News | Press Releases

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January 23, 2012

TOSHIBA INSTALLS 1,200th VANTAGE MR SYSTEM WORLDWIDE

Banner Good Samaritan Selects Vantage Titan for Breast Imaging, Patient-Friendly Features and Non-Contrast Techniques

TUSTIN, Calif., Jan. 23, 2012 – To provide patient-friendly MR imaging, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix, Ariz., has installed a Vantage Titan^TM 1.5T MR system from Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc., which is the 1,200th Vantage MR installed worldwide. Banner Good Samaritan is using Toshiba’s Vantage Titan MR primarily for imaging breast cancer patients from the Laura Dreier Breast Center during screening and surgical planning.

“Vantage Titan is helping us expand our capabilities to not only conduct breast imaging, but liver and kidney imaging as well,” said Kathy Altergott, director of medical imaging, Banner Good Samaritan. “The patient-friendly features, including the large open-bore and noise-reduction technology, improve the patient experience, while the ease of use enables us to perform exams more efficiently.”

The Vantage Titan offers a 71 cm open bore and allows feet-first imaging for most exams to help reduce claustrophobia. Toshiba’s PianissimoTM noise-reduction technology reduces exam noise levels by up to 30 decibels, addressing one of the major compliance issues in MR.

Banner Good Samaritan is also utilizing two of Toshiba’s proprietary non-contrast MRA techniques, Fresh Blood Imaging (FBI) and Time Space Angiography (TSA), to image patients near or at renal failure without the use of potentially dangerous contrast agents. Additionally, the system is used to help guide physicians in the planning of liver transplants, for general musculoskeletal imaging and many other clinical applications.

Toshiba has a long-standing partnership with the Banner Health network, which includes two other Vantage Titan MR systems located at Banner Ironwood Medical Center in San Tan Valley, Ariz., and Skyline Center for Health in Loveland, Colo. Other Toshiba medical imaging systems in the network include four Aquilion^TM CT systems and four Infinix^TM-i vascular X-ray systems.

“Partnering with Banner Good Samaritan demonstrates the versatility of the Vantage Titan in helping diagnose a variety of conditions while making the exam experience more comfortable and safer for patients,” said Stuart Clarkson, director, MR Business Unit, Toshiba. “We also plan to work together with Banner Good Samaritan in the future to explore and develop advanced non-contrast breast imaging techniques.”

About Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center

Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center has been providing medical care to Arizona and the Southwest since 1911. Banner Good Samaritan is owned and operated by Phoenix-based Banner Health, a non-profit organization. The hospital was named to the 2011-’12 U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” list for Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Geriatrics and Gynecology. Banner Good Samaritan has been recognized as a Magnet™ facility by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the highest honor a hospital can earn for its nursing care and practices, and has been named one of the Best Places to Work in the Valley by The Phoenix Business Journal and BestCompaniesAZ from 2007 to 2011 and one of the “Top 100 Hospitals to Work For” by Nursing Professionals magazine.

About Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.

With headquarters in Tustin, Calif., Toshiba America Medical Systems (TAMS) markets, sells, distributes and services diagnostic imaging systems, and coordinates clinical diagnostic imaging research for all modalities in the United States. For more information, visit the TAMS website at www.medical.toshiba.com.

About Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation

Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation is a leading worldwide provider of medical diagnostic imaging systems and comprehensive medical solutions, such as CT, X-ray and vascular, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, and MRI systems, as well as information systems for medical institutions. Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation has been providing medical products for over 80 years. Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Toshiba.

About Toshiba

Toshiba is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products, spanning digital products, such as LCD TVs, notebook PCs and hard disc drives; electronic devices and components, such as semiconductors; social infrastructure systems, including power generation systems, and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 490 companies, with 203,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing 6.3 trillion yen (US$77 billion).