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August 30, 2010

TOSHIBA INSTALLS 1,000th VANTAGE MR SYSTEM WORLDWIDE

Vantage Atlas’ Patient-Focused Features Ideal for Pediatric Facility

TUSTIN, Calif., Aug. 30, 2010 – Diagnostic imaging leader Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. has installed its 1,000th Vantage MR system worldwide. Kosair Children’s Medical Center – Brownsboro, the only pediatric outpatient facility of its type in Kentucky, is the site of Toshiba’s milestone installation. The new facility, dedicated to the care of children, is located in the eastern suburbs of Louisville, Ky., and is the newest addition to Kosair Children’s Hospital and the Norton Healthcare Network.

As one of the only pediatric outpatient centers in the Kentucky area, Kosair Children’s Medical Center – Brownsboro will use the Toshiba Vantage Atlas® MR for general radiology imaging, including both cardiac and neuro imaging, for its pediatric population. The Vantage Atlas MR is an ideal system for a pediatric facility because it offers several patient-friendly features, including Toshiba’s patented PianissimoTM technology, which reduces acoustic noise by as much as 90 percent. Reducing exam noise creates a more comfortable exam experience and improves patient compliance by helping children relax and stay still during the MR exam process, which can also reduce the need for patient sedation.

“We selected the Vantage Atlas because it offers a quiet, quick and safe exam, which is what’s needed in a pediatric setting,” said Dr. Jeff Foster, director of Radiology, Kosair Children’s Hospital. “Additionally, the Vantage Atlas improves patient care by offering a strong, fast magnet that provides outstanding image quality. Receiving high-quality images allows us to diagnose a patient and develop a treatment plan quickly, which is critical for providing the best care to our patients.”

“Above the integration of the equipment itself, we’re excited about the fact that our pediatric radiologists are aligned with Toshiba’s engineers to develop specific imaging protocols and additional imaging coils designed just for use with children,” Dr. Foster added.

Other patient-friendly features of the Vantage Atlas include an integrated coil system to eliminate the need to reposition patients during exams by integrating the coils into the table, creating a faster, more comfortable exam for pediatric patients. The system also enables feet-first imaging for a majority of exams, allowing patients to keep their head outside the bore. Pediatric patients are often nervous while undergoing a MR exam, and feet-first imaging increases their feeling of openness by allowing the patient’s head to remain outside the bore.

Kosair Children’s Medical Center – Brownsboro is also using Toshiba’s proprietary non-contrast imaging techniques. The non-contrast 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.
The ability to use non-contrast techniques is beneficial for pediatric patients as it can streamline the exam process by eliminating the need to administer an IV, meaning patients have to sit still for a shorter period of time and can avoid an IV injection. Non-contrast techniques also offer a safer exam for all patients. Gadolinium-based contrast agents, the most common contrast agents used for MRA, have been directly linked to nephrogenic systemic fibrosis or nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NSF/NFD) a sometimes fatal skin disease that occurs in patients with renal insufficiency.

“The 1,000th worldwide MR install underscores Toshiba’s dedication to providing patient-focused imaging technology, which allows health care facilities to improve care for patients of every age and size,” said Doug Ryan, vice president, Marketing and Strategic Development, Toshiba. “The patient-friendly design of the Vantage Atlas helps pediatric facilities deliver a more relaxed and efficient MR exam experience.”

In addition to the Vantage Atlas MR system, Kosair Children’s Medical Center – Brownsboro selected additional Toshiba equipment to round out its imaging portfolio, including an Aquilion® 64 CT system, two Aplio XG ultrasound systems, a Kalare RF X-ray system and two T.RAD X-ray systems.

About Kosair Children’s Hospital

Licensed for 263 beds and recognized as one of the top children’s hospitals in America, Kosair Children’s Hospital received the prestigious Magnet designation for excellence in nursing care from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2007. Kosair Children’s has been ranked as one of the top children’s hospitals in the country in 2009 and 2010 by U.S. News & World Report.

Kosair Children’s Hospital, a part of Norton Healthcare, is located in the Louisville Medical Center in downtown Louisville and is connected by pedway to Norton Hospital. Kosair Children’s Hospital is the region’s only full-service, free-standing pediatric hospital and the only free-standing hospital in Kentucky offering a pediatric trauma center. A complete range of services is provided for children, including pediatric intensive care and one of the nation’s largest intensive care nurseries for newborns. The hospital also houses the region’s first and only Congenital Heart Center for children and adults living with heart defects.

On May 26, 2010, Kosair Children’s Hospital opened the outpatient Kosair Children’s Medical Center – Brownsboro. Located in Louisville just southeast of Norton Brownsboro Hospital in northeastern Jefferson County, Kosair Children’s Medical Center – Brownsboro will be the only pediatric outpatient center of its type in Metro Louisville or in Kentucky. The medical center will feature 365-days-a-year pediatric emergency services; a full complement of pediatric diagnostic imaging services, including MRI, CT, X-ray, fluoroscopy, ultrasound and cardiology services, along with a full-service laboratory; and a wide range of pediatric outpatient surgery services, including ENT, orthopaedics, eye, urinary, dental and general surgeries. The medical center’s layout, processes and amenities were designed to ease children’s and families’ anxiety about medical experiences and to make the facility a friendly and inviting place for children, teens, young adults and their families. More information about Kosair Children’s Hospital is available at www.kosairchildrens.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 742 companies with more than 203,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing $67 billion. For more information, visit Toshiba’s website at www.medical.toshiba.com.