MILabs BV and FOM start collaboration
Freek Beekman is using his prize money from the FOM Valorisation Prize 2013 for a long-term collaboration between MILabs and FOM. With this he wants to strengthen research into ultrahigh-resolution molecular imaging with single photon emission tomography. Beekman is a professor at Delft University of Technology and the founder and CEO/CSO of the company Molecular Imaging Labs (MILabs BV). In 2013 he won the FOM Valorisation Prize and in 2015 the innovation of the year from the World Molecular Imaging Society for his research into technical and economic improvements of biomedical scanning equipment. The technological breakthroughs he initiated have resulted in faster and qualitatively better analyses of disease processes in organs and tumours.
Beekman works at Delft University of Technology and at MILabs BV on tomographic image reconstruction and instrumentation. The aim is to unleash breakthroughs in biomedical molecular imaging, using techniques like single photon emission tomography (SPECT). In this new project, in which both MILabs and FOM are making significant investments, Beekman and his team want to further develop G-SPECT so that another step can be made towards faster and qualitatively better analyses of disease processes in organs and tumours. G-SPECT is a system with enormous static single-gamma detectors (Gyro-free) that form the basis for high-resolution and high scanning speed as well as a low radiation dose for the patient.
Breakthroughs in scanning technology
Beekman has made discoveries, for example, in the area of collimation and focussing techniques for high-energy radiation. These discoveries make it possible to obtain a very high signal strength from specific organs or tumours. Beekman converts his fundamental discoveries as quickly as possible into new measurement instruments. He set up the company Molecular Imaging Labs (MILabs) that now has a turnover of several million euros and with his team he has developed equipment that can carry out several medical scans at once: a PET scan and a SPECT scan.
More information
About the Beekman research group
About the FOM Valorisationprize
About Beekman's prizes in 2013 en 2015
About MILabs
For more information, please contact [email=F.J.Beekman@tudelft.nl]Freek Beekman[/email]
About FOM
At the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM) top physics research takes place at four FOM Institutes (FOM Institute AMOLF, FOM Institute DIFFER, FOM Institute Nikhef and the Advanced Research Center for Nanolithography (ARCNL) and in more than 200 workgroups at Dutch universities and knowledge institutions. About 1,100 employees collaborate closely with other relevant disciplines. FOM covers the entire spectrum of fundamental research, from curiosity-driven research to research inspired by applications. In the latter there is also an important link with industry and societal challenges. FOM is part of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). The current structure of the NWO organisation will be reorganized. FOM will be integrated in this new organisation.
About MILabs
MILabs provides high-end molecular imaging solutions for biomedical and pharmaceutical research. Today these systems contribute worldwide to the development of new diagnostic solutions and therapies for diseases such as diabetes, cancer, cardiac and neurodegenerative diseases. As documented in over 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles, U-SPECT4 provides the fastest, most sensitive and highest resolution small-animal SPECT system currently available. Recently MILabs fused state-of-the-art Adaptive PET with its SPECT technology by introducing VECTor4CT. This versatile nuclear imaging system is extremely user friendly, fully integrated and enables simultaneous ultra-high resolution PET/SPECT imaging in combination with a choice of in-line low-dose high-resolution CT subsystems. For more information, visit www.milabs.com.
More information:
F.J.Beekman@tudelft.nl
Provided by Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM)