiation doses, thereby offering cost savings for health services and, crucially, making enhanced detection and early diagnosis of breast cancer accessible on a much wider scale."