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December 3, 2009

TOSHIBA MR TECHNOLOGY IMPROVES EFFICIENCY AND PATIENT CARE THROUGH PATIENT-FOCUSED MR DESIGN

Features Address Top Patient Concerns to Improve Overall MR Exam Experience

CHICAGO, Dec. 3, 2009 – Patient compliance for MR exams often can impact imaging efficiency and patient throughput in radiology departments. Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. understands MR exams can be daunting to patients, whether they are claustrophobic or sensitive to the loud noise of the magnet, and has developed patient-focused MR technology to mitigate these concerns. By making exams more comfortable for patients, patient compliance, exam efficiency and technologist productivity are improved.

Toshiba will demonstrate the patient-focused designs of its MR systems, such as the Toshiba Vantage TitanTM MR system, at this year’s Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting, held in Chicago, Nov. 29 – Dec. 4 (Booth #5629, South Hall).
Toshiba’s patient-focused MR design features include:

  • PianissimoTM technology reduces noise by up to 90 percent, making Toshiba’s MR systems the quietest available. Since the patient experiences lower noise levels with Pianissimo, patients stay more relaxed during exams and fewer motion artifacts are acquired, which helps improve image quality. Useful for imaging pediatric patients, Pianissimo helps technologists image patients more successfully and reduces repeat exams.
  • Proprietary Contrast-Free MRA Techniques enable safer MRA imaging of patients with known renal compromise. Toshiba’s contrast-free MRA techniques include Fresh Blood Imaging (FBI) for evaluating peripheral vascular diseases of the lower legs and extremities; Contrast-free Improved Angiography (CIA) for easier visualization of smaller vessels; Time-Spatial Labeling Inversion Pulse (Time-SLIP) for evaluating hemodynamic, functional assessments, and visualization of vascular structures; and Time Space Angiography (TSA) to create non-contrast time-resolved imaging with high temporal resolution. Contrast-free techniques are safer for patients with renal conditions and require less set-up time, so the overall MR exam is completed faster, without compromising image quality.
  • Toshiba’s Atlas Technology eliminates the need to reposition patients during exams, by integrating the coils into the table. This feature reduces exam time and is more comfortable for the patient. It also enables feet-first imaging for a majority of exams, allowing patients to keep their head outside the bore.
  • Vantage Titan’s’s Open Bore offers a 71-cm aperture and the largest clinical field of view (55×55×50 cm) in the industry. Vantage Titan’s’s ultra-short, open bore was designed to increase comfort and improve the imaging of all patients, especially those who are claustrophobic and/or bariatric. The open bore’s larger diameter enables hospitals to scan bariatric patients with greater ease and provides patients with a greater feeling of openness to reduce claustrophobia.

St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor, Wash., which uses the Toshiba Vantage Titan, is one example of a leading hospital improving patient care and efficiency using Toshiba’s patient-friendly MR system.

“We perform multiple MR exams daily using Toshiba’s Vantage Titan and have received direct patient feedback that the system is quieter and feels less claustrophobic than other MR systems,” notes Gary Leslie, MRI technologist, St. Anthony Hospital. “The Vantage Titan’s patient friendly features have helped greatly improve exam efficiency and department throughput.”

“Toshiba is committed to listening to our customers and developing technologies to meet their unique needs,” explained Girish Hagan, vice president, Marketing, Toshiba. “Our patient-centered MR systems are an example of this commitment with features that improve patient care and comfort while also increasing efficiency.”

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, MRI and information systems. Toshiba corporation is a worldwide leader and in technology, electronic and electrical products, digital consumer products, electronic devices and components, power systems, industrial and social infrastructure systems and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875 and today operates a global network of more than 740 companies with 199,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing $73 billion. For more information, visit Toshiba’s web site at www.medical.toshiba.com.

Vantage Titan and Pianissimo are trademarks of Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation.