5/7/2002
For Immediate Release
HITACHI SHIPPED THEIR 50TH HIGH-FIELD PERFORMANCE OPEN MR SYSTEM
CONTACT:
Sheldon Schaffer
Hitachi Medical Systems America, Inc.
1959 Summit Commerce Park
Twinsburg, OH 44087
800.800.3106 or 330.425.1313 Ext. 5447
330.425.1410 Fax
Courtney Prebich/Janice Moore
Inova Fair Oaks Hospital
3600 Joseph Siewick Drive
Fairfax, VA 22033
703-698-2270
info@hitachimed.com
www.hitachimed.com
Twinsburg, Ohio – May 7, 2002 – Hitachi Medical Systems America, Inc. (HMSA) announced that they have shipped their 50th AltaireTM high-field performance Open MR system to Inova Fair Oaks Hospital in Fairfax, Virginia, a member of the Inova Health System. Inova Fair Oaks Hospital is a 151-bed hospital and currently has a 1.5 Tesla MRI system and will continue to use it along with their new Altaire.
“Inova Fair Oaks Hospital is proud of its record of consistently offering patients the most advanced imaging techniques,” commented William A. Brown, CHE, Vice President of Inova Health System and Administrator of Inova Fair Oaks Hospital. “Altaire’s advanced computer system and open architecture extends MRI access to more of our patients, helping to meet the needs of our community.”
“As radiologists in a fast-paced hospital environment, we are as confident interpreting MR studies from the Altaire system as we are from the 1.5 Tesla system,” commented Niten Kumar, M.D., MRI/CT radiologist, Inova Fair Oaks Hospital.
“The Altaire is beginning to demonstrate a momentum that is reminiscent of the AIRIS&174; when it began competing with 0.5 Tesla systems and winning in the mid-1990s. Like the AIRIS and AIRIS II, the Altaire is breaking the rules of magnetic resonance imaging and further challenging the conventional wisdom on field strength,” stated Richard L. Ernst, President and Chief Executive Officer of HMSA.
Inova Health System is a not-for-profit health care system in Northern Virginia that consists of hospitals and other health services including home care, nursing homes, mental health services, wellness classes, and emergency and urgent care centers. Governed by a voluntary board of community members, Inova's mission is to provide quality care and to improve the health of the diverse communities it serves.
Hitachi Medical Systems America, Inc. markets premium, high performance magnetic resonance imaging products of Hitachi Medical Corporation, Tokyo, Japan. These include the AIRIS II Open MR system with advanced permanent magnet technology and the new Altaire high-field performance Open MR system. HMSA has established a leadership position in Open MR imaging with more than 1,200 systems installed throughout the United States and over 2,300 worldwide. Since the company first popularized the concept of Open MR over a decade ago, it has been the fastest growing segment of MR imaging.
