SCANNER firm Kromek has secured a deal to deliver a molecular breast imaging device.

The radiation monitoring company said the project, which starts this summer, is worth £1.4m.

The AIM-listed company added that it has been awarded the funding from Innovate UK in partnership with Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, to deliver Low Dose Molecular Breast Imaging (LDMBI) technology based on Kromek’s CZT-based SPECT detectors.

Dr Arnab Basu, chief executive of Kromek, whis is based at NetPark, Sedgefield, said: “This project is further evidence that CZT-based detectors are becoming a core technology in replacing legacy diagnostic products across the medical imaging sector.

"Our innovative SPECT detectors are capable of significantly lowering radiation doses, thereby offering cost savings for health services and, crucially, making enhanced detection and early diagnosis of breast cancer accessible on a much wider scale."

Louise Robson, joint acting chief executive for the Newcastle Hospitals, said: “Providing patient care which is safe and of the highest quality is a key priority for us and by working collaboratively in this way, we are able to ensure new, advanced treatments are as safe as they can be.

"We welcome working with Kromek on this exciting initiative, and hope to see many more similar ventures which benefit patient care, whilst placing the North East firmly on the map as a leader in healthcare innovation.”