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

Chalk up another legal victoryfor vendors over their third-party servicing competition. SiemensMedical Systems has become the latest vendor to win a court battlewith an independent service organization after a federal judgedismissed all of the claims

This month's Society of Nuclear Medicine meetingin Orlando was proof positive that the recent slump in gamma camerapurchasing has not had a pronounced effect on technological innovation.Despite a plunge in orders that began late last year,

Toshiba uses cardiac segment for digital launchTechnological competition in echocardiography intensified this month with the introductionof two significant works-in-progress at the American Society ofEchocardiography meeting in San Francisco.

U.S. shipments on hold pending FDA actionThe ultrasound group of Siemens Medical Systems rolled out thered carpet last month at its new headquarters in Issaquah, WA.Siemens hopes the move will open a new chapter for the division,which is still

Ex-Otsuka president joins Tetrad effort Increased use of minimally invasive surgical techniques has helpedcut procedure costs, reduce risk and improve patient comfort.One limitation of endosurgery, however, is that surgeons loosetheir tactile

Acquisition expands CHC's client base Film and PACS vendor Du Pont plans to sell its Houston-based radiologyinformation systems business to RIS/HIS vendor Community HealthComputing (CHC). While the deal makes sense for both companies,its

Vendors must work with local partners As health-care standards in developing nations rise, so does demandfor advanced medical imaging equipment. Vendors who sell cost-effectivedevices with state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities will bebest

Novel engineering of ECAT ART aims for cost-efficient operation The nuclear medicine group of Siemens Medical Systems hopes to take some ofthe pain out of purchasing a new PET camera by introducing a newsystem that will sell for under $1