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Frost & Sullivan Awards Toshiba America Medical Systems for Innovation in Cardiovascular Imaging Products and Services

Posted on: Monday, 5 January 2009, 06:45 CST

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on its recent analysis of the cardiovascular imaging market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Toshiba America Medical Systems with the 2008 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Healthcare Innovation. The company has launched a variety of cardiovascular imaging devices, including Aplio(TM) Artida, most recently released in the cardiac ultrasound line. This product has taken echocardiography a step ahead of plain 4D imaging by automating complex measurements (wall motion tracking) made possible by 4D imaging. Equally innovative is the company's five-axis cardiovascular X-Ray system, which has proven to be highly popular despite the maturity of the market. Meanwhile, Toshiba's newest Vantage(TM) magnetic resonance (MR) system has set new standards in contrast-free MR angiography (MRA).

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Toshiba also introduced Aquilion(R) ONE, a groundbreaking computed tomography (CT) system based on a 320-detector architecture, providing high temporal resolution and offering the industry's widest anatomic area coverage per gantry rotation. It enables robust, dynamic imaging of the entire heart in a single heartbeat and at a much lower radiation dose. This capability enhances image quality by eliminating the need to reconstruct images from several cardiac cycles, and enables advanced perfusion studies.

"While the major CT vendors have undertaken different engineering approaches to image the heart, Toshiba has pioneered the whole organ detector scanner while simultaneously making key improvements in the speed, power, and dose efficiency of cardiovascular CT imaging," says Frost & Sullivan Senior Industry Analyst Nadim Daher. "With the Aquilion ONE, and its supporting SureCardio suite of tools, Toshiba has optimized the detector coverage of CT, bringing it to the higher end of its clinical utility when 256-slice CT only brought this capability to mid-range."

Toshiba aims to advance standards of care and is keenly focused on technical innovation. Therefore, the company has invested heavily in clinical R&D, and has collaborated with the leaders of the clinical community to enhance clinical applications and refine clinical protocols. Such endeavors have earned Toshiba a reputation as a leader in clinical training and education.

The company also realizes the need to justify to end-users the substantial capital investment that next-generation CT requires by presenting a sound business model that can help manage costs and generate profits in the medium term. Toshiba has offered sufficient evidence that coronary CT makes an ideal gatekeeper to the cath lab that yields more cost-effective stroke, cardiac and emergency department protocols while enhancing clinical outcomes.

The solid business case presented by its products have allowed Toshiba to penetrate the major North American markets for diagnostic and interventional cardiology, expanding its reach and revenue share significantly, year over year. Toshiba's success relies on high performance technology and clinical expertise, just as much as it relies on its dedication to providing outstanding service to its customers, and enhancing the value it delivers to them.

"Toshiba's sales force strives to ensure that every customer obtains an optimal solution, while its field engineers work to create a positive customer experience and to establish a long-term partnership between the groups at Toshiba and the facility," notes Daher. "Despite the higher investment in time and resources that it implies for the company, the corporate decision to go the extra mile for customers is clearly paying off for Toshiba, and is now an intrinsic component of its business growth strategy."

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has introduced truly innovative products, practices, or ideas to the specified industry or segment. The company's innovative contributions to healthcare make it possible to envision a new level of care in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of disease, leading to better outcomes and quality-of-life for patients. In addition, the company's innovative efforts may also lead to improvements in the tools that clinicians, diagnosticians, researchers, and healthcare administrators have at their disposal to improve quality and efficiency in provision of healthcare services.

Frost & Sullivan's Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.

About Toshiba America Medical Systems

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 leader in information and communications systems, electronic components, consumer products, and power systems. Toshiba has approximately 198,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of $77 billion. For more information, visit http://www.medical.toshiba.com.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's TEAM Research, Growth Consulting and Growth Team Membership(TM) empower clients to create a growth-focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents. For more information about Frost & Sullivan's Growth Partnership Services, visit http://www.awards.frost.com.

SOURCE Frost & Sullivan

Source: PR Newswire

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