Bracco and Zereau Join Forces for Innovative Research Program

MILAN – Bracco Imaging SpA, a world leader in diagnostic imaging and Zereau BV, a provider of unique water technology for the healthcare sector, announced today they have signed an agreement to launch the second stage of a groundbreaking research program aimed at improving the sustainability of medical imaging.

This new stage of the research program, entitled "The Water Project,” focuses on the development and testing of scalable, robust urine collection and filtration devices with the goal of integrating a sustainable solution into hospital radiology departments. Patients receiving contrast media in hospitals and diagnostic facilities will use special toilets designed to collect and filter the contrast from their urine. Once saturated, these filters will be collected and processed by third-party partners to recover raw materials such as iodine, which would otherwise be released into wastewater. This study follows the successful completion of an earlier study that evaluated the performance of a urine filtration system for iodinated contrast media.

The announcement occurs on the first day of the European Congress of Radiology, taking place in Vienna from February 26 to March 2, which is focused on greater sustainability in radiology this year. The innovative filtration system for contrast media will be presented at the Bracco booth (Foyer E, Level 0, ACV) at ECR. The full program is available here.

By addressing water quality preservation and resource recovery, this initiative creates a circular economy model that aligns with Bracco's commitment to sustainable healthcare solutions and environmental stewardship. The collaboration with Zereau, which brings technical expertise in water filtration technology and innovative sanitary solutions to this project, is a significant step toward minimizing the environmental footprint of contrast media use in medical imaging.

"As a leader in medical imaging, Bracco recognizes that sustainability and innovation must go hand in hand and we are motivated by a responsibility to drive meaningful change," said Erik Bruno, Innovation for Sustainability Manager, Bracco Imaging. "Through the partnership with Zereau, we are leveraging our shared expertise to work toward industry-wide transformation in reducing waste, which remains one of the biggest challenges in medical imaging."

"We’re very excited that our groundbreaking technology and vision for clean water and raw materials recovery in healthcare are gaining recognition through our partnership with Bracco," said Mattijs Maris, CCO of Zereau. "We’re ready to scale up, revolutionize radiology with our water filter systems, and drive a more circular, sustainable healthcare sector with Bracco."