Hitachi Commercializes OASIS, the Highest Field Strength Open MRI

Business Wire, Nov 23, 2007

CHICAGO -- Hitachi Medical Systems America commercialized OASIS, its new patient-centered open architecture MRI scanner, at the Scientific Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. This system, with its superconducting 1.2T vertical field magnet, was cleared for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in September of this year.

"OASIS has the highest field-strength whole body vertical field magnet available," points out Shawn Etheridge, Director, MR Marketing, at Hitachi Medical Systems. "Couple that strength with the sensitive Zenith[TM] receiver coils and 1.5T imaging electronics, and you net high-field clinical performance."

According to Etheridge, the OASIS Zenith RF coils are the culmination of 20 years of vertical field MRI experience, incorporating highly sensitive volume solenoid coil detection and driving up to eight RF channels for large FOV uniformity. The OASIS standard special features include Higher-Order Active Shim Technology (HOAST(TM)), ensuring high magnetic field uniformity during scanning to achieve excellent fat saturation over large FOVs. OASIS also includes RAPID(TM) parallel imaging, TRAQ(TM) time-resolved MRA, Hitachi's all coil/all plane RADAR(TM) patient motion compensating technology and a 33mT/m - 100T/m/sec gradient system.

Hitachi has long been known for a patient-centered equipment philosophy, and according to the company, OASIS continues this tradition. OASIS is equipped with such patient-centered features as a 270o viewing angle and a 82cm wide patient table.

According to Hitachi, OASIS will change the market perception of open MRI, delivering high-field diagnostic confidence, plus patient comfort and a differentiation opportunity for MRI providers.

OASIS: The Patient Magnet

Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE:HIT) (TOKYO:6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 384,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2006 (ended March 31, 2007) consolidated revenues totaled 10,247 billion yen ($86.8 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products, and services in market sectors including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and financial services. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

For more information, contact:
Shawn Etheridge
Director, MR Marketing
Hitachi Medical Systems America
1959 Summit Commerce Park
Twinsburg, OH 44087
800.800.3106

www.hitachimed.com