Marshall SV to provide mobile CT scanner to UK

Mobile whole body scanning will be available to British Forces medical teams following the award of a contract to Marshall SV, part of Cambridge based Marshall Land Systems, to supply a mobile containerised CT Scanner to the UK Ministry of Defence.

This proven system, currently in-service with the Norwegian Military, has already been used under some of the most extreme climatic condition. Prior to delivery to Norway the system underwent extensive stressed transport and deployment trials at the Millbrook proving ground in Bedfordshire to ensure that the integrity of the scanner is maintained during military deployments. The trials also demonstrated that the scanner can be brought very rapidly into full operational service and can be deployed on hard standing or green field sites.

"Selection of the Marshall SV solution has come about because of the agility of both our and Philips' engineers, their attention to detail and the quality of the solution. The team's experience in providing a similar solution to the Norwegian Armed Forces reduced the risk of the solution that we will deliver to the MOD," said Peter Callaghan, Chief Executive of Marshall Land Systems.

"The speed of deployment and rugged design with proven COTS and MOTS components currently in-service with the UK MOD, overseas defence forces and the National Health Service make this scanner a leading solution for a mobile diagnostic facility," he added.

Colonel John Abbott, Deployable Support & Test Equipment (DS&TE) Team Leader at DE&S, said "the addition of a containerised mobile CT Scanner capability to the Very High Readiness Close Support Hospital facility delivers a vital enhancement to clinical capability on the battlefield. Lessons learnt from recent operational deployments have proved that lives will be saved by the addition of a mobile CT Scanner capability as part of the UK's deployable hospital capability. This project illustrates how state-of-the-art medical technology can be deployed into the field and how future field hospitals may well develop with properly engineered and integrated complex medical systems. I remain incredibly proud of my team that has been able to deliver this complex containerised system to time, cost and performance. Key to success has been the way my Team and Marshall SV are working together with a ‘partnering' philosophy now that the contract has been awarded. By working together to reduce risk we will jointly achieve service acceptance in less than 7 months from contract award."

The Marshall solution consists of a Philips Brilliance 64 CT scanner fully integrated into a Marshall SV expandable shelter. Screening in the expandable shelter structure ensures patient, operator, and bystander safety during scanning. Testing of the screening effectiveness has been carried out and independently.

The facility incorporates a fully lead screened operator's cubicle for the operator and is fitted with features normally associated with facilities in a fixed hospital environment. There is a motorised patient bed, a UPS protected computer system and the facility is fully air conditioned.

The Philips Brilliance 64 CT Scanner enables operators to investigate trauma, cardiac, and bariatric patients and provides extensive coverage, thin slices, and high spatial resolution. This system, with its proven complete performance, allows impressive image quality for cardiac, ortho, whole-body, and advanced application imaging.

Source: Marshall SV