NUH and NUS Medicine Open New Theranostics Centre Featuring Singapore’s First Total-Body PET/CT Scanner
The National University Hospital (NUH) and the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) have opened a new Molecular Imaging and Theranostics Centre designed to strengthen the integration of clinical care, research and education. The launch follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed between NUH, NUS Medicine and Siemens Healthineers on 16 October to cooperate in clinical innovation, diagnostic development and translational research.
The centre features Singapore’s first next-generation total-body PET/CT system, installed in partnership with Siemens Healthineers. Unlike conventional PET/CT scanners, the new platform captures the entire body in a single scan and offers significantly higher sensitivity, faster acquisition times and lower radiation exposure for patients. The wider field of view also enables more efficient imaging workflows and shorter waiting times.
Clinicians expect the scanner to improve diagnostic precision and support more personalised treatment planning. “Total-body PET/CT allows us to capture the whole body in a single bed scan with unmatched clarity,” said Professor Khong Pek Lan, Head & Senior Consultant, Department of Diagnostic Imaging at NUH. “Patients benefit from faster, safer and more precise diagnoses, while our clinicians can harness these insights to explore innovative therapies more effectively. This is a step forward in personalised medicine.”
The facility is also designed as a research hub for theranostics, a field that combines molecular imaging with targeted therapy. By tracking the distribution of tracers throughout the body in real time, researchers can better evaluate new diagnostics and treatment agents in a clinical setting. This enables development of therapies that precisely target diseased tissue while minimising effects on healthy cells.
Expected to be operational by early November, the scanner will support approximately 2,900 patients each year while serving as a platform for clinical trials and education programmes. The partnership aims to strengthen Singapore’s position as a regional leader in molecular imaging and to accelerate the translation of new discoveries into patient care across Asia.
