HRH The Princess Royal visits Queen's Award winner Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging

HRH The Princess Royal recently visited Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging—a staple in offering advanced imaging systems to the veterinary market—to recognize its 2021 Queen’s Award for Innovation, spotlighting the value of veterinary innovation to the greater community.

According to a company release, the prestigious award acknowledges the unique, innovative Hallmarq 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner created from the ground up for small animal veterinary 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 around our Head Office in Guildford. Hallmarq has been at the forefront of developing innovative diagnostic systems for veterinary practices over the last 20 years,” said Mick Crosthwaite, Hallmarq CEO, in the release.

“Innovation is at the heart of everything we do, and this award is well-deserved recognition for the team’s passion and hard work in pursuit of our goal of improving the lives of animals and the people that care for them,” he continued.

Hallmarq’s small animal MRI is the only 1.5T high-field scanner developed for veterinary use which addresses the challenges of imaging small animals of all breeds and sizes. The unique design integrates an innovative V-shaped bed and a 1-meter-long V-shaped spine coil to ensure correct patient positioning and spinal alignment. According to the release, it also enhances image quality compared with flat spine coils used in human machines and allows identification of more subtle changes to soft tissue structures.

What's more, the small animal MRI features a radio-frequency shield which decreases project cost and complexity. Additional important design elements include veterinary-specific imaging software, flexible, open-top head coils for various patient sizes, and a comprehensive lifecycle customer support package called ‘Q-Care.’

“Our system requires no external radio-frequency shielding, reducing one of the key barriers to veterinary practices. This makes advanced imaging more accessible to an increasing number of first opinion veterinary, emergency practices and referral centers, especially when combined with our innovative approach to customer support,” noted Steve Roberts, PhD, BSc, chief technology officer at Hallmarq.

“These innovations have significant benefits for animal health and welfare, as improved diagnostic capability leads to more targeted treatments and better patient outcomes," he continued.

While HRH The Princess Royal was on the tour she viewed a working system via a live video link and met with Hallmarq customer, Cody Alcott, DVM, DACVIM, a neurologist and owner of Tucson Veterinary Specialists in Arizona. Alcott has seen the advantages of the system first-hand to both his practice and patients and demonstrated the machine’s ease of use.

Princess Anne was also introduced to Nick Bolas, DPhil, MBA, Hallmarq’s founding director, who unveiled the new standing equine leg CT system from Hallmarq, recognizing a mutual interest in horses and displaying a few advances in imaging technology since her last royal visit to Hallmarq 6 years ago.

Reference

Royal visit for Queen’s Award winner Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging. News release. Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging. October 21, 2021. Accessed October 28, 2021. https://equimanagement.com/news/royal-visit-for-queens-award-winner-hallmarq-veterinary-imaging