BOSTON, March 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Research hospitals worldwide are extolling the virtues of the Philips Healthcare Ingenuity TF PET/MR hybrid whole body scanner, expressing confidence in its potential to better detect liver metastases. Peter Cempellin was head of Nuclear Medicine with Philips Healthcare when he led the engineering design team responsible for the scanner's inception. Cempellin, a mechanical engineer and MBA, devised a way with his team that PET/MR could be cohesively combined to obtain a whole body scan, offering a more precise method to identify and diagnose cancerous tumors than previously available.
"PET identifies cancerous tumors by gathering information about their metabolic rate. MR detects contrasting differences in tissue density. Together, they comprised a powerful diagnostic tool. Up until this point, the combination was pure conjecture. PET scans had been combined with Computed Tomography (CT), but never MR. It was considered virtually impossible because the PET imaging gantry hardware conflicted with the MR magnetic field. Our approach to a solution was an innovative twist to overcome the formidable technical challenges inherent in PET/MR Hybrid Imaging, accomplishing a near simultaneous PET/MR image and allowing us to get this product to market quickly," explained Cempellin.
The Philips design avoided some of the challenges of a fully integrated MR/PET scanner with the PET gantry inside of the MR bore, so it didn't require years to develop and perfect. Cempellin's insightful management approach accelerated product inception to full-scale rollout with FDA approval of the TF PET/MR whole body scanner, beating the competition to market. The scanner was then nominated for a 2011 Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award.
Since 2011 market rollout, some 35 of the world's top research hospitals have added the Ingenuity TF PET/MR hybrid scanner to imaging suites. The scanner shows promise for cardiology. Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) researchers predict its potential for better detection of liver metastases. A market is limitless when you lead by design.
About Peter Cempellin
Cempellin has a track record in conceiving, launching and growing innovative offerings including nuclear medicine, radiology and medical simulation. He is known for identifying unmet clinical needs and a relentless focus on results. During his tenure at Philips Healthcare, Cempellin managed the company's molecular imaging division encompassing positron emission tomography, computed tomography (PET/CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MR).
SOURCE Peter Cempellin
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