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October 10, 2005

TOSHIBA INSTALLS FIRST AQUILION LB CT SYSTEM AT BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER

New CT Scanner Features Industry’s Largest Bore and Widest Field-of-View to Meet Clinical Oncology Needs

TUSTIN, Calif., Oct. 10, 2005 – Furthering its commitment to improve the lives of patients suffering from cancer, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. (TAMS) today announced that it has successfully installed the first Aquilion^TM LB at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston.  The Aquilion LB is the company’s large bore, multislice computed tomography (CT) scanner, designed to deliver superior patient positioning with unmatched image quality and clinical performance. 

With the industry’s largest bore opening of 90 cm and a 70 cm acquired field-of-view, the Aquilion LB makes it possible to accurately scan patients of all sizes in various positions.  In addition, the system’s acquired field-of-view is 40 percent greater than other large bore CT systems. The larger field-of-view eliminates hidden anatomical areas for improved diagnosis and simulation.

According to Dr. Edward J. Holupka, director of physics at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, the Aquilion LB overcomes one of the chief challenges faced in oncology: repeatable patient positioning.  “When imaging cancer patients a primary concern is optimizing cancer treatment planning and improving outcomes. Therefore, it’s paramount we have the technology required to accurately obtain the information we need, regardless of patient positioning or size issues.” 

“The Aquilion LB is the ideal solution for radiation oncologists because it allows our customers to mirror radiation therapy positioning without compromising image quality,” Doug Ryan, director, CT Business Unit, Toshiba, said.  “No longer will therapy plans be restricted by the physical dimensions of the CT system.  The Aquilion LB’s new, larger gantry opening allows patients to comfortably and easily place their arms overhead, allowing for unparalleled image acquisition during CT simulation.”

Most Advanced CT Scanner for Oncology
Building on the technological design of Toshiba’s original Quantum multi-row detector, the most sophisticated CT detector commercially available for high-speed, high-resolution imaging with the lowest noise, the Quantum^Plus detector features additional channels that provide for the larger field-of-view.  The Quantum^Plus detector is the only detector to provide three different slice-width acquisitions, enabling the Aquilion LB CT to acquire isotropic images.  Consequently, the Aquilion LB CT delivers high-quality images in all anatomical planes and achieves the industry’s best low-contrast resolution using the lowest dose.

For more information about the Aquilion LB, Toshiba and its wide range of medical imaging products, please visit www.medical.toshiba.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 approximately 162,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of $55 billion.

Aquilion^TM is a trademark of Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, Inc.