Any vendor--particularly a small one--hoping to break into theMRI market during these depressed times needs to find a more cost-effectiveMR mousetrap and a secure niche in which to sell it. Bone densitometrysupplier Lunar will use a North American MRI

Siemens will carry out a radical restructuring of its U.S. operationsnext month. Structural changes will coincide with the hiring ofa new president for Siemens Medical Systems in Iselin, NJ, accordingto Werner Maly, group president of the worldwide

Mobile imaging services provider Alliance Imaging last week announceda restructuring plan to modernize its fleet of MRI scanners. TheOrange, CA, company plans to put 21 magnets out to pasture andreplace many with new 1-tesla scanners, according to

Philips Medical Systems took a pioneering step last week withthe introduction of a direct-sensor computed radiography system.The selenium-based ThoraVision digital chest system is the firstnon-phosphor CR system offered by a major multimodality

If you build a better image management system, will the worldbeat a path to your door? That question is facing two radiologistswho have set out on their own to market a low-cost picture archivingand communications system. Dominator Radiology Systems

Health-care angst and stalled purchasing don't make the best conditionsfor starting a medical imaging business. Depending on your focus,however, times could be worse. As hospitals keep their imagingsystems running longer, they need help in the areas of

A chair that promises to transform old planar systems into cardiacSPECT systems was cleared last month by the Food and Drug Administrationfor commercial sale in the U.S. The device, which is being soldin the U.S. by MEDX, Inc. of Wood Dale, IL, is

A tug-of-war is brewing between ultrasound vendors Acuson andATL over computer file formats used to store data in ultrasoundimage management systems. At issue is a new ultrasound file formatstandard that could present a challenge to ACR-NEMA's

Diasonics Ultrasound will have about a year to start earning cashbefore it is otherwise required to seek additional financing insupport of its efforts to regain a leadership position in theultrasound market. Diasonics shareholders will meet on Sept. 17to

GE Medical Systems has won a five-year preferred-vendor contractto supply MRI and x-ray equipment to HMO giant Kaiser FoundationHospitals. GE bested competitor Philips Medical Systems in winningthe contract. Philips had been Kaiser's preferred vendor for

Radiologist resistance to three-dimensional image processing plaguesthe medical 3-D industry segment. That's not new. However, weakclinical demand for 3-D products combined with a general downturnin hospital purchasing of high-end imaging equipment has

Fischer Imaging is restructuring operations to cut costs and realignits product lines and servicing, according to president and COORoberto A. Cascella. The restructuring has taken its toll on theDenver-based vendor's bottom line. A $1.3 million

In the international market for medical imaging equipment, Chinais a sleeping giant. The country possesses an enormous populationand a pronounced need for sophisticated medical devices, but importrestrictions and a shortage of hard currency have

ADAC Laboratories reported last month that sales of its new GenesysVertex variable-angle dual-detector camera are boosting the company'sfinancial results. Vertex spearheaded strong growth in ADAC'sthird-quarter revenues, leading the company to claim that

Is there life for MRI after health-care reform? A recent studyof MRI diffusion in Japan suggests that the answer is yes--butat a price. MRI has frequently played the role of villain in the ongoingdrama of rising health-care costs in the U.S. The

GE Medical Systems further segmented its MRI product line thisspring with overseas introduction of the 1-tesla Signa Advantage1T system. The unit offers most 1.5-tesla Signa features but ata reduced price. GE's product strategy acknowledges growing

U.S. ultrasound system sales remain becalmed in the doldrums causedby recession and health-care reform. This slow growth contrastsstarkly with the boom years of the ultrasound market in the late'80s. Despite the current scanner sales slump, however,

Shimadzu will start hiring MRI sales representatives this monthas the Japanese medical imaging vendor drives to expand its positionin the U.S. market. Shimadzu Medical Systems of Gardena, CA, tookresponsibility for MRI away from CT and x-ray products

Impending national health-care reform has led to a dramatic slowdownin the U.S. modular imaging facility market. With no recoveryexpected for 18 to 24 months, transportable facility vendor Enertechis looking abroad to make up for lost domestic business,

Two and a half years after purchasing Teknar, Santa Barbara, CA-basedMentor is bringing that firm's ultrasound product line fully intothe fold. Mentor is reorganizing operations, placing the Teknarscanners in the hands of its existing urology sales and