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August 9, 2010

TOSHIBA’S AQUILION ONE REDUCES RADIATION DOSE AND SEDATION

System’s Ability to Capture up to 16 cm in One Rotation is Ideal for Pediatric Patients

TUSTIN, Calif., Aug. 9, 2010 – When pediatric patients are imaged using CT, reducing sedation and radiation dose while maintaining the best possible image quality is paramount in delivering care. To provide patients with high-quality CT exams and a reduction in sedation and radiation dose, leading children’s hospitals are installing Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.’s Aquilion® ONE 320-detector row CT system. Designed with the pediatric market in mind, the Aquilion ONE captures up to 16 cm in a single rotation of 0.35 seconds, decreasing the amount of radiation a patient receives and lessening the need for sedation.

With smaller vessels, lower bone density and less body fat, pediatric patients have different imaging needs than adults, creating the need for CT technology tailored for children. Traditionally, when children are imaged using multi-detector CT, sedation can be required to keep the patient still long enough to obtain a clear diagnostic image.

“Lowering radiation exposure is critical for pediatric patients, as they are more sensitive to radiation. It is especially important for pediatric patients with chronic conditions, as they could potentially undergo a lifetime of imaging exams,” said Daniel Podberesky, M.D., chief of Thoracoabdominal Imaging, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Cincinnati Children’s recently installed the Aquilion ONE system to perform a variety of exams, including trauma, cancer, brain perfusion, cardiac function tests and routine CT imaging.

Many children’s hospitals, including Cincinnati Children’s, strive to meet the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle of radiation. The Aquilion ONE helps these hospitals achieve these high standards in imaging. The Aquilion ONE features Toshiba’s SUREExposure™ Pediatric software, which tailors radiation dose, based on the size and age of each patient, to achieve the best possible image quality for each exam. The software uses protocols based on the patient’s age and size, and type of exam, to ensure patients receive only the radiation required to obtain a clear diagnostic image. SUREExposure Pediatric software comes standard on all Aquilion products.

In addition to SUREExposure Pediatric, the Aquilion ONE is available with a Pediatric Kit that includes child-friendly accessories and features, including:

• iStation, an audio-visual instructional tool to help children maintain breath-hold during exams by displaying animated movies specially designed to teach them when to hold their breath and relax them during the exam

• Colorful designs and images on the Aquilion ONE’s exterior, creating a more visually compelling and child-friendly looking system

• Pediatric accessories, such as child-size table straps and infant cushion, to provide a stable, comfortable exam for pediatric patients of all sizes

• A smaller replica of the Aquilion ONE, allowing children to interact with the CT to understand more about the imaging process and alleviate fear about the exam

“Toshiba recognizes that children have different imaging needs than adults and that limiting radiation and sedation is crucial for safe pediatric exams,” said Doug Ryan, vice president, Marketing and Strategic Development, Toshiba. “We developed the Aquilion ONE and SUREExposure Pediatric to ensure all patients, no matter the size, receive the safest exams.”

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’s Aquilion CT Product Line Recognition

The Aquilion® CT product line has received numerous accolades, including the number one ranking in CT from MD Buyline since 2002 (seven consecutive years). The Aquilion CT line has also been named Best in KLAS in the Top 20 Best in KLAS Awards reports for 2006 and 2007 for CT; Best in KLAS in the Top 20 Best in KLAS Awards reports for 2008 and 2009 for 64-detector row and above; and Frost & Sullivan’s “Healthcare Innovation Award in Cardiovascular Imaging” in 2008. (For more information about KLAS, visit www.KLASresearch.com.)

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 website at www.medical.toshiba.com.