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January 27, 2010

PIEDMONT HOSPITAL INSTALLS FIRST TOSHIBA VASCULAR X-RAY SYSTEM WITH 12” X 12” MID-SIZED FLAT PANEL DETECTOR

System Marks Piedmont’s Fourth Toshiba Vascular X-Ray Installation and Includes Advanced Imaging Processing for Enhanced Image Quality

TUSTIN, Calif., Jan. 27, 2010 – Increasing its ability to provide patients with the highest quality of care, Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta has installed the country’s first InfinixTM VF-i vascular X-ray system with the 12” x 12” mid-sized flat panel detector (FPD) from Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. The new mid-sized FPD system is equipped with Toshiba’s Next Generation Advanced Image Processing (AIP) capabilities and marks the fourth Toshiba Infinix-i system installed by Piedmont Hospital.

“Toshiba’s Infinix VF-i with the 12” x 12” flat panel detector provides better perspective during electrophysiologic procedures than most traditional flat panel detectors,” said Piedmont Heart Institute physician Harry A. Kopelman, M.D., Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology Laboratories at the Fuqua Heart Center of Atlanta’s Piedmont Hospital. “The 12” x 12” panel offers a wider field-of-view making it easier to image a large cardiac silhouette. It is well-suited for cardiac rhythm device implantation and other electrophysiologic procedures. The system is small in terms of its footprint inside the room, helping to maximize space. It is user-friendly, intuitive and responsive.”

Toshiba’s Infinix VF-i system offers unprecedented patient access with a floor-mounted C-arm five-axis positioner that allows head-to-toe and fingertip-to-fingertip coverage. The freely moving components, ergonomically friendly design and five-axis positioner enable physicians to obtain optimal angles for cardiac diagnosis and interventional procedures without re-positioning the patient.

Available on the Infinix-i series systems, Toshiba’s Next Generation AIP improves patient safety and diagnostic confidence by increasing accuracy and visualization during interventional procedures, including cardiac, by providing clearer, sharper images and enhanced system utilization, all of which are important features for today’s cath lab. Providing images with more detail during fluoroscopic intervention enhances device guidance and deployment creating safer, faster exams for the patient and clinical team.

“The new Infinix VF-i with 12” x 12” flat panel detector is ideal for electrophysiology departments, as it can cover larger anatomical regions,” said Robert Micer, director, X-ray Vascular Business Unit, Toshiba. “When combined with Toshiba’s proprietary Next Generation AIP, the system provides increased visualization and optimal access, helping physicians more quickly and accurately diagnose and treat patients.”

About the Piedmont Heart Institute

The Piedmont Heart Institute (PHI) is the first integrated cardiovascular healthcare delivery program affiliated with a community health system in greater Atlanta and is headquartered on the campus of Piedmont Hospital, a 481-bed tertiary care facility offering all major medical, surgical and diagnostic services. Offering a continuum of patient care, including primary and secondary prevention, outpatient and inpatient cardiovascular care, and appropriate quality measures and metrics to demonstrate enhanced outcomes, Piedmont Heart Institute combines more than 75 cardiovascular specialists in Piedmont Heart Institute Physicians with over 30 locations across north Georgia, and the Fuqua Heart Center of Atlanta at Piedmont Hospital to propel new programs in cardiovascular research, education and excellence in prevention, arrhythmias, coronary and vascular intervention, stroke and cardiac imaging. Piedmont Heart Institute is part of Piedmont Healthcare (PHC), a not-for-profit organization that also includes Piedmont Fayette Hospital, a 143-bed, acute-care community hospital in Fayetteville; Piedmont Mountainside Hospital, a 42-bed community hospital in Jasper; and Piedmont Newnan Hospital, a 143-bed, acute-care community hospital in Newnan. Piedmont Healthcare also is the parent company of Piedmont Philanthropy, the philanthropic entity for private fundraising initiatives; the Piedmont Physicians Group, with more than 100 primary care physicians in over 30 offices throughout metro Atlanta; and the Piedmont Clinic, a 600-member physician network. For more information, visit piedmontheart.org.

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.