GE has launched a new entity, Research Circle Technology, to accelerate and enhance the development of metabolic imaging and other technology.

The mission of RCT, which was created under GE’s Technology Ventures business, is to create an alliance between GE’s scientists and the world’s leading universities, officials say, providing access to GE’s organic technology and healthcare expertise in an open innovation structure.


“The launch of RCT is a significant step forward for GE Healthcare, reinventing our methods of engagement with both customers and industry thought leaders,” said Michael Harsh, vice president and chief technology officer for GE Healthcare. “Ultimately, RCT can help us execute our vision to develop and deliver groundbreaking new solutions in healthcare technology."

[See also: GE acquires Dynamic Imaging.]

GE execs say imaging technology and disease detection researchers have already explored potential applications for metabolic imaging technology:

At University of California San Francisco, for instance, the Surbeck Laboratory for Advanced Imaging has announced groundbreaking results from a study using GE's carbon-13 technology to study prostate cancer.

“This is the first time researchers have used this technology to conduct real-time metabolic imaging in a human patient, and represents a revolutionary approach to assessing the precise outlines of a tumor, its response to treatment and how quickly it is growing," said Sarah J. Nelson, professor of radiology and biomedical imaging at UCSF.

And scientists at Cancer Research UK’s Cambridge Research Institute have developed a technique to show the effectiveness of breast cancer treatment weeks earlier than current methods through metabolic imaging.

[See also: GE Healthcare emerging as a 'clear winner' in U.S. ultrasound market .]

“There has been a need to develop imaging methods that can help detect treatment response more accurately than traditional methods and before tumors change size," said lead researcher professor Kevin Brindle. "Our new imaging method not only shows early evidence that treatment is working but could also help predict the long-term outcome. We expect that these techniques will have an impact for patients in the near future."

Through RCT, GE looks to continue developing technology like this, providing the tools, services and solutions so leading researchers can focus on their investigations into the biochemistry of metabolism and speed the discovery of potentially life-saving knowledge.

RCT will sell SpinLab polarizers as well as provide the licensing framework for partners to continue to develop metabolic imaging applications. RCT helps enable GE to fully connect with the skills and knowledge of the research community, with the goal of transitioning technology from ‘bench to bedside’ more efficiently.


“The focused goal of RCT is open collaboration to bring hyperpolarization technology to the world's leading researchers and enable their studies to better understand the biochemistry of life,” said Jonathan A. Murray, managing director of RCT. “The early results are very exciting and we are delighted to collaborate with this community to help bring this innovative technology to its full potential.”