Trade representative sets 60-day process in motionThe Clinton administration moved into high gear in its negotiationswith Japan over medical technology market access last month. Bycharging that Japan discriminates against U.S. medical and

Advanced NMR Systems this month finalized an agreement with GEMedical Systems governing the MRI technology development relationshipbetween the firms. Advanced NMR has expanded its strategic alliancewith GE, moving from supplying InstaScan components for

Toshiba America Medical Systemsreceived Food and Drug Administration clearance this month forXvision, its mid-tier helical CT scanner. Toshiba, of Tustin,CA, has been revamping its helical CT line since rolling out thepremium Xpress/SX scanner last year

Vendor shows that CompreCare is no pilot project If there wereany questions about GE Medical Systems' commitment to multivendorservice, they were answered at this month's American HealthcareRadiology Administrators' meeting in Las Vegas. GE's

PACS software developer MedPACS Displaysis bringing ACR-NEMA's DICOM 3.0 standard to the masses. The Hartland,WI, company has released MedPACS 100, a software package thatenables off-the-shelf PCs to receive, view and manipulate DICOM3.0 images. The

Purchase follows joint marketing relationshipVisiplex Instruments has been looking for a migration path frommultiformat cameras to digital imaging ever since the companywas formed last year in a management-led buyout of Agfa's MatrixInstruments

Firm is exclusive supplier for Kodak PACSTeleradiology supplier Image Data of San Antonio has made greatstrides in forming partnerships with major picture archiving andcommunications systems vendors, according to Don Alvarez, directorof

Ultrafast CT developer Imatron is beginningto experience increased demand for its high-priced CT technology.The South San Francisco, CA, vendor reported last month that revenuesskyrocketed 147% for the second quarter (end-June). Imatron recorded

MRI vendor slashes sales and marketing budgetOtsuka Electronicsis searching for a joint marketing partner for its MRI technologyafter parent Otsuka Pharmaceutical said it would cut off the businessunless a corporate ally is found. Otsuka

Move not directly related to cost-cutting driveOf all the major multimodality imaging systems vendors, Siemenshas diversified farthest into nonimaging medical technology areas.The giant German vendor will become somewhat less diversifiedonce

Vendor on track to double MRI shipmentsPhilips Medical Systems is reaping rewards from the retoolingof its MRI product line last year. The Dutch vendor has sold over100 of its new Gyroscan NT scanners and is on track to doubleits MRI sales

The Food and Drug Administration'sCenter for Devices and Radiological Health will discuss the classificationof PACS devices at a hearing to be held Aug. 29. The hearing willbe conducted by the Medical Devices Advisory Committee's radiologicaldevices

GE Medical Systems' bid for globalultrasound domination took a step forward last month when theFood and Drug Administration issued 510(k) marketing clearancefor its mid-range Logiq 500 scanner. GE now has the regulatorygo-ahead to sell both of the

MRI coil supplier Medrad will beginselling surface coils directly to GE MRI customers under the termsof an agreement between the two companies announced this month.The deal expands the existing MRI coil development relationshipbetween GE and Medrad.

Other MRI vendors could be next on Fonar's list A trial date has been set for Fonar's patent infringement lawsuitagainst GE, Hitachi and two imaging centers. Depending on theoutcome of the case, other MRI vendors could be targeted withsimilar

PACS developer DominatorRadiology Systems has changed its name to DR Systems. The firm,formed in 1992, has been filling out its executive suite, andlast month announced the hiring of Richard Porritt as vice presidentof sales. Porritt comes to DR

New premium scanner to be unveiled this fallPhilips Ultrasound has quietly closed the doors on its manufacturingoperations in Santa Ana, CA. Philips has also stopped productionof its flagship P700 SE ultrasound system as a part of

GE Medical Systems willget a helping hand in its interventional MRI program from Bio-ImagingTechnologies. GE has enlisted the West Trenton, NJ, firm to providedata management and technical consulting services for its image-guidedtherapy program. GE

HHNI targets payors anxious about gatekeeper role A new radiologymanaged service organization (MSO) was created earlier this yearto network individual imaging centers in a capitated service programfor managed-care insurance payors. The concept

Advanced NMR and GE MedicalSystems are discussing an extension of their agreement to marketfast MRI systems. The two companies may push back the deadlinefor GE to sell 100 of Advanced NMR's InstaScan echo-planar imagingsystems to Dec. 31, 1995. Under