Siemens Healthineers Licenses Technology from Kromek for CZT-based SPECT Detector Production

• Deal with UK-based company facilitates evaluation of in-house CZT detector production 
• Vertical integration provides opportunity for optimization of material cost and performance 

Siemens Healthineers has entered into a technology licensing agreement with Kromek Group Plc, a UK-based developer of radiation detection solutions, to enable the in-house production of cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) material for gamma ray detectors used in single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) systems. Under the terms of the agreement, Siemens Healthineers will license Kromek’s technology to produce CZT, which will extend its research, development, and manufacturing capabilities to allow for a potential future line of gamma ray detectors for multi-modal SPECT systems. 

“Bringing this production technology in-house is a key step to optimizing the process and material for our own applications,” said Jim Williams, head of the Molecular Imaging business at Siemens Healthineers. 

Expansion of Siemens Healthineers CZT research efforts will run in parallel with continued development of its sodium iodide (Nal) SPECT innovations. The sodium iodide-based SPECT systems will continue to be in high demand due to their versatility and ability to perform all nuclear medicine applications, including theranostics. 

CZT can detect radiation without requiring the conversion of gamma radiation to optical light at room temperature. It offers high-energy resolution measurement, which can be a key factor in enabling certain detector and system designs. 

“We are vertically integrated in all our molecular imaging detector material technologies for both positron emission tomography (PET) and SPECT,” said Williams. “This vertical integration allows us to precisely tune performance and optimize cost for our clinical systems.”