Toshiba Enhances Aplio XG with Women’s Imaging Configuration Designed to Improve Breast and High-Risk OB/GYN Imaging

Elastography, MicroPure, Dynamic Micro Slice and 4D Improvements Enable Fast and Accurate Diagnosis During Women’s Exams, Breast Imaging and OB/GYN Procedures

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Many healthcare providers use ultrasound as a first-line diagnostic tool in detecting and monitoring women’s health conditions. To help meet the needs of healthcare providers administering women’s imaging, Toshiba has introduced a women’s imaging configuration for the Aplio™ XG at this year’s Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting in Chicago, Nov. 28 – Dec. 3, 2010 (Booth #3435, South Hall). Aplio XG’s women’s imaging configuration is designed to support a range of women’s imaging needs, from everyday breast imaging to high-risk OB/GYN/perinatology, ultrasound-guided biopsies and fetal exams.

“Toshiba developed the Aplio XG women’s imaging configuration to make exams faster, safer and more accurate”

“Toshiba developed the Aplio XG women’s imaging configuration to make exams faster, safer and more accurate,” said Tomohiro Hasegawa, director, Ultrasound Business Unit, Toshiba. “This dedicated women’s imaging system can address a range of clinical conditions, making it a multi-functional tool for today’s demanding ultrasound environment.”

The Aplio XG women’s imaging configuration includes Elastography, MicroPure^TM, Dynamic Micro Slice matrix transducer and 4D improvements:

• Elastography: Provides a visual representation of a breast lesion’s elasticity following manual compression. Since malignant breast tissue has less elasticity than benign tissue, the presence of elastography reveals more clinical detail and enables the ability to classify suspicious lesions noninvasively.
• MicroPure: A Toshiba exclusive technology, MicroPure potentially aids in the identification of microcalcifications – potential markers for malignancy in breast exams. While a microcalification biopsy is a time-intensive procedure that can take up to two hours, MicroPure better visualizes calcifications – streamlining the process to be performed in 15 to 20 minutes, saving the patient time and potentially allowing hospitals to diagnose and treat more patients in less time.
• Dynamic Micro Slice: Provides excellent contrast resolution and image uniformity throughout the entire field-of-view. Dynamic Micro Slice’s ultra-wide band 18 MHz high-frequency linear and Dynamic Micro Slice transducers allow focusing not only in the lateral and axial planes, but also in the depth or elevation plane. Micro Slice technology provides variable slice thickness, so even small lesions can be captured more accurately in both shallow regions and in the far field.
• 4D Improvements: Enables clinicians to see all dimensions of the anatomy being imaged more clearly and accurately. During biopsies, 4D imaging allows clinicians to view all planes for more precise guiding of the biopsy needle and exact visualization of the biopsy path.

About Toshiba

With headquarters in Tustin, Calif., Toshiba America Medical Systems markets, sells, distributes and services diagnostic imaging systems, and coordinates clinical diagnostic imaging research for all modalities in the United States. Toshiba Medical Systems Corp., an independent group company of Toshiba Corp., is a global leading provider of diagnostic medical imaging systems and comprehensive medical solutions, such as CT, Cath & EP Labs, X-ray, Ultrasound, MRI and information systems. Toshiba Corp. is a worldwide leader in technology, electronic and electrical products, digital consumer products, electronic devices and components, power systems, industrial and social infrastructure systems and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875 and today operates a global network of more than 742 companies with more than 204,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing $68 billion. For more information, visit Toshiba’s website at www.medical.toshiba.com.

Aplio and MicroPure are trademarks of Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation.