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The award recognizes the importance of veterinary innovation to the wider community.
HRH The Princess Royal recently visited Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging – a pillar in delivering advanced imaging systems to the veterinary market – to recognize the Queen’s Award for Innovation 2021 and demonstrate the value of veterinary innovation to the general public.
According to a company announcement, the prestigious award recognizes the unique, innovative 1.5 Tesla MRT scanner Hallmarq, which was developed from the ground up for small animal practices. Princess Anne toured the factory and offices while meeting staff from each department and Hallmarq’s guest Kate Richards, BVM & S, DipM, MRCVS.
“It was an honor for our team to welcome HRH The Princess Royal and show her our headquarters in Guildford. Hallmarq has been a leader in developing innovative diagnostic systems for veterinary practices for the past 20 years, ”said Mick Crosthwaite, Hallmarq’s CEO, in the announcement.
“Innovation is at the heart of everything we do, and this award is well deserved recognition of the team’s passion and hard work in pursuing our goal of improving the lives of animals and the people who care for them,” he continued away.
Hallmarq’s Small Animal MRI is the only 1.5T high field scanner designed for the veterinary field that addresses the challenges of imaging small animals of all breeds and sizes. The unique design integrates an innovative V-shaped bed and 1 meter long V-shaped spinal coil to ensure correct patient positioning and spinal alignment. It also improves image quality compared to flat spinal coils used in human machines, according to the press release, and allows for more subtle changes to soft tissue structures to be identified.
In addition, the small animal MRI has high frequency shielding, which reduces project costs and complexity. Other important design elements are veterinary-specific imaging software, flexible, open head coils for different patient sizes and a comprehensive lifecycle customer support package called “Q-Care”.
“Our system does not require external RF shielding, which reduces one of the main obstacles facing veterinary practices. This makes advanced imaging more accessible to an increasing number of first-line veterinarians, emergency practices and referral centers, especially when combined with our innovative approach to customer support, ”said Steve Roberts, PhD, BSc, chief technology officer at Hallmarq.
“These innovations have significant animal health and welfare benefits as improved diagnostic capabilities lead to more targeted treatments and better patient outcomes,” he continued.
While on tour, HRH The Princess Royal viewed a working system over a live video link and met with Hallmarq client Cody Alcott, DVM, DACVIM, a neurologist and owner of Tucson Veterinary Specialists in Arizona. Alcott has experienced firsthand the benefits of the system for both his practice and his patients, and has demonstrated the ease of use of the device.
Princess Anne was also introduced to Nick Bolas, DPhil, MBA, Hallmarq’s founding director, who introduced Hallmarq’s new CT system for standing horse legs, recognizing the shared interest in horses and seeing some advances in imaging technology since their last royal visit to Hallmarq showed 6 years ago.
reference
Royal visit for Queen’s Award winner Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging. Press release. Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging. October 21, 2021. Accessed October 28, 2021. https://equimanagement.com/news/royal-visit-for-queens-award-winner-hallmarq-veterinary-imaging
