The French Military medical service, le Service de Santé des Armées (SSA), has taken delivery of three of the most advanced ruggedised, deployable CT Scanners available on the market today.
These systems have been supplied by Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group following the award of a contract by the Nato Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) on behalf of the French Ministry of Defence.
During the project management for the production of these systems, Marshall brought together the latest CT Scanner from Philips Healthcare and integrated it into a Marshall Matrix or expandable shelter to provide highly mobile solution.
The system is designed so that the user can be scanning the first patient within eight hours of arrival at a new location. This is achieved because the main scanner unit, or Gantry, does not move during transit and so does not need to be certified each time it is moved, unless required by local regulations. It was this design that led to the company being awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category in 2013.
Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group CEO Steve Fitz-Gerald said: "The delivery of these three innovative and award winning CT scanners highlight our expertise and capability in designing, manufacturing and supporting redeployable medical solutions.
"These CT scanners are making make a real difference to our customer and their patients.
SSA, which includes both medical and administrative staff, provides medical and environmental health support to the French Armed Forces and other organisations managed by the French Ministry of Defence. The Service will be using the CT Scanners to support France’s military operations globally.
The CT scanner system incorporates features normally associated with fixed hospital facilities including full radiation protection inbuilt within the shelter structure, protected operator area, full air conditioning and environmental control, and UPS back up equipment to preserve vital image data.
The Philips CT Scanner is one of the most advanced CT systems in the market. This system can expand clinical boundaries in cardiac, pulmonary, trauma, and paediatric imaging.