Varian acts in Europe, China

Varian Medical Systems announced during the RSNA meeting it had acquired the assets of MRW, a reloader and distributor of medical x-ray tubes in Germany. Reloaders put new cores into burned out x-ray tubes and reseal them with oil-filled housings. The newly acquired assets will become part of Varian's x-ray products business based in Salt Lake City. MRW will assemble replacement tubes in Düsseldorf, Germany, from components produced at Varian's manufacturing facility in Salt Lake City. The company expects to leverage the acquisition to expand its x-ray business in the European Union by stocking inventory and maintaining a team of technical and marketing specialists there.

In a separate deal, Varian Medical agreed to supply hospitals and clinics in China with replacement tubes for Toshiba CT scanners. Under the cooperative agreement announced at the RSNA meeting with Toshiba Medical and its joint venture partner Sanko Medical Systems, Varian has authorized an x-ray tube service center that will serve China. Sanko Medical Systems in Beijing will operate the new tube facility. Toshiba, Sanko, and Varian plan to expand the relationship to eventually include the full range of Varian's nonproprietary x-ray tube products.