Open Bore MRI from Siemens to Help Independent Imaging Centers Realize Significant Clinical Gains; Turville Bay MRI and Radiation Oncology Center Installs Siemens MAGNETOM Espree

Business Wire, Oct 20, 2004

MALVERN, Pa. & MADISON, Wis. -- Turville Bay MRI and Radiation Oncology Center has become the first independent imaging center to install the MAGNETOM Espree(TM) from Siemens Medical Solutions. The world's first open bore 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system with Tim(TM) (Total imaging matrix) technology, Espree offers more room than the traditional MRI and is capable of capturing high-field quality diagnostic images.

"As patients are more often given a choice as to where they can go for an imaging exam, independent imaging centers are finding they must offer the most patient-friendly systems to be competitive," said Nancy Gillen, vice president, MR Division, Siemens Medical Solutions. "Prior to the Espree, the open MRI market compromised image quality for patient comfort. Only now can they have both. With high quality imaging, superior speed and increased patient comfort, the Espree helps centers realize both clinical and financial gains."

Turville Bay MRI and Radiation Oncology Center, an independent, not-for-profit, free-standing imaging center owned by St. Mary's Hospital and Meriter Hospital, installed the MAGNETOM Espree on October 5, 2004. Turville Bay is the first diagnostic imaging center to offer patients the benefits of the Espree. The installation is expected to increase the facility's ability to provide high quality imaging, critical to disease management.

"We saw the MAGNETOM Espree and were convinced it was the answer to providing high quality imaging to our patients, regardless of physical or physiological differences," said Phyllis Nelson, executive director, Turville Bay. "Also, we hope to cut down scheduling delays, spend more time with patients and enhance our radiology professionals' clinical skills to deliver cutting-edge procedures."

The MAGNETOM Espree system is the shortest 1.5 Tesla MRI bore available, at 125 cm (approximately four feet), allowing for more than 60 percent of exams to be completed with the patient's head outside of the bore, easing issues of claustrophobia. With a bore opening of 70 cm (nearly 2.3 feet) in diameter and the average distance between a patient's head and the MRI magnet at almost one foot, the Espree is the only 1.5 Tesla MRI system to also provide enough room for larger patients. With nearly two-thirds of adults in the U.S. overweight and one-third considered obese, Espree offers equal medical care to all MRI patients, regardless of size.

The Espree system provides up to four times more signal-to-noise ratio over traditional open MRI designs, which is desirable in imaging larger patients. In addition, the Espree can perform advanced clinical applications in less time, because it combines strong gradient performance with Siemens Tim technology. Tim is the first whole body surface coil concept that enables the highest resolution images in a shorter acquisition time. Tim coils are very light, making them both easy to position and tolerate when scanning larger patients, improving cooperation.

Siemens Medical Solutions of Siemens AG (NYSE:SI) with headquarters in Malvern, Pennsylvania and Erlangen, Germany, is one of the largest suppliers to the healthcare industry in the world. The company is known for bringing together innovative medical technologies, healthcare information systems, management consulting, and support services, to help customers achieve tangible, sustainable, clinical and financial outcomes. Employing approximately 31,000 people worldwide and operating in more than 120 countries, Siemens Medical Solutions reported sales of 7.4 billion EUR, orders of 7.8 billion EUR and group profit of 1.1 billion EUR for fiscal 2003. More information can be obtained by visiting http://www.usa.siemens.com/medical-pressroom.> PHOTOGRAPHY AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

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