3/18/1998
For Immediate Release
HITACHI RECEIVES FDA CLEARANCE ON AIRIS II AND STRATIS II MR IMAGING SYSTEMS
CONTACT:
Sheldon Schaffer
Hitachi Medical Systems America, Inc.
1959 Summit Commerce Park
Twinsburg, Ohio 44087
800.800.3106
330.425.1313
330.425.1410 FAX
info@hitachimed.com
www.hitachimed.com
Twinsburg, Ohio - March 18, 1998 - Hitachi Medical Systems America (HMSA) announced it has received FDA 510(k) clearance to market its AIRIS®II and STRATIS®II MR imaging systems. The company unveiled both products at the annual Radiological Society of North America meeting held last November in Chicago, Illinois. Shipments of AIRIS II and STRATIS II systems will begin later this year.
AIRIS II has the 0.3T advanced permanent magnet technology and award-winning "Open-Air" gantry design that have made AIRIS the best selling Open MR on the market. Plus, AIRIS II offers advanced technology that makes it the high-performance premium Open MR system. "AIRIS II further demonstrates Hitachi's commitment to leadership in Open MR imaging," according to Sheldon Schaffer, Vice President of Marketing for HMSA. "It expands our Open MR product line by offering a higher performance version of AIRIS for those who need its added capabilities. We will continue to sell and support AIRIS, which is upgradeable to AIRIS II as customer needs chage."
STRATIS II expands Hitachi's MR presence into the high-field market. It combines the high image quality and patient throughput of a 1.5 Tesla unit, with the economics typically associated with a 1.0T unit. Its short-bore design, with 60 cm flared gantry opening and soft internal lighting, provides increased patient comfort and friendliness. "We believe STRATIS positions Hitachi to compete quite favorably in the high-field segment of the market," continued Schaffer.
Hitachi Medical Systems America, Inc. (HMSA) markets the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging products of Hitachi Medical Corporation (HMC), Tokyo, Japan. These include the AIRIS 0.3T Open-Air permanent magnet and the STRATIS 1.5T short-bore, high-field systems. HMSA has established itself as a major provider of magnetic resonance imaging systems in the United States. The company has an installed base of approximately 500 MR systems with over 1,400 systems worldwide.
