ATL Ultrasound Announces Breakthrough in Medical Imaging With SonoCT(TM) Real-Time Compound Imaging

BOTHELL, Wash. (PROTEXT) - Most Important UltrasoundDevelopment in Years Expected To Significantly Aid Detection ofBreast Lesions In what is being described by leading radiologists as the mostimportant development in ultrasound in more than a decade, ATLUltrasound, a worldwide leader in diagnostic ultrasound, unveileda sophisticated new ultrasound technology which willsignificantly improve the modality's effectiveness as adiagnostic tool. The new technology, called SonoCT Real-TimeCompound Imaging, compiles up to nine times the information ofconventional ultrasound, delivering clear, crisp ultrasoundimages for significantly improved diagnostic information. Theability to visualize pathologies such as breast lesions has takena great leap forward, adding a vital ability to identify smallerlesions sooner. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990927/HSM030-a

http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990927/HSM030-b) Compound imaging, common in modalities such as CT and MR,obtains images from different viewing angles, then combines theminto a single image. Until now ultrasound systems have lacked thecomputer power necessary to acquire, process and display compoundimages in real time. Significant advances in processor speed andimaging processing now make practical implementation of thiscapability in ultrasound possible. According to Dr. Christopher Merritt, M.D., Professor ofRadiology and Director of Special Projects, Thomas JeffersonUniversity, and one of the world's most renowned radiologists,"What has impressed me the most about SonoCT Real-time CompoundImaging is the amount of information we are seeing. We nowrealize what we were not seeing with conventional ultrasound andit is quite significant. In the last five years we've begun to beable to better visualize solid breast masses with ultrasound.Compound imaging is improving that ability dramatically andgiving a major boost to ultrasound breast imaging." ATL Ultrasound began intensive development of SonoCT Real-TimeCompound Imaging to overcome image "artifacts" inherent inconventional ultrasound that compromise image quality andconsequently impact diagnosis, examination time and accuracy.Interference such as speckle and refractive shadows makevisualization of tissue difficult with conventional ultrasound.The new technology improves image quality by suppressing theseartifacts. According to Dr. Jacques Souquet, Ph.D., Senior VicePresident and Chief Technology Officer of ATL Ultrasound, "Whatis really happening here is that we are going from conventionalultrasound which offers a single line of sight to a very advancedultrasound which offers multiple lines of sight. It is like thedifference between one person looking at an object straight onversus nine people looking at the same object from nineperspectives and combining them into one from a singleperspective." The results are profound, dramatically improving imagecontrast and detail resolution, enhancing visualization of thehuman body in real time. Marsha M. Neumyer, BS, RVT, AssistantProfessor and Technical Director of the Vascular Laboratory atThe Hershey Medical Center described the results of using SonoCTin a particular study, "Looking at this carotid lesion on otherhigh end ultrasound systems in our lab, we were unable to see anyplaque borders with gray scale alone. However, using SonoCT wewere able to see homogeneous plaque suggestive of plaquehemorrhage. In this instance, SonoCT was able to provide us withdiagnostic information our other systems could not." Clinical evaluations conducted in medical centers around theworld show that initially, clinical benefits will be most fullyrealized in breast, musculoskeletal, vascular, and small partsapplications. SonoCT Real-time Compound Imaging has been shown tohave a particularly profound ability to visualize structures andpathologies in the breast that were previously difficult tovisualize and might otherwise go undetected. It has also producedstriking improvements in ability to see biopsy needles in thebreast, a constant source of difficulty. This is important inguiding the needle to the intended tissue, enhancing diagnosticconfidence, speeding the exam and providing the patient withphysical and psychological comfort. SonoCT Real Time Compound Imaging is available as an upgradeon the industry-leading HDI(R) 5000 System. Introduced in July1997, the HDI 5000 system is a powerful ultrasound system thatapplies supercomputed processing, patented blood flow imagingtechnology and adaptive system intelligence to diagnosticultrasound. With an installed base of over 1500, the HDI 5000system continues to rapidly expand in markets throughout theworld. Since 1988, ATL has led in the development anddistribution of all-digital ultrasound systems, the standardtoday in high performance diagnostic ultrasound. The advent ofSonoCT technology as an upgrade is validation of ATL Ultrasound'scommitment to supporting its customer base with cutting edgetechnology. ATL Ultrasound, a Philips Medical Systems company, hasheadquarters in Bothell, Washington. ATL is a worldwide leader indiagnostic medical ultrasound systems, and has annual revenues ofmore than $465 million. Philips Medical Systems is part of RoyalPhilips Electronics, one of the world's largest electronicscompanies. Press releases and other information are available onATL's Web site at www.atl.com. ots Original Text Service: ATLUltrasound Internet: http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact: LeighWhite of ATL Ultrasound, 425-487-7903, or lwhite@corp.atl.com; orDan Conley of Beacon Communications, 312-543-0875, ordconley@beaconpr.com, for ATL Ultrasound Photo: NewsCom:http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990927/HSM030-a

http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990927/HSM030-b http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990924/ATLLOGO

AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org

NEWSdesk: http://www.newsdesk.com

PRN Photo Desk, 888-776-6555 or 201-369-3467

Subscribers please note that material bearing the slug"PROTEXT" is not part of CTK's news service and is not to bepublished under the "CTK" slug. Protext is a commercial serviceproviding distribution of press releases from clients, who areidentified in the text of Protext reports and who bear fullresponsibility for their contents.

PROTEXT