Positron ships PET scanner to Japan

Positron has shipped its PET scanner hardware platform, the Posicam-HZL, to the National Institute of Radiological Sciences of Japan. The equipment will be marketed and distributed by Imatron-Japan.

The center will use the Posicam-HZL in oncology and cardiology research, said Dr. Katsuya Yoshida of Japan's Division of Advanced Technology for Medical Imaging. Imatron-Japan president Sachiko Kinoshita said she expects interest in PET scanners to increase in that country.

Imatron, a South San Francisco-based company that creates electron beam tomography scanners, has a 16% interest in Houston-based Positron.

Positron has reported an increase in revenue for first quarter 2000 (end March 31) of 200% over the same period last year. Revenue was $1.2 million in this period compared with revenue of $388,000 for first quarter 1999. The company ascribes the increase in revenue to the shipment of one Posicam system; it did not ship any Posicam systems in the first quarter of 1999. Positron reported a net loss of $157,000 in the first quarter of 2000, which it attributed to increased staff and related operation expenditures. This was compared to net income of $34,000 in the first quarter of 1999.