12/1/1997
For Immediate Release
HITACHI INTRODUCES NEW HIGH-PERFORMANCE PREMIUM OPEN MR SYSTEM
CONTACT:
Sheldon Schaffer
Hitachi Medical Systems America, Inc.
1959 Summit Commerce Park
Twinsburg, Ohio 44087
800.800.3106 or 330.425.1313
330.425.1410 FAX
info@hitachimed.com
Chicago, Illinois - December 1, 1997 - Hitachi Medical Systems America, Inc. unveiled the company's new AIRIS®II high-performance premium Open MR imaging system at the Radiological Society of North America annual meeting being held this week in Chicago. Hitachi has established a leadership position in Open MR with more than 450 systems installed throughout the United States and 1,350 worldwide.
AIRIS II has all the strengths that have made AIRIS the best selling premium Open MR in the market. It combines a 0.3T field strength and advanced permanent magnet technology for outstanding image quality. The award-winning "Open-Air" gantry design provides easy access from all four sides and offers the patient a comfortable, non-claustrophobic environment.
"AIRIS II has advanced technology which makes it the high-performance premium Open MR system," according to Sheldon Schaffer, vice president of marketing. "It has an extremely fast and powerful 15 mT/m gradient system which works in combination with an advanced digital RF system to provide numerous benefits, including more detailed images. AIRIS II also has the added throughput of a RISC-based workstation and easy-to-use OpenWindowsTM graphical user interface."
"We anticipate that the demand for the AIRIS will remain strong," continued Schaffer. "The introduction of AIRIS II allows Hitachi to also address the segment of health care providers who want high performance in addition to the image quality and comfort of AIRIS." Hitachi is offering an upgrade path to AIRIS II from AIRIS so customers can add the high-performance features if their needs change in the future.
Hitachi made popular the concept of using an "Open-Air" style magnet gantry with the introduction of its MRP MR imaging systems in 1989. Since then, Hitachi has become the market leader in Open MR imaging utilizing permanent magnet technology. "We thought more emphasis needed to be given to patient comfort," stated Richard L. Ernst, president of Hitachi Medical Systems America. " Hitachi's pioneering work with Open gantry design has given patients the comfort they need while increasing the diagnostic potential of MR as well."
AIRIS II availability is subject to FDA 510(k) pre-market clearance.
Hitachi Medical Systems America, Inc. (HMSA) markets the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging products of Hitachi Medical Corporation (HMC), Tokyo, Japan. These include the AIRIS 0.3T Open-Air permanent magnet and the STRATIS® 1.5T short-bore high-field system. HMSA has established itself as a major provider of magnetic resonance imaging systems in the United States. The company has an installed base of approximately 450 MR systems with over 1,350 systems worldwide. With the introduction of high-speed rotational angiographic imaging, Hitachi enters the U.S. X-Ray market with unique technology which increases clinical utility and shortens exam times when compared to traditional systems.
