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June 15, 2005

SPRINGHILL MEDICAL CENTER INSTALLS WORLD’S MOST ADVANCED CT SYSTEM, OFFERS THE BEST IN CARDIAC CARE

Toshiba’s Aquilion 64 CFX Latest Addition to Suite of Cutting-Edge Cardiac Technologies 

Mobile, Ala., June 15, 2005–Celebrating more 30 years of cutting-edge medical service, Springhill Medical Center today announced it has joined a select group of U.S. hospitals equipped with industry-leading multislice computed tomography (CT) technology to improve the detection and treatment of heart disease.  The Aquilion^TM 64 CFX from Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. is the latest addition to Springhill Medical Center’s suite of cutting-edge cardiac imaging technologies, which includes Toshiba’s Aplio^TM CV ultrasound system and Vantage MRI system.

According to Jack Dempsey, director of radiology at Springhill Medical Center, heart disease is the number one cause of death in Alabama, responsible for more deaths than cancer and stroke combined.  “The recent installation of the Aquilion CFX allows our clinicians to quickly and accurately detect heart disease using noninvasive CT imaging.  In fact, the Aquilion has dramatically enhanced the way we diagnose and treat coronary heart disease in our community,” Dempsey said.  “The Aquilion’s unparalleled image quality coupled with Toshiba’s other leading cardiac technologies, like the Aplio CV and the Vantage, will enable us to make a positive impact on our community’s heart health.”

The World’s Most Advanced 64-Slice CT System
The Aquilion 64 CFX allows physicians to easily capture precise, motion-free images of the heart and coronary arteries to identify soft plaque or measure coronary blockage, and detect signs of disease at its earliest stages, reducing the need for high-risk surgical procedures.  Featuring the most advanced multi-detector CT technology available, the Aquilion 64-slice CT is built on the same platform as the Aquilion 32, utilizing Toshiba’s unique 64-row Quantum detector, which enables the Aquilion CT scanner to acquire 64 simultaneous slices of 0.5 mm with each 400-millisecond gantry revolution, resulting in precise isotropic imaging of any region of the body.  Additionally, the Aquilion 64 CFX’s superior multi-detector design produces the best low contrast resolution at the lowest dose.

In addition to the Aquilion 64 CFX, Springhill also is home to five Toshiba Aplio CV systems, all-digital ultrasound systems designed specifically for advanced cardiac applications that demand high performance and diagnostic capabilities.  “Our Aplio and Aquilion systems complement each other a great deal and dramatically broaden the level of cardiac care we are able to deliver to the community,” said Marlene White, director of echocardiography at Springhill Medical Center. 

About the Aplio CV
The Aplio CV is equipped with next-generation tissue Doppler and contrast imaging technology based on Toshiba’s Intelligent Component Architecture (ICA) to allow faster processing of more complex data, producing dramatically improved image quality and sensitivity—essential to meeting the high demands of echocardiography studies.  The ICA permits the system to perform highly complex data operations, such as Tissue Harmonic Imaging and Pulse Subtraction techniques with frequency compounding.

About Vantage CGV
The Vantage features one of the industry’s shortest magnets at 140 cm with linear 30 mT/m gradient strength and a slew rate 130 mT/m/ms for the Vantage CGV.  Despite the short length of the magnet, the system delivers the highest homogeneity of any magnet in the industry within a full 50 cm diameter spherical volume (DSV). 

With Toshiba’s patented Pianissimo^TM technology, which effectively reduces acoustic noise by as much as 90 percent, the Vantage significantly reduces the most significant cause for patient discomfort and enables clinicians to better utilize the system’s high-field MRI capabilities and SPEEDER parallel processing for increased imaging acquisition speed and reduced exam times.

For more information about the Aquilion 64 CFX, the Aplio, the Vantage CGV, TAMS and its wide range of cardiac and other medical imaging products, please visitwww.medical.toshiba.com.

About Springhill Medical Center
Founded in 1975, Springhill Medical Center is a 252-bed, comprehensive medical-surgical facility committed to serving the needs of patients in Mobile, Ala. and surrounding communities.  Springhill offers leading diagnostic capabilities and a 24-hour emergency department and employs more than 1,300 members of the community.  For more information, visit www.springhillmedicalcenter.com.

About Toshiba
With headquarters in Tustin, Calif., Toshiba America Medical Systems markets, sells, distributes and services diagnostic imaging systems, and coordinates clinical diagnostic imaging research for all modalities in the United States.  Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, an independent group company of Toshiba Corporation, is a global leading provider of diagnostic medical imaging systems and comprehensive medical solutions, such as CT, X-ray, Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine, MRI and information systems.  Toshiba Corporation is a leader in information and communications systems, electronic components, consumer products, and power systems.  Toshiba has 162,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of more than $55 billion.
Aquilion^TM, Aplio^TM and Excelart Vantage^TM are trademarks of Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation.