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March 1, 2010

TOSHIBA ANNOUNCES CARDIAC SOFTWARE UPGRADES FOR THE AQUILION ONE AND AQUILION PREMIUM

Software Enhancements Improve Ability to Produce High Image Quality at Lower Radiation Doses

TUSTIN, Calif., March 1, 2010 – Responding to the cardiac CT market’s need for superior image quality with lower radiation doses, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc., has unveiled new cardiac software enhancements available now for the Aquilion® ONE and Aquilion Premium CT systems. The new cardiac CT software package is designed to reduce radiation exposure while maintaining outstanding image quality.

The new software upgrades will improve cardiac CT imaging in the following ways:

• New ONE Beat Prospective Reconstruction shortens the interval window and reduces radiation exposure time. This enhancement alone reduces radiation dose by 21 percent over the previous software, as the more efficient imaging lowers the radiation exposure to the patient.

• Real Time Beat Control calculates the running real time average of the heart rate to precisely predict the next heart beat for a more accurately timed scan. Important for patients with arrhythmia or unstable heart rates, Real Time Beat Control ensures better accuracy and improves image quality while reducing repetitive exams.

• Optimized timing of SUREStart can determine contrast uptake time for a more accurate image. The upgraded SUREStart makes the transition from bolus chase to cardiac scanning virtually seamless. This feature creates better contrast timing, improves image quality and lowers contrast dose.

These upgraded software features will improve upon the already robust ability of the Aquilion ONE and Aquilion Premium in providing highly accurate diagnoses for a variety of cardiac cases.

“Giving our customers the tools they need to conduct low-dose exams is a priority for Toshiba,” said Doug Ryan, vice president, Marketing and Strategic Development, Toshiba. “These software enhancements to the Aquilion ONE and Aquilion Premium will help the medical community reduce radiation to patients while also ensuring high-quality images to enhance diagnostic confidence.”

Toshiba’s Aquilion ONE dynamic volume CT features 320-detector rows and is able to scan an entire organ in a single pass and produce 4D videos showing an organ’s structure, its movement and blood flow. In comparison, a 64-slice, 128-slice or 256-slice CT scan can only capture a portion of an organ in a single pass, requiring physicians to “stitch together” multiple scans of an organ to get a full image. The new technology helps reduce multiple exposures to radiation and exam time.

The Aquilion Premium was designed not only to improve clinical accuracy but also to make procedures safer and more efficient while increasing patient comfort and operator convenience. The system features 160-detector rows to image up to eight cm of anatomy in a single gantry rotation (as fast as 0.35 seconds). The system has a 660 lb. patient weight couch to accommodate larger patients, front and (optional) rear table footswitches to facilitate workflow, and a single push button enabling the gantry and couch to return to the home position automatically. It also comes standard with the 72 kW generator and advanced features like iStation display and eight cm dynamic scanning capability.

About Toshiba’s Aquilion ONE

The Aquilion ONE, the world’s first dynamic volume CT, utilizes 320 ultra-high resolution detector rows to image an entire organ in a single gantry rotation and shows dynamic function like blood flow. Since its introduction in November 2007, the Aquilion ONE has been named Popular Science magazine’s “Best of What’s New 2008 – Personal Health Category,” rt Image’s 2008 Most Valuable Product (MVP), Frost & Sullivan’s Global CT Systems Product Differentiation Innovation Award 2007, AuntMinnie.com’s “Minnies 2008 – Best New Radiology Device” and Medical Design Excellence Award Gold Winner in 2009.

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 Corp. is a worldwide leader 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.