RNS out29 Sep 2025 08:27
Polarean Imaging plc
("Polarean" or the "Company")
University of Virginia Health Hospital new supply agreement
Polarean Imaging plc (AIM: POLX), a commercial-stage medical imaging technology leader in functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging ("MRI") of the lungs, announces that it has entered into a new supply agreement with the University of Virginia Health ("UVA Health") to complete the implementation of full clinical Xenon MRI capabilities.
UVA Health holds a unique place in medical imaging history as the site where the first human patient was scanned using hyperpolarised Xenon MRI. The institution upgraded its two research-grade hyperpolarisers to clinical-grade systems in 2024 provided by Polarean, and UVA Health required some essential additional equipment from Polarean to enable clinical Xenon MRI scans in their clinical imaging area.
UVA Health is an integrated health system anchored by a world-class academic medical center that includes a nationally recognised Comprehensive Cancer Center and UVA Health Children's, the leading pediatric hospital in Virginia. Its Hyperpolarized Xenon MRI Center faculty pioneered applications for a variety of lung diseases, including asthma, cystic fibrosis, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Their research programme was recently strengthened by a $7.4 million US National Institutes of Health grant, awarded to evaluate lung transplant rejection and abnormalities in the lungs of electronic cigarette users using Xenon MRI, focusing on improving diagnosis and treatment monitoring.
Professor Colin Derdeyn, MD, Interim Dean of the UVA School of Medicine and previously Chair of the Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging at UVA Health, said: "UVA Health has been a leader in Xenon MRI research for nearly three decades, beginning with the world's first human lung scan using this technology in 1996. Since then, our teams have made significant contributions to its development and application across a range of pulmonary diseases. Advancing to clinical implementation is a major step, not only for UVA Health, but for the patients who will benefit from safer, more detailed evaluation of lung disease. We are pleased to work with Polarean to bring this innovation into routine care."
Christopher von Jako, PhD, CEO of Polarean, said: "We are delighted to support UVA Health as they prepare to launch their first clinical Xenon MRI scan, anticipated to occur later this year. Their deep and sustained commitment to advancing pulmonary imaging - from early research breakthroughs to today's clinical transition - perfectly aligns with Polarean's mission to provide critical imaging solutions for chronic lung disease.
"UVA Health's decades-long leadership in Xenon MRI has been instrumental in shaping the field, and we look forward to continuing our partnership to improve lung health for patients everywhere."
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