News | Press Releases

---

May 26, 2010

TOSHIBA’S LARGE OPEN BORE MR SYSTEM IMPROVES WORKFLOW AT OVERLAKE HOSPITAL

Titan’s Patient-Friendly MR Design Increases Throughput,
Enabling Facility to Handle Imaging Needs

TUSTIN, Calif., May 26, 2010 – Improving MR exam workflow without sacrificing patient safety, exam comfort or image quality is a goal for many health care facilities. Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, Wash., selected Toshiba America Medical Systems’ patient-friendly Vantage TitanTM ultra-short, open bore MR system to achieve this goal in its new MR facility.

Before acquiring the Titan, Overlake did not own an MR system and therefore was required to outsource all of its MR exams, a time-consuming and cumbersome experience for both the patient and physician. Since installing the Titan, Overlake patients receive MR exams immediately and on-site. In fact, the Titan’s ability to increase patient throughput because of its patient-friendly features enabled Overlake to exceed its patient volume projections shortly after installation.

“When planning our new MR department, we wanted to not only have around-the-clock access to MR exams and improve workflow, but also maintain Overlake’s focus on patient safety and comfort,” said Brenda Rinehart, director of Medical Imaging, Overlake Hospital. “The Titan’s features met and even exceeded these requirements. One example is the Titan’s large, open bore and noise reduction technology, which have improved the exam experience for our claustrophobic patients. This has resulted in a decrease in the need for sedation, allowing us to image patients more rapidly and safely.”

Toshiba’s patient-focused MR design features include:

• Vantage Titan’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 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.

• PianissimoTM technology which 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.

• Proprietary non-contrast MRA techniques that enable safer MRA imaging of patients with known renal compromise. Toshiba’s non-contrast 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 and Space Angiography (TSA) to create non-contrast time-resolved imaging with high temporal resolution.

• Toshiba’s Atlas Technology eliminates the need to reposition patients during exams by utilizing integrated coil technology. 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.

“The Titan is specifically designed to alleviate top MR patient complaints through features like the large, open bore, Pianissimo noise-reduction technology, non-contrast techniques and Atlas coil technology,” said Doug Ryan, vice president, Marketing and Strategic Development, Toshiba. “The increased productivity at Overlake demonstrates the power and effectiveness of these patient-friendly features and the direct benefit they provide to physicians and patients, alike.”

About Overlake Hospital

Overlake Hospital Medical Center is a 337-bed, nonprofit regional medical center offering a full range of advanced medical services to the Puget Sound Region. Led by a volunteer Board of Directors, Overlake employs nearly 2,400 people and has more than 1,000 active and courtesy physicians on staff. Overlake is the only Level III Trauma Center in eastern Puget Sound. The hospital is distinguished for its cardiac services and its award winning surgical services. Overlake has been ranked as a top 100 heart program in the country and is rated as a top performer in the state of Washington. The hospital has received many awards and recognitions both regionally and nationally.

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.