Interviews: 

Hitachi Medical Systems America

Magnetic Resonance (MR)

Information and opinions presented in this article were derived from the author’s review of information from Hitachi’s RSNA media kit, corporate web site and other public information sources.

Summary

Hitachi was showcasing the MR products and capabilities of the accent software platform shared by both the 1.5T Echelon, and well as the 1.2T Oasis Boreless MRI systems at RSNA 2010. Hitachi’s Oasis™ is the leader in open-architecture MR continues to offer a unique alternative to the wide bore offerings from other vendors. Hitachi continues to expand their MR scanner market presence into the hospital market, as word gets out on the unique alternative Oasis offers prospectivne buyers. based on what we observed at the impressive new booth , I expect to see even more new products from Hitachi over the next few years.

RSNA Press Releases

Hitachi’s media kit contained two releases relevant to MR technology:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->w  <!--[endif]-->Hitachi’s Origin 2.0 Software Gives Oasis Users Additional Motion Free Imaging And Parallel Imaging Capabilities (November 16, 2009) and

<!--[if !supportLists]-->w  <!--[endif]-->Hitachi’s Origin 2.0 Software Gives Echelon 1.5T Users Additional Motion-Free Imaging And Parallel Imaging Capabilities (February 12, 2009).

Product Line

Hitachi’s current MR product line is summarized in the table below.

Notes:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->w  <!--[endif]-->Oasis™ is a boreless, vertical field MR product. Dimensions of the patient aperture – height and width – were sought in lieu of “bore diameter.”

<!--[if !supportLists]-->w  <!--[endif]-->Product data was derived from a combination of three sources:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->§  <!--[endif]-->Interview with Mr. Wtulich,

<!--[if !supportLists]-->§  <!--[endif]-->Hitachi Medical Systems’ web site (link) and

<!--[if !supportLists]-->§  <!--[endif]-->Aunt Minnie Buyer’s Guide (link).

Discussion from interviews conducted at the 2009 RSNA

What are Hitachi’s customers most concerned about?

The impact of healthcare reform – present and future – on their operations. Outpatient centers have been dramatically impacted by reimbursement rule changes favoring hospital. Hospitals may see a significant influx of patients if reform delivers on promises of broad access to health insurance. Everybody is concerned about future reimbursement rule changes. Uncertainty about health care reform makes everything more complex.

What is Hitachi’s current focus within the MR marketplace?

Hitachi’s focus is on patient comfort. The company is the leader in “boreless” MR systems. Hitachi pioneered the technology in the late 1980s. Today, the Oasis™ is the most powerful and capable open-architecture MR system available, competing head up with “traditional 1.5T  wide bore systems”, in both speed and Image quality.

What are the advantages of open-architecture MR systems?

 With a number approaching 40% of US adult population being classified as overweight, and tracking that number upwards of 60% in the near future,  building Medical Imaging equipment to accommodate this population is a growing concern. The Oasis has no weight restriction, putting it in a league of it’s own. The big advantage is patient comfort. Oasis™ patients have a 270° field-of-view, which is simply not possible with traditional, round-bore systems – regardless of bore diameter. This openness eliminates problems with patient claustrophobia.

The architecture also offers clinical advantages when performing scans that benefit from manipulating patient position. For example, image clarity is noticeably superior for many orthopedic and wrist scans.

How do you view Hitachi’s competitiveness in the MR market place?

Hitachi’s brand and leadership in open-architecture systems are significant advantages. However, the absence of PACS (picture archiving and communication system) capabilities and other clinical MR applications is clearly a disadvantage.

Hitachi enjoyed a dominate position supplying outpatient imaging clinics. However, that market has deteriorated due to changes to reimbursement rules that now favor hospitals. Going forward, Hitachi needs align its product portfolio and efforts to the needs of hospitals.

Where to you see 3T+ heading within Hitachi’s lineup and the marketplace overall?

Mr. Wtulich was unable to comment on Hitachi’s 3T plans. He believes the market for systems exceeding 3T will be “limited to research and development.”

Does Hitachi plan to offer a 70+ cm wide-bore MR system?

 “a tunnel is still a tunnel,” but Stay tuned for Hitachi’s future product plans...