BEDFORD, Mass., Oct. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hologic, Inc. , a leading provider of state-of-the-art diagnostic and digital imaging systems for women’s imaging and skeletal health, will again be one of the largest exhibitors at the 92nd Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). With a pavilion one third bigger than last year, the Hologic exhibit will cover over 13,000 sq. ft. of the Chicago McCormick Place North Hall exhibit space.
Hologic’s theme for the show is “Better Together,” to emphasize how the Company has integrated the people and resources of R2 Technology and Suros Surgical Systems into Hologic’s vision of making a difference in the lives of women everywhere.
“Hologic is continuing to lead the way in developing and bringing to women’s imaging and skeletal health products that help patients enjoy longer and healthier lives,” said Jack Cumming, Hologic Chairman and CEO. “We believe our ability to utilize technology to understand disease earlier, improve clinical workflow and decrease costs will have a signifuicant impact on the future of healthcare.”
Women’s Imaging
The Most Popular Digital Mammography Solutions on the Market Today
As better detection through better imaging, digital connectivity and interoperability continue to drive women’s imaging, the Hologic pavillion will feature the newly enhanced Selenia(TM), one of the most popular digital mammography platform on the market today, and SecurViewDX(TM) diagnostic workstations -- workstations that put the tools and workflow designed by and for the radiologist right at the users fingertips.
SecurView can display digital mammograms from any vendor, locate regions of interest using sophisticated CAD tools and view current and prior mammograms alongside breast images from MRI, PET and ultrasound with seamless file sharing. SecurView diagnostic workstations automatically recognize the breast imaging procedure based on procedure name or image content. Users now have a limitless number of image hanging protocols based on individual preferences that are customized to your workflow and reading preferences. Images can be manipulated and annotations added intuitively, plus synchronization across multiple mammography applications to optimize the way they really work.
Visitors to the Hologic pavilion will have the chance to see for themselves, on fifteen SecurView multimodality workstations, how Selenia and SecurView provides the foundation for Hologic’s digital mammography suite. Particular emphasis will be put on the advanced hanging protocols and ability to view breast tomosynthesis images.
Selenia plus SecurView gives you more useful diagnostic images, better tools to interpret them, and faster, more flexible access to them.
Hologic RSNA Digital Mammography Self-Assessment Workshop
A major hit at RSNA'05, the Hologic co-sponsored Digital Mammography Training and Self-Assessment Workshop is back again with more workstations and expanded teaching modules. Workshop participants have the unique opportunity for hands-on experience reading and manipulating screening digital mammography cases on high-end flat panel workstations. To register or obtain more information, logon to the http://www.RSNA.org web site.
The First and Latest in Mammography Computer Aided Detection
Following Hologic’s acquisition of R2 Technology, R2 mammography applications software tools including Citra(TM) are being fully integrated into the Hologic line of multi-modality breast imaging workstations.
For analog facilities, Hologic will demonstrate how DigitalNow(TM), a product developed for the thousands of mammography facilities that see digital in their future. DigitalNow allows users to build a library of digitized prior mammograms and helps facilitate a seamless transition to softcopy review when the facility transitions to digital. DigitalNow improves the digital reading environment and workflow by eliminating the need for light boxes next to high-resolution monitors. This state of the art product features universal compatibility with all DICOM workstations and flexible electronic patient data system integration.
R2 technology was the first CAD system, approved by the FDA for use with film-based mammography in 1998 and for digital mammography in 2001. To date, more than 2,600 R2 mammography CAD systems have been sold worldwide. Hologic estimates that more than ten million women will have their mammograms interpreted with the aid of R2’s CAD technology within the next 12 months.
Advanced Biopsy Solutions for the Breast Biopsy Suite
Designed with user input and practical considerations in mind, Hologic will showcase upright and prone stereotactic breast biopsy solutions including the MultiCare Platinum(TM), the most popular prone biopsy table on the market today.
With the acquisition of Suros, ATEC(R) Automated Tissue Excision and Collection systems have been optimized for use with the MultiCare Platinum prone and StereoLoc II(TM) upright biopsy systems. ATEC breast biopsy and excision systems offer multiple clinical benefits including diverse needle options to accommodate a wide variety of patient presentations, continuous pain management, and a fully closed system with tissue acquisition every 4.5 seconds, and ATEC is carefully engineered to reduce patent recovery time, emotional stress, and expense.
Suros launched the first-ever MRI compatible vacuum assisted biopsy device in 2003. To date, nearly 200,000 ATEC breast biopsies have been successfully completed -- 15,000 using MRI guidance. As breast MRI continues to gain prominence as a mainstream imaging technique for women with dense breast tissue and at high-risk for breast cancer, Suros saw a need for a dedicated breast MRI system and developed the ATEC Emerald.
The ATEC Emerald(TM) is designed specifically for clinicians requiring a more mobile solution to perform MRI-guided breast biopsy and for facilities with dedicated breast MRI programs. The ATEC Emerald is MRI-specific and allows the ability to perform a 30-minute MRI-guided breast biopsy on biopsy patients with multiple lesions in a single gadolinium injection session. The system can be used with the grid and pillar-and-post targeting methods, and is compatible with magnet and coil manufacturers used for breast biopsy.
The ATEC Sapphire(TM) is the first-ever all in one breast biopsy system that provides radiologists and surgeons the ability to biopsy in any of the three primary diagnostic imaging modalities of stereotactic x-ray, ultrasound and MRI using a single biopsy unit.
Skeletal Health
For many years Hologic has set the gold standard in osteoporosis assessment. In 2006 Hologic expanded its solutions to address the continuum of skeletal health care, from prevention to intervention. Our goal -- to be the strong foundation that clinicians rely on in their fight for better skeletal health for everyone.
New Features Offered on Discovery Bone Densitometer Systems
Discovery(TM) bone densitometers quickly and precisely measures the two primary diagnostic indicators of osteoporosis -- bone mineral density and vertebral fractures. At RSNA'06, Hologic will demonstrate how the low dose Discovery is even better with new functionality including Hip Structure Analysis(TM) and the use of abdominal aortic calcifications (AACs), as seen in Discovery IVA scans. AAC is seen as an independent and strong predictor of coronary heart disease, stroke, and other forms of cardiovascular disease. This new feature represents a significant advance in densitometry as compared to conventional bone density scanners, which only look at average bone density.
Hip Structure Analysis or HSA(TM) for short, is designed to assist physicians in determining if a patient’s bones have been weakened so as to require treatment and, if the patient is being treated, whether the patient’s bones are getting stronger. HSA, the leading hip structure analysis method for DXA scans in research and pharmaceutical studies, uses specialized software to examine the structural geometry of two-dimensional DXA scan images.
New Extremity MRI Product Tailored for the Orthopedic MarketHighlighting Hologic’s expanding effort in serving the orthopedic and rheumatology imaging market, Hologic will feature a new product -- Opera(TM) extremity MRI for orthopedic specialists. Opera E-MRI opens a wider array of diagnostic possibilities with complete imaging of all extremities, including hip and shoulder applications. Real time positioning speeds set up and significantly reduces exam time. The comfortable, open design of Opera reduces anxiety and enhances patient comfort.
Bringing the Finest Detail to Extremity Imaging
Extremity surgery demands visualization of the finest detail with the lowest x-ray dose. Hologic RSNA'06 will demonstrate the Fluoroscan InSight(TM) mini C-arm -- a system specifically designed to deliver high resolution, low dose images with a surgeon-friendly user interface and unlimited flexibility.
Hologic Works in Progress* featured at RSNA'06
Breast Tomosynthesis with a Selenium Based Detector Investigational DeviceBuilding on the findings of more than three years of diagnostic and screening clinical trials at six clinical sites, visitors will have the chance to self evaluate their skills in reading two dimension and three dimension images of the same patient and see if they can find a difference in cancer detection rates. A specially designed booth will allow visitors to see a demonstration of how two-dimensional and three-dimensional imaging, breast tomosynthesis, can be accomplished on a system much like the Hologic Selenia digital mammography system.
SecurView and Citra Software
Citra is expected to bring physicians a universal and ‘CAD-intelligent’ system for reviewing digital mammography images and, if needed, comparing them with digitized prior film images on the popular SecurView workstation. Citra optimizes R2 CAD mark and R2 CAD information display to assist the radiologist in review and decision-making, while streamlining workflow. Citra and SecurView will allow the physician to compare current images with images from prior years by equalizing the size of all displayed images even when the images come from different size detectors or film.
3-D Imaging on Discovery Bone Densitometers
Clinicians have long realized the importance of 3-D femur analysis to the measurement of bone strength. But clinical and research applications with CT so far have been limited by the high radiation dose necessary and the difficulty in accurate and reproducible segmentation of bone from soft tissue. At RSNA'06 we’ll update you on our collaboration with The Johns Hopkins University Center for Computer-Integrated Surgical Systems and Technology on 3-D modeling of the hip using the Hologic Discovery bone densitometer.
* Caution. Investigational device. Limited by Federal law to investigational use.
About Hologic, Inc.
Hologic, Inc. is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of premium diagnostic and medical imaging systems dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of women, and a leading developer of innovative imaging technology for digital radiography and breast imaging. Hologic’s core business units are focused on mammography and breast biopsy, osteoporosis assessment, and mini C- arm and extremity MRI imaging for orthopedic applications. For more information visit http://www.hologic.com.
Forward Looking Disclaimer
This News Release contains forward-looking information that involves risks and uncertainties, including statements about Hologic’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions. Such statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the expected performance and benefits of its products and products under development. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Factors that could cause actual results to materially differ include, without limitation: risks inherent in the development of new products and the enhancement of existing products, including technical and regulatory risks, such as the ability to obtain FDA approval or clearances to market products developed, cost overruns and delays; the risk that newly introduced products may contain undetected errors or defects or otherwise not perform as anticipated; Hologic’s ability to predict accurately the demand for its products and to develop strategies to address its markets successfully; technical innovations that could render products marketed or under development by Hologic obsolete; competition; and reimbursement policies for the use of Hologic’s products. Other factors that could adversely affect Hologic’s business and prospects are described in Hologic’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Hologic expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in Hologic’s expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
Contact: Glenn P. Muir Frances Crecco Executive Vice President & CFO Director, Investor Relations Hologic, Inc. Hologic, Inc. (781) 999-7300 (781) 999-7377
Hologic, Inc.
CONTACT: Glenn P. Muir, Executive Vice President & CFO, +1-781-999-7300,or Frances Crecco, Director, Investor Relations, +1-781-999-7377, both ofHologic, Inc.
Web site: http://www.hologic.com//
