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VIDAR DEBUTS NEW ADVANTAGE FILM DIGITIZER PRODUCT PLATFORM AT 2003 RSNA

Advanced Technology Takes Medical Film Digitizing into the Future

Chicago, IL — VIDAR Systems Corporation, the worldwide leader in medical film digitizer technology, today launched the next generation in film digitizers — the new Advantage product platform. Introduced at the 2003 annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), the Advantage product platform sets a new standard in medical film digitizer performance.

VIDAR’s Advantage digitizers feature patent-pending technological innovations that deliver superior image quality, exceptional consistency and repeatability, and increased speed. Advantage digitizers provide increased “up-time,” resulting in improved productivity and revenues for radiology departments. They also feature a new look and a unique, modular design.

According to Brian Beardslee, vice president of VIDAR’s Medical Business, the Advantage product platform continues the company’s long tradition of technology innovation and commitment to identifying and meeting customer needs. “While exceptional image quality is paramount, our customers continue to tell us they require maintenance-free digitizers that fit seamlessly into radiology department workflow — improving staff productivity rather than hindering it,” Beardslee said. “Our new Advantage product line meets these requirements by providing the most reliable, productive, and easiest-to-use digitizers on the market today. That’s the VIDAR Advantage.”

Evolved from VIDAR’s plus line of digitizers, the Advantage product platform features the company’s proprietary high-definition CCD (HD-CCD®) technology and ADC™ (Automatic Digitizer Calibration), offering several key benefits for customers in a variety of specialty areas. The CAD PRO™ Advantage, engineered for mammography computer aided detection (CAD), provides exceptional image quality and includes a new film feeder designed for the highest reliability, productivity, and ease of use. The SmartFeeder™ reduces the typical multi-step film loading process to just one simple step, improving productivity for busy mammography centers.

For PACS and general radiology, image quality, speed, and consistency are critical. VIDAR’s DiagnosticPRO™ Advantage digitizes films two times faster than previous models and can handle mixed-size films, allowing for more productivity and greater efficiency. The DosimetryPRO™ Advantage delivers the unmatched consistency and repeatability required by radiation film dosimetry and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). This repeatability is vital for effective treatment, as well as for quality assurance and record keeping in the delivery of radiation therapy to patients.

The Advantage digitizers were designed to be “backward compatible” with VIDAR’s previous product platform, so customers can seamlessly upgrade their systems. In addition, VIDAR will continue to support customers with previous-generation digitizers for a number of years. Advantage digitizers will be evaluated in a clinical trial to be conducted at Johns Hopkins University — continuing VIDAR’s long-standing commitment to clinical study to validate the performance of its digitizers.

VIDAR Systems Corporation, headquartered in Herndon, Va., is the worldwide market leader in medical film digitizers, with more than 10,000 units installed. VIDAR’s digitizers are the choice of the leading systems solution providers, including Agfa HealthCare, FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA, Inc., GE Medical Systems, Kodak Health Imaging, Philips Medical Systems, R2 Technology, RIT, Scanditronix-Wellhofer, Siemens Medical Solutions, and Varian Medical Systems.

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Note to editors: VIDAR’s Advantage digitizers will be exhibited at the company’s booth, #8313, at the
RSNA’s 89th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting at McCormick Place in Chicago. Exhibits are open Nov. 30–Dec. 3 from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (CST) and Dec. 4 from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. (CST). To schedule an interview with Brian Beardslee, please call Barbara Sullivan at 714/374–6174 or 714/330–7234 (cell). Product photos also are available upon request.

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