12/1/2002
For Immediate Release
HITACHI BRINGS MULTI-MODALITY SOLUTIONS TO RSNA WITH OPEN MR, PET, ULTRASOUND AND DIGITAL X-RAY
CONTACT:
Philip Chang
Hitachi Medical Systems America, Inc.
1959 Summit Commerce Park
Twinsburg, Ohio 44087
800.800.3106 or 330.425.1313 Ext. 4510
330.425.1410 Fax
info@hitachimed.com
www.hitachimed.com
Chicago, Illinois - December 1, 2002— Beginning with a preview at RSNA, Hitachi Medical Systems America, Inc. (HMSA) will be focusing customer attention on the expanding range of innovative customer solutions available from the company in 2003. A number of modalities will be highlighted, including:
MR
Hitachi extends its leadership position in Open MR technology, with both the Altaire™ High-Field Performance Open MR system and the AIRIS® II Premium Performance Open MR system.
For Altaire, a new High Field Performance Upgrade, free for customers enrolled in Hitachi’s industry-leading Elite Plus Customer Assurance Program, provides a host of product enhancements. The upgrade includes new pulse sequences such as Balanced SARGE, Driven Equilibrium FSE/FIR. EPI-based Diffusion-Weighted Imaging enhancements include single-shot EPI acquisition with Navigator Echo for motion elimination and Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) mapping.
The Altaire High-Field Performance Upgrade also provides the Enhanced DualQuad® RF upgrade which includes an integrated Transmit/Receive Body Coil and the ability of QD Receiver Coils to operate in Multiple Array mode. This will permit upcoming support for emerging MR applications such as Peripheral Vascular* Imaging, Neurovascular Imaging and Breast Imaging all of which show a steady increase in demand. It will also support upcoming developments in MR Cardiac* Imaging.
Further, the High Field Performance Enhancements set the stage for introduction of RAPID™ Parallel* Imaging which, through the addition of advanced RF technology, will decrease acquisition times with a corresponding improvement in throughput. Asterisked items indicate applications that are pending FDA clearance and not yet available for sale in the United States.
With these and other enhancements scheduled in 2003, Hitachi continues to maintain its leadership position in diagnostic imaging with more than 1,200 Open MR imaging systems installed throughout the United States and over 2,300 worldwide.
PET
In 2001, HMSA introduced the Sceptre PET Imaging System with AVIA™ Fusion Workstation. Now, as the clinical and economic benefits of PET and hybrid imaging continue to make news, the Sceptre PET system, featuring LSO detector technology and the latest reconstruction algorithms, continues to offer extraordinary added value.
The addition of a Sceptre system multiplies the available diagnostic imaging capabilities of a given imaging center without the heavy expense of a hybrid system. PET as well as CT/PET, MR/PET and SPECT/PET studies become not only possible, but also greatly simplified. The Sceptre PET, combined with the speed and advanced image post-processing capabilities of the AVIA Fusion Workstation, makes true multi-modal, multi-vendor image fusion an economical reality.
Ultrasound
Effective October 1, 2002, HMSA assumed the sales, marketing and service responsibilities for Hitachi Ultrasound products in the United States. This includes the high performance Hitachi EUB-6500 Ultrasound system, which combines premium image quality, a wide array of available probes, excellent operator ergonomics and true portability to provide a broad and diverse range of clinical applicability.
The move consolidates all of Hitachi’s U.S. distribution of diagnostic imaging products under the Hitachi Medical Systems America, Inc. banner. (Hitachi Medical Corporation of America (HMCA) in Tarrytown, New York previously sold HMC’s Ultrasound products.)
“This strategic move has been made in order that Hitachi Ultrasound products can take advantage of the greater resources and stronger market reputation of HMSA,” according to Richard L. Ernst, President and CEO of HMSA. “By putting all U.S. distribution into HMSA, Hitachi Ultrasound customers will benefit from our nationwide support organization. On the sales side, the products can benefit from the strong customer relationships we’ve built in our other imaging modalities.” HMSA plans to expand the existing Ultrasound distribution
capabilities to better address the $1.0 billion plus market opportunity presented by Ultrasound.
Digital X-ray
Direct Digital Radiography has become the accepted standard in the high throughput X-ray sector and, through a relationship with Swissray, HMSA has assumed a market leadership position. By completely eliminating the film cassette from the X-ray process, a single Hitachi Direct Digital Radiography system can bring unprecedented speed to a wide variety of settings – from orthopedics and pediatrics to free-standing imaging centers and hospitals – providing workflow efficiencies equal to three conventional radiography rooms.
