GE completes long-awaited purchase of Lockheed Martin's PACS businessMultimodality OEMs jockey for position as market gains steamGE Medical Systems has bought the assets of Lockheed Martin Medical Imaging Systems, putting to rest rumors

GE to acquire interest in smart-card companyGE Capital of Stamford, CT, has signed an agreement to acquire a significant equity interest in Gemplus Group, a French smart-card vendor. In addition to the equity investment, the companies will work

ISG prepares for PACS market boom by securing portfolio of OEM alliancesCompany is on road to recovery after a rocky 1996Medical imaging software developer ISG Technologies has probably seen more than its fair share of turmoil. The

Sterling finds Canadian showcase for digital expertiseContract with Atlantic Health covers Direct RadiographyIn one of its first full-scale PACS implementations, Sterling Diagnostic Imaging has landed a multimillion-dollar contract to

Fuji to enter PACS market thanks to Olicon agreementOlicon will also license Fuji's CR algorithmsIn a move aimed at mining providers' increasing interest in purchasing complete PACS solutions, computed radiography developer Fuji Medical

TMG and Chi Systems build Imaging Integration ProgramThe PACS and image management consulting program offered as a joint venture between Technology Marketing Group of Des Plaines, IL, and Chi Systems of Ann Arbor, MI, has added three new

Unit to be merged into GE's Integrated Imaging Solutions businessGE Medical Systems this month served notice that it is ready to take the PACS market seriously. After nearly a year of negotiations, the Milwaukee vendor completed its acquisition of

Company blames drop in Tilt-C orders from GEShares of x-ray vendor Fischer Imaging went on a downward spiral this month as the Denver-based company reported a major drop in sales for its first quarter of 1997 (end-March). The company attributed

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

PACS consulting firm Image Management Consultants of Winter Park, FL, will add Samuel Dwyer as a partner later this year, pending Dwyer's retirement from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Dwyer has led the implementation of PACS networks at

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