12/1/2002
For Immediate Release
HITACHI ENHANCES HIGH-FIELD PERFORMANCE OF ALTAIRE OPEN MR SYSTEM
CONTACT:
Philip Chang
Hitachi Medical Systems America, Inc.
1959 Summit Commerce Park
Twinsburg, Ohio 44087
800.800.3106 or 330.425.1313 Ext. 4510
330.425.1410 Fax
info@hitachimed.com
www.hitachimed.com
Chicago, Illinois - December 1, 2002 – Hitachi Medical Systems America has provided customers of its Altaire™ High-Field Open MR systems with a new High-Field Performance Upgrade designed to enhance performance of current applications, as well as pave the way for a host of new applications both short- and long-term.
The upgrade, free for customers enrolled in Hitachi’s industry-leading Elite Plus Customer Assurance Program, takes advantage of the fact that the Altaire platform was designed from the start to remain at the cutting edge of Open MR technology by incorporating continuous upgrades, thus affording Altaire customers both clinical and economic value far into the future. Specifically, the upgrade includes new pulse sequences such as Balanced SARGE and Driven Equilibrium FSE/FIR. EPI-based Diffusion-Weighted Imaging enhancements include single-shot EPI acquisition with Navigator Echo for motion elimination and Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) mapping.
The Altaire High-Field Performance Upgrade also provides the Enhanced DualQuad® RF upgrade which includes an integrated Transmit/Receive Body Coil and the ability of QD Receiver Coils to operate in Multiple Array mode. This will permit upcoming support for emerging MR applications such as Peripheral Vascular* Imaging, Neurovascular Imaging and Breast Imaging, all of which show a steady increase in demand. It will also support upcoming developments in MR Cardiac* Imaging. Further, the High Field Performance Enhancements set the stage for introduction of RAPID™ Parallel* Imaging which, through the addition of advanced RF technology, will decrease acquisition times with a corresponding improvement in throughput. Asterisked items indicate applications that are pending FDA clearance and not yet available for sale in the United States.
As market forces continue to drive demand for Open MR, performance enhancement solutions like these will permit the Altaire MR system to meet it with superb image quality, unmatched patient comfort and continued high return on investment.
It’s all in keeping with a commitment to customer solutions that has made Hitachi a world leader in medical imaging. Hitachi Medical Systems America, Inc. markets premium, high performance magnetic resonance imaging products of Hitachi Medical Corporation, Tokyo, Japan. These include the Altaire™ high-field performance Open MR system and the AIRIS® II Open MR system with advanced permanent magnet technology. HMSA also markets Hitachi Ultrasound, PET imaging systems and ddR direct digital radiography systems. Hitachi has established a leadership position in diagnostic imaging with more than 1,200 Open MR imaging systems installed throughout the United States and over 2,300 worldwide.
