UTMB Galveston Opens Expanded GI Suite Equipped with Endoscopy and Imaging Equipment from PENTAX Medical Company

Business Wire, Sept 18, 2006

MONTVALE, N.J. -- PENTAX Medical Company, a division of PENTAX of America, Inc. ("PENTAX") which is a wholly owned subsidiary of PENTAX Corporation of Japan, announced today that one of its customers, the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston recently opened a newly expanded gastrointestinal (GI) medical suite. The new GI suite includes 12 examination and research rooms, equipped with PENTAX GI and ultrasound endoscopes and video processors, as well as their Motion Picture Studio(TM) (MPS) data and imaging software which enables endoscopists to capture full motion video endoscopic data in real-time for subsequent editing and review on a high-speed network. In addition to the GI suite, PENTAX provided state-of-the-art endoscopy and imaging equipment on long-term loan to UTMB's Research facility.

UTMB is an academic medical center with more than 70 major buildings, more than 2,500 students and more than 1,000 faculty. The 84-acre campus includes four schools, three institutes for advanced study, a major medical library, a network of hospitals and clinics that provide a full range of primary and specialized medical care and numerous research facilities. This expansion supports the University's mission to be a center of excellence in the fields of clinical care, education and research. P. Jay Pasricha, M.D., Chief, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Professor of Anatomy & Neurosciences, Professor of Biomedical Engineering; G.S. Raju, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Director of Endoscopy and Co-Director, CERTAIN (Center for Endoscopic Research, Training and Innovation); and Manoop S. Bhutani, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Co-Director, CERTAIN, Director, Center for Endoscopic Ultrasound, Division of Gastroenterology, were instrumental in initiating and carrying out the creation of the state-of-the-art endoscopic facility.

"PENTAX's imaging capabilities, endoscopes and ERCP 'baby scopes' help us provide state-of-the-art patient care, allowing us to literally 'go where no man has gone before' in the areas of clinical care and research," commented Dr. Pasricha. "As a result of having this new facility and equipment, we can offer our patients endoscopic diagnostic capabilities that truly are the best in the world."

"From a clinical point of view, there are two important things about PENTAX's equipment - the quality of their scopes and the ability to record the examination," said Dr. Raju. "I believe the scopes we purchased from PENTAX allow me to perform a better, more thorough examination. Then, with their MPS software, it's easy to record the procedure and literally show my patients what we did, before they are released. I can also share these videos with other surgeons and medical students, allowing us to demonstrate the finer aspects of endoscopic techniques, and regularly submit these clips to The DAVE Project* (a free online educational resource, www.thedaveproject.org)," Raju continued. "In addition, we're currently doing research in developing techniques for closure of perforations--which is made possible because of the equipment PENTAX loaned to our research lab."

"We truly believe that partnering with PENTAX has enabled us to become a regional center for innovation and excellence in the fields of clinical care, research, and education," said Dr. Bhutani. "In the clinical care area, we are able to provide the most thorough examinations possible, with pristine imaging that gives us an improved view of the GI tract. And having ready access to live and recorded images has positioned us as a research leader. Our expanded research and imaging facilities have driven our education capabilities to where we have established a training program that has been tapped by visiting Fellows from countries around the world."

"It's exciting to play a role in the advances UTMB Galveston is making in the GI field," said Scott Rogers, Sales Representative for PENTAX. "When we began working with UTMB, it was clear Dr. Pasricha and his associates had a vision for what they wanted to accomplish. They had established an incredible team of recognized leaders, and simply needed the infrastructure in place to deliver on their vision. Today, from an image management standpoint, the UTMB lab is better equipped than any other lab in the country, enabling them to provide top notch patient care and training, while leading their field in research."

UTMB purchased a full line of approximately 75 PENTAX GI and Ultrasound endoscopes, along with video processors and computer hardware & software products. This past March, PENTAX was a Flagship Supporter of UTMB Galveston's "Third International Workshop on Therapeutic Endoscopy with GI/Hepatology Update." PENTAX also recently re-equipped the GI facility at the University of Texas - M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, another member of the University of Texas Medical System.

For a copy of PENTAX Medical Company's white paper titled "UTMB Galveston: A Vision for Excellence in GI Research, Education and Clinical Care," visit www.pentaxmedical.com/news.asp or call Ann Marie Connolly-Garcia at (800) 431-5880 Ext. 2129.