News | Press Releases

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March 28, 2008

TOSHIBA RECEIVES FDA CLEARANCE FOR TWO CT CLINICAL APPLICATIONS

New Software Package Will Improve Patient Care and Workflow While Reducing Dose

TUSTIN, California — March 28, 2008 — Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. has received FDA clearance for two new CT clinical applications that will improve throughput and enhance workflow, while further reducing contrast and radiation dosage. The applications, ^SURECardio™ Prospective and Variable Helical Pitch (vHP), are available for new Toshiba AquilionTM 32- and 64-slice CT systems.

^SURECardio Prospective
Toshiba’s ^SURECardio Prospective helps reduce patient dose by up to 80 percent during coronary CTA exams by using a helical acquisition technique to provide one continuous image instead of multiple images produced by the current step-and-shoot techniques.^SURECardio Prospective will automatically detect and adjust to patients with arrthymia, providing quicker, more conclusive exam results.

^SURECardio Prospective automates scan parameters and reconstruction based on the patient’s heart rate. It also speeds exam time and eliminates the need to use additional contrast as with the step-and-shoot method.

Variable Helical Pitch
Variable Helical Pitch (vHP) increases workflow and efficiency by enabling physicians to complete an exam of more than one anatomical region consecutively — i.e. without stopping to alter the helical pitch of the exam. Toshiba is the first vendor to introduce this type of technique.

“Previously, if a physician needed to image a patient’s heart and body, two separate exams would be needed,” explained Doug Ryan, senior director CT Business Unit, Toshiba America Medical Systems. “With Toshiba’s vHP, the patient’s gated heart and non-gated body can be imaged during a single exam, reducing patient radiation and contrast dose and saving critical time for the imaging center or hospital. This feature is particularly helpful in trauma centers, when minutes can make a difference in the patient’s treatment and recovery.”

vHP also saves time by producing one comprehensive image instead of two separate images that would result from separate scans. This eliminates the task of piecing together separate images.

Both clinical applications are available to purchase independently and will be offered with all new Aquilion 32 and 64 CT systems.

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 Corp., an independent group company of Toshiba Corp., is a global leading provider of diagnostic medical imaging systems and comprehensive medical solutions, such as CT, Cath & EP Labs, X-ray, Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine, MRI and information systems. Toshiba Corp. is a leader in information and communications systems, electronic components, consumer products, and power systems. Toshiba has approximately 191,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of $60 billion. For more information, visit www.medical.toshiba.com.

^SURECardio and Aquilion are trademarks of Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation.