For Immediate Release
Contact:
mktgcomm@tams.com
TOSHIBA ANNOUNCES F2 EDITION OF THE VANTAGE MRI SYSTEM
Advanced Software and Hardware Features Improve Acquisition Speed and Image Quality
TUSTIN,
Calif., Dec. 8, 2005—Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. (TAMS) today
announced availability of its F2 Edition/Version (V7) software and hardware for
its Vantage family of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, designed to improve
acquisition speed and enhance image quality and detail.
According to
Dr. Carmen P. Arango, founder of Arango Imaging Center in El Paso, Tx., the benefits
have been immediate. “Since upgrading to the Vantage MRI with V7 software,
we have experienced significant increases in throughput. In addition, we’ve
seen a dramatic improvement in image quality and are pleased with the upgrade to
the Vantage.”
The proprietary
F2 Edition Vantage enables improved applications for advanced imaging procedures,
including Body Vision, Contrast-Free Improved Angiography, Fresh Blood Imaging,
Water Excitation and Whole Heart Imaging.
Currently, over
40 sites in the United States are running the V7 software, including Arango Imaging
Center, Steinberg Diagnostic Medical Imaging Center (SDMI) in Las Vegas and Long
Beach Memorial Hospital in Long Beach, Calif.
“The new software
and hardware are indicative of Toshiba’s continued commitment to innovation and
to meeting its customers’ evolving needs for advanced imaging technology,” said
Bob Giegerich, director, MR Business Unit, TAMS. “The Vantage continues to
prove its clinical value with superior imaging performance and patient-focused features
for more comfortable MRI exams.”
Version
7 Features and Benefits
The Vantage F2 Edition upgrade for Toshiba’s Vantage users, is currently available
for the existing Vantage AGV, MGV and XGV platforms and will be standard for all
systems going forward as well as its works-in-progress ZGV platform. Included with
the Vantage F2 Edition upgrade is a new Mach 7 processor and associated hardware
to improve image reconstruction speeds from 410 images/second to 820 images/second
at 256 x 256 matrix and full Field of View (FOV). Other key features include:
• Body Vision—Diffusion weighted imaging optimized for use in the trunk and
torso
• Contrast-Free Improved Angiography—Specifically designed to optimize imaging
of the lower extremities
• Water Excitation Technique (WET)—A magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) technique
using Time of Flight MRA for imaging the carotid arteries without the use of contrast
• Whole Heart Imaging—A technique used to image the coronary arteries without
contrast that uses Real Time Motion Correction to eliminate breath hold
Additional features
include couch movement from the operator's console, auto-stitching software for
seamless PACS integration, expanded sequence flexibility on field echo sequences,
fully supported HIPAA functionality and additional patient positioning pads.
Unmatched
Performance and Patient-Focused Features
The Vantage, Toshiba’s 1.5-tesla (1.5T) high-field MRI system, features an
ultra-short magnet at 140 cm with linear 30 mT/m (milliTesla per meter) gradient
strength with a slew rate of 50 T/m/s (Tesla per meter per second) (AGV), 86 T/m/s
(MGV) or 130 T/m/s (XGV). Despite the shorter magnet, the system still delivers
the highest homogeneity of any magnet in the industry over the full 50 cm diameter
spherical volume (DSV).
Offering the
most advanced MRI applications available today, the Vantage features several optional
packages including Advanced Cardiac Imaging, Freeze Frame Imaging, Fat Free Imaging
and new Body Vision, a diffusion technique using Echo Planar Imaging.
With Toshiba's
patented PianissimoTM technology, which reduces acoustic
noise by as much as 90 percent over other magnets, the Vantage dramatically reduces
the most significant cause of patient discomfort with vacuum enveloped gradients
and enables clinicians to better utilize all of the system's high-field MRI capabilities
including SPEEDER parallel imaging for increased acquisition speed which reduces
examination times. For more information about the Vantage, TAMS and its wide range
of medical imaging products, please visit
www.medical.toshiba.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 Corporation, an independent group company of Toshiba Corporation,
is a global leading provider of diagnostic medical imaging systems and comprehensive
medical solutions, such as CT, X-ray, Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine, MRI and information
systems. Toshiba Corporation is a leader in information and communications
systems, electronic components, consumer products, and power systems. Toshiba
has approximately 162,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of $55 billion.
Excelart VantageTM and PianissimoTM are
trademarks of Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
Contact Us