Seven Seas Vision Helping to make things happen at the speed of light...

October, 23 2008

Lord DARZI of DENHAM
Permanent Under Secretary of State for Health
House of Lords
London SW1A OAA

Dear Lord DARZI,

I was very interested hearing your lecture at the Royal College of Surgeons on October 20th 2008.

I do not think that Louis Pasteur would have been able to detect the existence of micro organisms without a microscope, and the subject is actual as you clearly made the demonstration during your lecture.

Though my line of education and research has been for many years oriented differently, I came across the problem of detecting cancer in a precocious phase, in 2003, when being myself in a clinic specialised on treating cancer. I then discovered the frightening mortality resulting from a late detection of cancer. This is a direct result of the low definition of the existing medical imaging.

As you know, a cancer grows slowly for years until it reaches a size of approximately 1.3 mm, the tumour comes then to vascularization. But it cannot be detected with a definition of 1 mm before it reaches approximately 3 mm of size.

I started a research work to build an X ray scanner, with a higher definition, in 2004.

Series of obstacles had to be overcome in order to:

· develop a new algorithm in order to improve the performance, if the definition is 100 microns, instead of 1 mm, the computation work is 1000 times bigger

· build a new detector offering high definition possibilities

· reduce drastically the cost of the scanner and the cost of scanning, to be able to implement an extensive action of detection.

As explained with some details in the document attached to this letter, the results are now the following:

· performance has been improved thousands of time, for instance with a relatively low cost computing system, we can produce 125 millions image-points per second, this allows real possibility of high definition. We could compute the scan at 1 mm definition of a man and his wife in one second, with the new process.

· the new detector offers two possibilities of acquisition 27 microns, or 81 microns; its height is 46 cm and it can take views up to 50 cm wide.

We are improving the time of acquisition to the following points:

· with one set (X-ray tube + detector) on 46 cm high, one minute

· with four sets (X-ray tube + detectors) on 184 cm high, one minute

The cost of a scanner with one set, could allow us to sell it at approximately 500'000 Euros, with the accepted margin on this type of equipment

Our next step will be to build with Medical Doctors among my friends a set of radiographic centres to test in the field the new technology, in order to acquire the medical expertise that will complete the technological expertise.

I shall then be able to establish a new industry, and eventually give licence to the major companies in the field.

I am ready to show you in my laboratory this new technology and study the possibility of extension of my action in Great Britain.

I am enclosing a short CV that shows that my links with Great Britain started during the war, when I joined the SAS brigade to be dropped in France and Holland, before the end of the Second World War.

Hoping to hear from you soon, please accept the expression of my very high respect.

Norbert BEYRARD

Dr d'Etat