Hologic plans multiple product launch

Hologic will occupy two booths at this year's RSNA meeting to showcase the company's changing identity and its growing array of imaging products.

One booth will feature only new technologies from each of the company's four divisions: Hologic Radiographic Systems, which focuses on direct and general radiography; Lorad, specializing in digital and analog breast imaging and minimally invasive breast biopsy systems; Fluoroscan, which provides C-arm imaging devices for orthopedics and pain management; and Hologic Bone Densitometry Systems.

A second booth will feature a mix of new technologies and product lines from the four divisions.

Hologic and its divisions will display:

• a non-tiled, 14 x 17-inch amorphous selenium DirectRay detector;

• Inverse Topography, a software system designed to optimize the appearance of soft tissue and bone in the same hard- or soft-copy image;

• four new direct-to-digital direct radiography systems, each designed to optimize Hologic's DirectRay amorphous selenium technology;

• Delphi, Hologic's latest densitometry technology, which adds supine lateral bone mineral density capabilities, permitting bone mineral density assessment of the spine in patients whose low bone density is masked by artifacts in conventional views;

• upgrades to the M-IV and Multi-care breast biopsy tables;

• Lorad's M-650 mammography system; and

• a work-in-progress, selenium-based mammography digital detector and Lorad's work-in-progress digital breast imager.

Hologic was established in 1986 as a developer, manufacturer, and marketer of proprietary x-ray and ultrasound bone analyzer systems. It is shifting focus in the hope it will become a leading provider of comprehensive radiographic solutions. If recent moves are any indication, that goal may not be unrealistic.

Hologic acquired Fluoroscan Imaging Systems in 1996 and Direct Radiography Corp. (DRC) three years later. Earlier this year the company completed its hat trick by acquiring the U.S. assets of Trex Medical, including the Lorad, Continental, and Bennett x-ray product lines.