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Vendor must play catch-up with Trex and FischerSiemens is hoping that technical innovation will help compensate for a late arrival on the market for digital spot mammography systems. The German vendor last month launched Opdima, a new digital spot

COHR will service non-Toshiba equipmentToshiba America Medical Systems became the last of the Big Five multimodality imaging vendors to adopt a multivendor service program when it signed an agreement with independent service organization COHR of

Company promises one breakthrough per yearThe ultrasound division of GE Medical Systems continues to be spurred on by momentum generated from a strong showing in 1996, when the Milwaukee company's growth in the modality was spearheaded by an

Fuji Medical Systems USA and Olicon Imaging Systems this month signed a nonexclusive licensing and product distribution agreement. The deal enables Fuji, which has specialized in the development of computed radiography systems, to sell turnkey PACS

Montana case examines vendor's service policiesGE Medical Systems is batting one for two in its defense of a Justice Department antitrust suit first brought against the company last August (SCAN 8/28/96). In March, the judge assigned to the case

GE Medical Systems of Milwaukee and Elscint of Haifa, Israel, took another step toward finalizing their agreement to form a joint-venture company to develop and manufacture nuclear medicine equipment (SCAN 2/19/97). The vendors announced last week that

OIS declines to provide name of imaging customerA major medical imaging vendor is planning to commercialize a new digital x-ray system after placing an order for 300 flat-panel digital detectors developed by Optical Imaging Systems (OIS) of

The nuclear medicine division of Siemens Medical Systems in Hoffman Estates, IL, has received 510(k) clearance for its Profile attenuation correction device for the E.Cam variable-angle dual-head gamma camera. Profile uses a multiple-line array of

Philips Electronics of the Netherlands reported this month that it is planning to divest nine smaller business units as part of its plan to return to profitability. The units, which employ about 1500 people, are part of the Philips Industrial Electronics

Sterling Diagnostic Imaging of Glasgow, DE, last week announced the signing of a seven-year, $10 million agreement to supply its Direct Radiography and PACS technology to a Canadian healthcare provider. The deal makes Atlantic Health Sciences (AHSC) of

Superconducting magnet supplier Intermagnetics General (IGC) purchased Milwaukee-based MRI surface-coil provider Medical Advances (MAI) last month for $12 million. The combination cash-stock deal expands IGC's interests in MRI. MAI president Richard

Resignation marks fifth departure of imaging execDr. Thomas Spackman became the latest CEO to step down from a multimodality OEM when he announced his resignation this week as president and CEO of Elscint Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Israeli

Alliance Imaging of Orange, CA, reported last week that it has completed the final phase of its refinancing effort after GE Medical Systems of Milwaukee converted an $18 million bridge loan into preferred stock, giving GEMS a 21% stake in the mobile

Siemens chief predicts nuclear medicine shakeout in the next yearTwo more gamma camera competitors joined forces last month when the nuclear medicine divisions of Siemens and Toshiba signed a deal in which Siemens would provide its E.Cam

PACS developer Lockheed Martin Western Development Laboratories Medical Imaging Systems of Hoffman Estates, IL, has won two contracts worth nearly $10 million to install its Vantage PACS networks at two hospitals in Anchorage, AK.In the first

Companies will cooperate on R&D and marketingGE Medical Systems last month signed a letter of intent to acquire up to a 19.9% stake in ALI Technologies, a developer of ultrasound miniPACS workstations. The deal is the second major corporate

Vendor reportedly aims to be PACS market leaderPicker International last week stepped up its involvement in thebooming PACS market by securing a wide-ranging OEM supply anddistribution deal with software developer Cemax-Icon. While thedeal is

The ongoing game of musical chairs in medical imaging's executivesuites continues unabated. Philips Medical Systems Internationalof Best, the Netherlands, last week became the latest companyto bring on a new chief executive when it announced that

New company debuts at ECR meeting, plans 1998 shipmentsDespite x-ray's unenviable status as the least glamorous imagingmodality, the technology still produces some 70% of the data usedin radiology. Because those data must be digitized for

GE Medical Systems of Milwaukee is preparing for the commercialintroduction of two new ultrasound scanners, the first membersof a new Logiq alpha family of analog black-and-white systemsfor the entry-level and mid-range segments.Designed and produced by

Parent group to cut 1200 jobs in restructuringU.S. imaging vendor Siemens Medical Systems will see the departurethis month of the second high-ranking executive to leave the companythis year when president Robert Dumke retires effective March31.

USDL keeps active despite recent legal problemsDespite a bump or two on the consolidation highway, U.S. imagingcenter acquisitions continue apace. Previously announced purchasesinvolving the two largest center firms were finalized in the lasttwo

Mobile imaging provider Alliance Imaging, of Orange, CA, turnedin strong revenue and net income numbers for 1996 (end-December).The company said that its debt restructuring is nearly complete,which will enable Alliance to accelerate its growth plan.For

Companies say they will scale back participationMedical imaging vendors are expressing concern over the EuropeanCongress of Radiology's decision this month to begin holding itsmeeting annually starting in 1999. While imaging executives saythey

Dutch conglomerate Philips Electronics last month reported that1996 sales in its Philips Medical Systems unit progressed welland that the company was satisfied with the division's operatingincome. Philips declined to break out specific sales and

While many medical imaging vendors talk about partnering withcustomers, one ultrasound vendor believes that a financial risk-sharingarrangement can also prove profitable. Siemens Ultrasound of Issaquah, WA, announced in January thatit has reached an

Panel restores $35 million in damages to jury verdictGE Medical Systems was dealt a stunning legal and financial blow last week in its MRI patent infringement case against Fonar. A U.S. Court of Appeals panel not only sided against GE, but also

New system replaces hardware with softwareThe premium end of the ultrasound market has grabbed most of thespotlight over the last year, with major new product introductionscoming at the rate of one every several months. Ultrasound vendorAdvanced