NEW YORK, June 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), the world's leading academic medical center specialized in musculoskeletal health, and New Zealand-based medical device and technology company MARS Bioimaging Limited (MARS) today announced a new collaborative relationship based on MARS's photon-counting spectral CT imaging technology.

Through the HSS Innovation Institute, HSS and MARS will collaborate to advance musculoskeletal imaging and diagnosis, including evaluation of specific aspects of the MARS 5x120 Extremity Scanner and potential co-development of new scanning technologies and systems.

The MARS 5x120 Extremity scanner is based on detector technology that was initially developed as part of ongoing particle physics research at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), where the Higgs Boson was discovered. The MediPix3 detector technology previously enabled MARS's development of the world's first commercial (2010) photon counting 3-D color x-ray, producing high contrast images of bone detail and assessment of bone density at a fracture site at a significantly reduced radiation dose compared to traditional CT. The MARS 5x120 Extremity scanner is designed as a "point-of-care" system, intended for use in clinical office and ambulatory settings, addressing clinical needs such as pre- and post-surgical planning, assessment of fracture healing, and identification of implant complications.
HSS Department of Radiology and Imaging Chairperson Hollis Potter, MD is enthusiastic about the HSS- MARS collaboration: "Our team looks forward to collaborating with MARS to assess the technology and pursue other new applications and development opportunities. We see this type of imaging modality and detector technology as the next evolution in CT scanners; as HSS physicians and innovators, our goal of continuously improving patient care and outcomes includes identifying and pursuing new technologies, as well as developing partnerships that leverage HSS's expertise and innovative spirit with cutting-edge industry advancements to drive innovation."

"We're pleased that a world-class clinical organization like HSS sees the potential for the MARS CT scanning technology," says MARS CEO Mark Figgitt. "Given their substantial experience and expertise in the field of musculoskeletal health, including the volume of orthopedic surgeries performed there, we are confident that HSS is the right partner to help us evaluate and develop our technology and clinical applications. We believe this will be a true collaboration where the complimentary expertise of both organizations come together to improve clinical care and lower costs."

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