New StarGuide System Installed at University Hospital Essen Strengthens Thera4Care Precision Imaging Activities

Thera4Care partners, University Hospital Essen (UK-Essen) and GE HealthCare have reached an important milestone with the installation of the GE HealthCare StarGuide SPECT/CT system, a state-of-the-art imaging platform designed to advance molecular imaging and support the future of personalised cancer care. Installed in the hospital’s newly inaugurated Nuclear Medicine Center, the StarGuide system will enhance both clinical practice and research and represents an important milestone for the Thera4Care project. The prime minister of Germany's North Rhine-Westfalia, Hendrik Wüst, was present to mark this momentous occasion.

As one of Thera4Care’s leading clinical partners, GE HealthCare plays a central role in advancing precision imaging and theranostic innovation. Their fruitful partnership with UK-Essen, where usecases for innovation are pioneered has culminated in the installation of a scanner which promises advanced and more accurate imaging for diagnosis of cancer and other diseases. The installation of the StarGuide system forms part of the project’s activities under Work Package 8 (Precision Imaging), which focuses on developing and validating advanced imaging methodologies to improve treatment planning, quantitative imaging and personalised dosimetry for radiotheranostic applications.  

"Exciting momentum for the theranostics community at Universitätsmedizin Essen! GE HealthCare is proud to support this progress in two important ways: as a contributor to Thera4Care, helping expand access to precision nuclear medicine for patients across Europe, and as an innovation partner providing advanced technologies that continue to drive the evolution of radiotheranostics and personalised care," said Annamaria Csizmadia from GE HealthCare.

The StarGuide system introduces a new generation of SPECT/CT imaging based on digital CZT (cadmium zinc telluride) detector technology, enabling faster image acquisition, improved sensitivity and enhanced quantitative imaging. These capabilities are expected to support more accurate assessment of radiopharmaceutical distribution and treatment response, ultimately contributing to more personalised patient management.

Ken Herrmann from UK-Essen shared, "We are very excited to explore the next generation Starguide scanner – hopefully making alpha dosimetry a real thing in clinical routine!"

Within Thera4Care, WP8 aims to establish harmonised precision imaging approaches across European clinical sites. The work includes the development of methods for the uniform calibration of quantitative SPECT imaging, improved image acquisition protocols, AI-supported image analysis and advanced dosimetry techniques that can be integrated into routine clinical workflows. Together, these developments will help strengthen the evidence base for radiotheranostic treatments while improving the consistency and quality of imaging data collected across participating centres.

More broadly, Thera4Care is building a European ecosystem for radiotheranostics by combining innovative radiopharmaceutical development, advanced imaging technologies, AI-supported clinical decision tools, personalised dosimetry, education and harmonised clinical protocols. The project brings together leading academic institutions, healthcare providers, industry partners and patient organisations to accelerate the adoption of precision radiotheranostics and improve access to personalised cancer care across Europe.  

The Thera4Care consortium is delighted to celebrate this achievement with our partners and congratulates UK-Essen and GE HealthCare on reaching this important milestone together.