QUESTS - QUantum Enhanced Scanning Technology for community healthcare Settings

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Medical scanners such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computerised Tomography (CT) are critical to modern healthcare. Despite their flexibility, the use of medical scanners is restricted because of their: size, capital cost, and running costs, all of which limits their use to hospitals. Consequently, the UK has 6.1 MRI scanners per million people (approx 500, delivering 3.8 million scans\[1\]).**QU**antum **E**nhanced **S**canning **T**echnology for community healthcare **S**ettings (**QUESTS**) is a small form-factor multi-sensorial medical scanner, for environments where traditional MRI and CT equipment is poorly suited. Targeted environments could be; GPs surgeries, community clinics, pharmacists , ambulances and mobile military hospitals. The project aims to empower community-based healthcare with decentralising scanning capability. This offers the opportunity to both increase the clock-speed of diagnosis and speed of treatment, leading to improved patient outcomes, while lowering the overall cost of scanning.The QUESTS programme will address the technical challenges with a desktop study (phase1) and prototype (phase2). The phase1 report will contain:1. Definition of clinical and NHS need2. System concept3. Technical feasibility study, including a literature review4. IP landscaping and capture5. Overview of regulatory and testing pathways6. Lean manufacturing study7. Route-to-market and commercial plan8. Risk register with mitigationsPhase2 will output:1. Detailed design of small-scale sub-system demonstrators2. Manufacture and test subsystem demonstrators3. Report of small-scale demonstrator results4. Revised sub-system design and detailed design of full-system prototype5. Built full-system prototype and demonstrate6. Review and report results7. Updated risk, IP, commercial and manufacturing plans from phase1The QUESTS programme is being lead by MetLase (a Unipart subsidiary) with sub-contracted support from: The university of Sussex, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield Children's Hospital, Medilink, and Unipart Logistics