Characterisation of internal elements of an Ultra High Vacuum System

医学成像是医生获取患者体内信息的一种重要且信息丰富的方法，使他们能够做出适当的诊断和计划治疗。最常用的医学成像类型是基于X射线的，其核心技术在过去100多年中没有改变-主要是因为需要大的和固定的X射线源。X光通常只提供2D图像--因为它们是3D人体的粗略简化，所以用处有限，医生经常需要的详细信息被身体上下组织所掩盖。使用X光进行3D成像依赖于CT扫描仪--CT扫描仪是一种大型昂贵的设备，固定在适当的位置，通常需要等待很长时间，患者需要出行。最重要的是，CT扫描为患者提供了相对较大的X射线剂量，这是决定是否最好对患者进行CT扫描的一个因素，因为这本身就对健康有害。通过发明一种新型的微型X射线源和从扫描中收集信息的方式(与新软件一起)-Adaptix可以从便携式设备快速生成低成本的3D图像-这至关重要地为患者提供了低得多的X射线剂量。这些3D图像为医生提供了比2D扫描更多的信息，可以与CT图像相媲美--这有助于医生做出更好的诊断，还可以计划和监测治疗。患者的诊断时间也应该快得多，这对医疗保健提供者的成本节约有影响。此外，这种成像技术可以提供给患者--这对那些不能轻易移动的患者(如重症监护病房或养老院)至关重要，也可以通过多家诊所和全科医生手术进入更广泛的社区。这笔赠款将用于解决Adaptix原型中使用的少数剩余技术问题，以确保在投入全面生产之前的可靠性和足够的产品寿命。Adaptix总部设在英国，在其研发地点雇用了30多名员工。随着Adaptix进入制造和销售领域，这一数字应该会大幅增长，创造高价值的就业机会，并为更广泛的英国经济和英国供应链增加Adaptix使用的零部件的好处。

Medical imaging is a vital and informative method for doctors to obtain information about the inside of a patient's body - enabling them to make appropriate diagnosis and plan treatment.The most commonly used type of medical imaging is based on X-rays and the core technology has not changed in over 100 years - fundamentally because of the need for large and immobile X-ray sources. X-rays generally only provide 2D images - which are of limited use as they are gross simplifications of the 3D human body, and the detailed information doctors often need is obscured by over and underlying body tissues.3D imaging using X-rays relies on CT scanners - which are large expensive pieces of equipment, fixed in position and often with long wait times and travel for patients. Most importantly, CT scanning gives the patient a relatively large X-ray dose, which is a factor in deciding if it is best to subject a patient to a CT scan, as this is detrimental to health in itself.By inventing a new type of miniaturised X-ray source and way of collecting information from a scan (together with new software) - Adaptix can produce low-cost 3D images rapidly from a portable device - which crucially gives the patient a much lower X-ray dose.These 3D images give doctors much more information than a 2D scan and are comparable to CT images - which helps doctors make better diagnoses, and also plan and monitor treatment. Time to diagnosis should also be much faster for patients and this has an impact on cost saving for healthcare providers. Plus, the imaging can be brought to patients - vital for those unable to be moved easily (e.g. in intensive care units or old people's care homes) or into the wider community via poly-clinics and GP surgeries.This grant would be used to solve the few remaining problems with the technology used in Adaptix's prototype, to ensure reliability and a sufficient product life-time before moving into full manufacture.Adaptix is based in the UK - and employs over 30 staff at its R&D site. This number should grow significantly as it moves into manufacture and sales, creating high-value jobs and adding benefit to the wider UK economy and UK supply chain for the components Adaptix uses.