GE Healthcare
PRESS RELEASE
GE Healthcare Redefines Comfort, Confidence and Connectivity in
Radiology at RSNA Conference
Company unveils four innovative technologies that can help radiologists transform healthcare delivery and help improve
patient care:
 Silent Scan MR, 510(k) pending – reducing MR system noise to unprecedented, near ambient levels for improved
patient comfort
 Centricity PACS and PACS-IW with Universal Viewer – putting a wealth of data and clinical insight within
radiologists’ reach to improve efficiency
 Ultrasound for Breast Cancer Screening – expanding GE’s women’s health portfolio with the first and only
ultrasound system approved for breast cancer screening in the U.S.
 MR guided focused ultrasound treatment of painful bone metastases in patients who are not candidates for or
refuse to undergo radiation treatment
CHICAGO –NOVEMBER 26, 2012 – Today at RSNA 2012, GE Healthcare (NYSE: GE) unveiled four medical technologies that
will change the way radiology works today and evolves in the future. First, taking an industry-leading step toward more
comfortable Magnetic Resonance (MR) patient exams, GE Healthcare’s 510(k) pending Silent Scan* technology reduces the
typical noise made during MR exams from a cymbal to a thimble, cutting overall system noise to near ambient levels.
Second, GE Healthcare’s Universal Viewer solution improves radiologists’ connectivity and workflow like never before –
integrating more types of imaging systems into an intuitive, robust platform that can have a significant impact on
productivity. Third, GE Healthcare’s acquisition of a unique breast ultrasound technology positions the company with the
widest portfolio of breast cancer imaging solutions in the world, and as the only company offering breast cancer diagnosis
and screening capabilities via ultrasound in the United States. . Finally, InSightec Ltd. is proud to announce US Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the ExAblate MRI guided focused ultrasound treatment of painful bone metastases
in patients who are not candidates for or refuse to undergo radiation treatment.
GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt said, “Reducing MR to a whisper, screening for breast cancer using ultrasound, and
giving physicians universal access and intuitive control over how they see patient images – these are all leaps forward in
patient care, not just incremental change. At GE we’re at work for a healthier world, and today’s announcements embody
that commitment to quality, accessible and affordable healthcare for more people.”
Silent Scan†
Silent Scan is a revolutionary 510(k) pending technology designed to address one of the most significant impediments to
patient comfort – excessive acoustic noise generated during an MR scan. Conventional MR scanners can generate noise in
excess of 110 decibels, roughly equivalent to rock concerts. GE Healthcare’s exclusive Silent Scan is designed to reduce MR
scanner noise to near ambient (background) sound levels and thus can help improve a patient’s MR exam experience.
Historically, acoustic noise mitigation techniques have focused on insulating components and muffling sound as opposed to
treating the noise at the source. With Silent Scan, acoustic noise is essentially eliminated by employing a new advanced 3D
acquisition and reconstruction technique called Silenz, in combination with GE Healthcare’s proprietary design of the highfidelity MR gradient and RF system electronics. Silent Scan is designed to eliminate the noise at its source; with Silent Scan,
patients will experience a more relaxing scanning environment.
Universal Viewer†
With this week’s introduction of Universal Viewer, GE Healthcare aims to put clinical insight within reach to help
radiologists and referring physicians deliver patient results efficiently. Universal Viewer brings together advanced
visualization, intelligent productivity tools, and multimodality workflow for oncology and breast imaging all within one
intuitive workspace that can be accessed anywhere, anytime. It works with Centricity* PACS, Centricity PACS-IW, and
Centricity Clinical Archive.
GE Healthcare
Centricity PACS and Centricity PACS-IW users will find a new dimension of clinical intelligence as they explore Universal
Viewer. It is enables seamless workflow with pre- and post-processing. Advanced clinical applications, powered by AW, are
embedded to enable oncology quantification, auto bone removal, vessel analysis, and registration. In an industry “first,”
Universal Viewer also includes integrated mammography tools for screening and diagnostics, with the ability to display
images across a breadth of modalities, support CAD markers and IHE profiles, and connect with reporting systems.
Breast Ultrasound
Women with dense breast tissue – estimated at 40-45 percent of women in the United States – are more likely to get
breast cancer than women without dense breast tissue. GE Healthcare now has the opportunity to integrate 3D automated
whole breast ultrasound screening in clinical practice as an adjunct to mammography – a powerful additional tool which
can help physicians find previously undetectable cancers.
“In women with dense breasts, we can’t see over one-third of breast cancers so we need other technologies, other
approaches so the potential of 3D ultrasound in a screening environment is to find these additional cancers that would not
have been found with what is now the standard of care,” said Dr. Rachel Brem, Director of Breast Imaging at The George
Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC.
InSightec Receives FDA Approval for Bone Pain Ultrasound Therapy
InSightec’s ExAblate system is exclusively compatible with GE Healthcare’s normal and wide bore systems, including Signa
HDxt 1.5T, Signa HDxt 3.0T, Optima MR450 & 450w, and Discovery MR750 & 750w. It combines therapeutic acoustic
ultrasound waves with continuous guidance and treatment monitoring by MRI. This unique combination of technologies is
called Magnetic Resonance guided Focused Ultrasound Therapy (MRgFUS). Physicians use the MRI to plan and guide the
therapy and monitor treatment outcome. The focused ultrasound acoustic energy destroys the nerves causing the pain
from bone metastases, resulting in rapid reduction in pain.
“The FDA approval of ExAblate is an exciting next step in GE’s investment in InSightec,” Tom Gentile, president and CEO of
GE Healthcare Systems and InSightec board member. “Pain is the most common and most severe symptom for patient’s
suffering from bone cancer; we believe that ExAblate can help significantly improve the quality of life for patients. This is
the first approved oncology application of ExAblate and we are excited that InSightec will continue researching in this area
to expand the applications of this product.”
* Trademark of General Electric Company.
†
510(k) pending at U.S. FDA and not available for sale in the U.S.
GE Healthcare at RSNA 2012
Each year in Chicago, the conference of the Radiological Association of North America (RSNA) provides a forum for
showcasing the latest innovations in medical imaging. If you are attending the conference, please visit GE Healthcare at
booth number 5433 in McCormick Place south hall. Throughout the week of the event, GE Healthcare will distribute news
and information using these digital platforms:
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Digital press kit: newsroom.gehealthcare.com/press-kits/ge-healthcare-at-rsna-2012
Twitter: @GEHealthcare and hashtag #GEWorks
YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/gehealthcare
Flickr: www.flickr.com/people/gehealthcare
Instagram: instagram.com/generalelectric
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About GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our
broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug
discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services
GE Healthcare
help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with
healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable
healthcare systems.
Our “healthymagination” vision for the future invites the world to join us on our journey as we continuously develop
innovations focused on increasing access and improving quality and affordability around the world. Headquartered in the
United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employees are
committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about
GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com. For our latest news, please visit
http://newsroom.gehealthcare.com.
Media Contact
Benjamin Fox
GE Healthcare
Benjamin.Fox@ge.com
+1 414 721 4013