QUESTS - QUantum Enhanced Scanning Technology for community healthcare Settings

Medical scanners such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computerised Tomography (CT) are critical to modern healthcare. Despite their flexibility, the use of medical scanners is restricted because of their: size, capital cost, and running costs, all of which limits their use to hospitals. Consequently, the UK has 6.1 MRI scanners per million people (approx 500, delivering 3.8 million scans\[1\]).

**QU**antum **E**nhanced **S**canning **T**echnology for community healthcare **S**ettings (**QUESTS**) is a small form-factor multi-sensorial medical scanner, for environments where traditional MRI and CT equipment is poorly suited. Targeted environments could be; GPs surgeries, community clinics, pharmacists , ambulances and mobile military hospitals. The project aims to empower community-based healthcare with decentralising scanning capability. This offers the opportunity to both increase the clock-speed of diagnosis and speed of treatment, leading to improved patient outcomes, while lowering the overall cost of scanning.

The QUESTS programme will address the technical challenges with a desktop study (phase1) and prototype (phase2). The phase1 report will contain:

1. Definition of clinical and NHS need
2. System concept
3. Technical feasibility study, including a literature review
4. IP landscaping and capture
5. Overview of regulatory and testing pathways
6. Lean manufacturing study
7. Route-to-market and commercial plan
8. Risk register with mitigations

Phase2 will output:

1. Detailed design of small-scale sub-system demonstrators
2. Manufacture and test subsystem demonstrators
3. Report of small-scale demonstrator results
4. Revised sub-system design and detailed design of full-system prototype
5. Built full-system prototype and demonstrate
6. Review and report results
7. Updated risk, IP, commercial and manufacturing plans from phase1

The QUESTS programme is being lead by MetLase (a Unipart subsidiary) with sub-contracted support from: The university of Sussex, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield Children's Hospital, Medilink, and Unipart Logistics