Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation develops systems contributing to the advancement of healthcare and medical technology based on the philosophies of continuous technological innovation and patient-centered system development. The company has been engaged in cooperative research and development activities with a variety of medical and research institutions around the world.
Globalization has resulted in the global expansion of our activities, and our CT, ultrasound, MRI, and X-ray diagnostic imaging systems have been developed based on the voices of our customers worldwide. These systems have been rated highly wherever they have been released, including the USA, which has one of the most medically advanced and demanding markets in the world. The systems feature superb image quality and excellent operability, leading to their selection as tools for efficient and accurate diagnosis by customers throughout the world.
Here, we would like to introduce a few of our diagnostic imaging technologies and applications that have been developed in collaboration with medical and research institutions located in various parts of the globe as well as some of our activities in international seminars and scientific meetings.
- International Collaborative Customer Chain (Global R&D)
- CorE 64 (Coronary Artery Evaluation Using 64-Slice Multidetector CT)
- "Multi-Access Arm" Born From Demands Of Advanced Users
- Intravascular Treatment Support Using Latest 3D Technologies
- ISMRM 2008: Non-Contrast MRA Technology Study Receives Poster Award
International Collaborative Customer Chain (Global R&D)
Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, the sole total solutions provider in Japan, is determined to continue advancing and contributing to healthcare and welfare services in Japan and around the world.
CorE 64 (Coronary Artery Evaluation Using 64-Slice Multidetector CT)
Final Outcome of CorE 64 Study Published in New England Journal of Medicine
The CorE 64 multicenter study on cardiac CT examination was launched in November 2004 under our sponsorship. This clinical study, carried out by nine leading medical centers in seven countries, assessed coronary artery CT angiography (CTA) performed using the Aquilion™64 CT scanner and compared it with conventional catheter-based coronary angiography. The outcome of this study was presented by Dr. Miller of Johns Hopkins University at the "Late-Breaking Clinical Trials" session during the American Heart Association (AHA) scientific meeting held in Orlando, Florida, USA from November 4 to 7, 2007. It was then published in the New England Journal of Medicine on November 27, 2008
- New England Journal of Medicine
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/359/22/2324/
NEJM Volume 359:2324-2336 November 27, 2008 Number 22
Diagnostic Performance of Coronary Angiography by 64-Row CT
Julie M. Miller, M.D., Carlos E. Rochitte, M.D., Marc Dewey, M.D., Armin Arbab-Zadeh, M.D., Hiroyuki Niinuma, M.D., Ph.D., Ilan Gottlieb, M.D., Narinder Paul, M.D., Melvin E. Clouse, M.D., Edward P. Shapiro, M.D., John Hoe, M.D., Albert C. Lardo, Ph.D., David E. Bush, M.D., Albert de Roos, M.D., Christopher Cox, Ph.D., Jeffery Brinker, M.D., and João A.C. Lima, M.D.
From Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (J.M.M., A.A.-Z., I.G., E.P.S., A.C.L., D.E.B., J.B., J.A.C.L.) and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (C.C.) - both in Baltimore; University of São Paulo, InCor São Paulo Heart Institute, São Paulo (C.E.R.); Charité Medical School, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Freie Universität zu Berlin, Berlin (M.D.); Iwate Medical University, Morioka, Japan (H.N.); Toronto General Hospital, Toronto (N.P.); Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston (M.E.C.); Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore, Singapore (J.H.); and Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands (A.R.).
In the CorE 64 trial, conventional catheter-based coronary angiography, the current gold standard, was compared with the relatively noninvasive coronary CTA by evaluating their diagnostic accuracies for coronary stenosis. Coronary CTA showed a diagnostic accuracy of as high as 93% relative to catheter-based coronary angiography, establishing high-level evidence based on populations including various ethnic groups. Johns Hopkins University served as the lead institution for the study. A press release on the university website describes the significance of the study and includes comments by Dr. Lima and Dr. Miller.
- Johns Hopkins University Press Release
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/Press_releases/2008/11_26b_08.html
11/26/08
STUDY SUPPORTS VALUE OF ADVANCED CT SCANS TO CHECK FOR CLOGGED ARTERIES
-- Catheterization still gold standard, but 64-row scanners now shown equally useful in diagnosis
In a development that researchers say is likely to quell concerns about the value of costly computed tomography (CT) scans to diagnose coronary artery blockages, an international team led by researchers at Johns Hopkins reports solid evidence that the newer, more powerful 64-CT scans can easily and correctly identify people with major blood vessel disease and is nearly as accurate as invasive coronary angiography.
"Multi-Access Arm" Born From Demands Of Advanced Users
The use of catheter intervention has been growing steadily because it is considered to be a less invasive treatment. As a result, the performance and functional requirements for the equipment used in catheter intervention have diversified, leading to the need for specialized equipment for different types of intervention, such as cardiac intervention, general vascular intervention, and pediatric hybrid procedures (in which internists and surgeons work collaboratively).
Our collaborative work with Dr. Cheatham of Columbus Children's Hospital (Columbus, Ohio, USA), one of the pioneers of hybrid treatment, was a result of this need for specialized equipment and led to the development of a new platform known as the "Multi-Access Arm" (Infinix Celeve-i INFX-8000V).
This ground-breaking system incorporates a multiaxis rotation mechanism that permits C-arm positioning that was impossible in conventional floor-mounted systems, facilitating treatment of regions that were previously difficult to access and providing space for clinical staff and diagnostic devices around the patient. The system supports "team practice" by an interdisciplinary medical team, which is expected to be indispensable in catheter intervention in the future.
Intravascular Treatment Support Using Latest 3D Technologies
Toshiba developed its world-leading 3D Fusion technology in collaboration with Dr. Murphy, a radiologist specializing in cerebral neuroradiology in the Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University Hospital (Baltimore, Maryland, USA), which is rated to be the best hospital in the USA.
In 3D Fusion, rotation image data obtained by an X-ray system is used to reconstruct blood vessels, bones, and treatment devices into individual volume data sets in order to generate 3D images. The individual 3D data sets are superimposed to create a single image. Thus, the status of a lesion and its positional relationship with surrounding bones and devices can be observed in 3D.
3D Fusion technology enables the reconstruction and display of 3D Fusion images within a short time during an examination, facilitating efficient assessment in cerebral vascular intervention procedures such as embolization of aneurysms as well as in other procedures such as vertebroplasty, in which bone cement is injected into damaged vertebrae under image guidance.
ISMRM 2008: Non-Contrast MRA Technology Study Receives Poster Award
Mr. Junji Takahashi, Radiologic Technologist, Department of Radiology, Toranomon Hospital, received an award for his poster on non-contrast MRA technology at ISMRM 2008.
Images presented in the poster.
A joint study on non-contrast MRA by Toranomon Hospital and Toshiba received a "Poster Award" at the 16th Scientific Meeting of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM 2008) held in Toronto, Canada from May 3 to 9, 2008.
ISMRM, which is the world's largest international academic conference on MRI, this year attracted about 4000 participants involved in research or business related to MRI from around the world.
The main program of ISMRM included 905 oral presentations in the scientific sessions, 1918 posters, and 1030 e-posters. Candidates for the Poster Awards were selected from these two types of posters in various fields of study. There was a large Japanese presence, with 118 posters from Japan accepted this year. However, only two of these received Poster Awards, of which one was our joint study on non-contrast MRA with Toranomon Hospital (Junji Takahashi et al.).
An ISMRM report by Mr. Takahashi was published in the September issue of RadFan.
- Participating in ISMRM 2008 [in Japanese](PDF: 468 KB)
- 2008 POSTER AWARDS
http://www.ismrm.org/08/PosterAwards.htm
MRA 3rd Award
2903 Non-Contrast Enhanced MRA
Optimization of Non-Contrast Renal MRA Using a TI-Prep Scan for Time-Spatial Labeling Pulse (Time-SLIP) in 3D Balanced SSFP
Junji Takahashi(*1), Yoshinori Tsuji(*1), Yusuke Hamada(*1), Takashi Yoshida(*1), Sachiko Isono(*2), Ayako Ninomiya(*2), Yoshimori Kassai(*3), Mitsue Miyazaki(*3,*4)
- *1. Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan;
- *2. Toshiba Medical Systems, Tokyo, Japan;
- *3. Toshiba Medical Systems Corp., Otawara, Japan;
- *4. Toshiba Medical Research Institute USA, Vernon Hills, USA
As a result of the reported adverse events with gadolinium contrast medium, non-contrast MRA was a hot topic at ISMRM 2008, with as many as 38 posters presented on this topic. Thus, the world has become aware of the importance of non-contrast MRA, a field in which Japan is a world-leader.