The Sheba Medical Center, Israel’s national hospital and one of the most advanced hospitals in the world, has submitted its permit application to build a new 2,000 square meter, three floor, diagnostic and research center for nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. Nuclear medicine can be used for the diagnosis and treatment of a range of diseases including heart disease, cancers, strokes and Alzheimer’s.
The entire basement floor (almost 1,000 square metres) will be dedicated to housing a cyclotron, a nuclear reactor, which will produce small quantities of nuclear isotopes for use in molecular imaging. These nuclear isotopes are used for safe and pain free 2 and 3 dimensional imaging techniques, which can detect cellular changes within the human body. The detection of these cellular changes will allow medical professionals to offer a personalized approach to diagnosis and therapy through earlier diagnosis and assessment of treatment efficacy.
The dedicated cyclotron, located at Tel Hashomer, will allow Sheba to expand its clinical and research work through on site production of nuclear isotopes which are too short-lived to be transported from the existing Israeli facility.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $20 million which is being funded by businessman and philanthropist Roman Abramovich. To date, Abramovich has donated a total of $57 million to various Sheba projects, including to the Sheba Cancer and Cancer Research Centers, the Pediatric Middle East Congenital Heart Center and the Sheba Heart Center.
Prof. Yitshak Kreiss, M.D., Director General, Sheba Medical Center: “Thanks to this generous donation made by Mr. Abramovich, we will be able to further our research in the field of nuclear imaging which will enhance our ability to make early diagnoses and offer a personalized medicine approach to our patients.”