A unique medical imaging test laboratory to be built in Oulu
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The laboratory is dedicated to teaching, research, development, innovation and testing activities will strengthen Oulu’s position nationally by providing a single infrastructure that serves the needs of research, education and companies in a versatile manner. The laboratory will be located at Oulu University Hospital.
The laboratory’s physical and virtual equipment will be used in versatile manner to further education in physics, medical technology and radiation protection at the University of Oulu and in the training of radiographers at the Oulu University of Applied Sciences. The suitability of the test laboratory for teaching, equipment testing, development and innovation will be demonstrated in five pilot projects together with partner companies.
The modern testing environment will further strengthen medical technology expertise in Oulu and also enable flexible imaging of patients in the final stages of methodological development.
“The testing environment will enable us to provide first-class training for future radiation and medical imaging users in the fields of well-being and health. At the same time, we can respond to the growing demand for skilled health and well-being technology professionals in Northern Ostrobothnia. This could even be an export product for Oulu,” says Professor Miika Nieminen of the University of Oulu.
Several companies need to test new equipment in facilities similar to a hospital environment. The laboratory will enable equipment testing and help commercialise equipment and prototypes developed in this way.
Some equipment will be purchased with the funding allocated to the laboratory project, whereas some will be donated by Oulu University Hospital as equipment suitable for teaching and research purposes. The most expensive equipment will be brought to the laboratory as virtual operating environments.
The University of Oulu’s Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology (MIPT) and Oulu University of Applied Sciences have received ERDF funding from the Council of Oulu Region for a two-year teaching and testing laboratory project on medical imaging. The total budget of the project is EUR 432,000, of which the share of the University of Oulu is EUR 250,000 and the share of the Oulu University of Applied Sciences is EUR 182,000. The ERDF contribution is 70%. The project will start in January 2021.