Shimadzu forms pact with Acuson

The Japanese subsidiary of Acuson has chosen Shimadzu Corp. inKyoto as its exclusive sales agent in Japan for the moderatelypriced 128 XP/4 Advanced ultrasound scanner. The accord was formedin October and announced in the Japanese press in November.

Shimadzu officials will use the 128 XP/4 Advanced to fill aneed for a mid-tier color-flow system in its domestic productline, according to Yuji Shimizu, project leader of medical systemsmarketing at Shimadzu.

"We see this as an opportunity to expand our market share,"he said.

The alliance will enable Acuson to take advantage of Shimadzu'straditionally strong relationships with physicians in Japan'scommunity and public hospitals, said Judy Barton, Acuson's marketingmanager for Asia/Pacific and Latin American regions.

The manufacturer's Japanese subsidiary Acuson Nippon will continueto provide installation, training and service support for theXP/4 installed base, Barton said. It also spearheads Acuson'ssales of the high-performance 128 XP/10 to large hospitals anduniversity-based facilities in Japan, she said. No financial termswere disclosed.