Canon Unveils Prototype Of Future Technology In Flat Panel Imaging At RSNA 2008 In Chicago

Canon Celebrates a Decade of Digital Radiography Service at the Radiological Society of North America Annual Meeting

CHICAGO – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, will be celebrating 10 years of digital radiography service by showcasing the versatility and usability of its current line of advanced portable and general digital radiography (DR) systems and solutions at the 2008 Radiological Society of North America Annual Meeting (RSNA 2008), taking place at McCormick Place in the North Building – Hall B, Booth #8313 (November 30 – December 4). The Company will also put the spotlight on planned future technology at this year’s show.

“Since introducing its first indirect X-ray projection camera in Japan 68 years ago, Canon has been a world leader in medical imaging,” said Tsuneo Imai, senior director and general manager, Medical Systems Division, Canon U.S.A. “At RSNA 2008, visitors to the Canon booth will witness how our extensive investment in imaging research has produced extraordinary achievements with the introduction of our newest technology in flat panel imaging.”

Canon will feature a number of solutions in its booth including:

# Canon CXDI-60G Portable Flat Panel Detector, succeeds the Company’s popular CXDI-31, the world’s first portable DR system, introduced in September 2001. The CXDI-60G realizes a new level of freedom and immediacy for diagnosis in the X-ray room and beyond. Thin (less than an inch thick), lightweight (5.9 pounds) and robust, the CXDI-60G offers true portability and flexibility in high-quality DR. The CXDI-60G offers an effective imaging area of 9 x 11 inches, accommodating a diverse range of applications, including X-raying of hands, elbows, feet and knees, among the most common orthopedic examinations. Added benefits include low power consumption and a detachable sensor cable for convenient maintenance and installation. The model’s detachable sensor cable, which provides power to the unit and transfers data, enables easy room-to-room installation from multiple locations such as the patient’s bedside or wheelchair, trauma or ICU (with an optional power box and PC), and fits right into most neo-natal incubator trays.
# Canon CXDI-50G Portable DR System offers a thin, lightweight design and has a large imaging area (14 x 17 inches). When combined with a compatible mobile unit, the award-winning Canon CXDI-50G can bring digital radiography directly to the patient’s bedside. Designed for diverse applications, the compact design is a practical solution for a wide range of room applications that can be difficult to perform with fixed devices. The CXDI-50G will be shown integrated with the RadPRO® 40kW High Frequency Digital Mobile X-Ray System. The integration of these two systems can improve workflow, patient throughput and patient care. Fast processing times of the innovative detector make it easy to capture high-quality diagnostic images for routine diagnosis, as well as challenging trauma and bedside exams, while adding the flexibility in patient positioning and the ability to manage or manipulate images at the bedside.
# Canon CXDI-40EC DR System features the LANMIT 8* sensor, and is equipped with a large 17 X 17 inch imaging area for capturing X-ray images large and small without the need to adjust detector orientation. At the core of the CXDI-40EC DR system is the Canon Amorphous Silicon (a-Si) Flat Panel Detector with Cesium Iodide (CsI) scintillator, which produces clear, high-resolution diagnostic images in 12-bit grayscale (4096 gradations). The CXDI-40EC DR system will be shown integrated with the RadPRO FM1 Floor Mounted Radiography System. The RadPRO FM1 has a high-speed generator and digital imaging system designed to reduce exposure time and improve productivity, making it ideal for a demanding diagnostic imaging environment. The floor-mounted tubestand has 9 foot rails and a telescoping tube arm. The manual collimator with laser light also comes with digital display of SID and tube angle, as well as an optional tomography feature (sold separately).
# imagePRESS System C1+ Digital Press is a full-featured digital press specifically designed for print environments that require high levels of accuracy, detail and consistency in image reproduction. Although the prints cannot be used for diagnostic purposes, the imagePRESS C1+ can reproduce at a true resolution of up to 1200 x 1200 dpi with 256 shades of gray, high-quality images with clean, precise lines and even, continuous tones, in a variety of popular paper sizes (up to 13 x 19 inches) and types, to share with referring physicians and patients. The imagePRESS produces superb black-and-white prints as well as true consistent color for widespread use in connections with various office documentation printing needs.
# Technology Preview – At the show, Canon will preview its planned future entry into the medical fluoroscopic device market with a new compact, lightweight portable DR system capable of both viewing dynamic images and capturing static X-ray images. The newly developed prototype not only accommodates standard static X-ray image capture of the chest area and extremities, it also enables fluoroscopy which radiographers can use to observe dynamics of organs, such as those used in digestion, for optimal timing in capturing static images. The prototype will be for display purposes only and will not be offered for sale or used for any clinical purposes.

In addition, the Canon booth will have on display other Canon-branded products, including: the PIXMA Pro9000 photo printer, the imagePROGRAF iPF500 large format printer, and the REALiS SX7 projector. The PIXMA Pro9000 printer is an eight-color ink printer that produces a wide color gamut to achieve vivid coloration and high glossiness, and prints up to 13 X 19 inches on plain paper and specialty media. The Canon imagePROGRAF iPF500 17-inch printer features the Company’s five-color dye-pigment reactive ink system, and the Canon L-COA image processor and FINE print head technology for exceptional image quality and fast output. The iPF500 can be used by medical facilities that print long images such as long leg or other stitched images. The Canon flagship REALiS SX7 projector with the brilliance and sharpness of LCOS technology, 4,000 ANSI lumens brightness and 1.7X Ultra-Wide Powered Zoom Lens with Autofocus, delivers exceptional image quality and color reproduction.

Optical and Imaging Heritage of Canon
Canon’s extensive optical imaging heritage has allowed the Company to make a significant mark in the medical imaging market, particularly when it comes to high-quality, affordable DR solutions and innovations. With its solid heritage and expertise as a foundation, Canon continues to develop and deliver medical imaging solutions that will support its status as an industry innovator for years to come.

Since 1997, Canon Medical Systems has introduced nine generations of flat panel sensors (the Canon CXDI-11/22, Canon CXDI-31, Canon CXDI-40G, Canon CXDI-50G, Canon CXDI-40C, Canon CXDI-40EG, the Canon CXDI-50C, the Canon CXDI-40EC flat panel sensors and the Canon CXDI-60G), offering a full range of DR system solutions for various applications.

Canon U.S.A. has installed more than 2,700 DR sensor panels throughout Canada, the United States and Latin America, part of more than 7,300 DR systems that have been installed worldwide by the Canon family of companies.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), a top patent holder of technology, ranked third overall in the U.S. in 2007†, with global revenues of $34.9 billion, is listed as one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies in America and is on the 2007 BusinessWeek list of “Top 100 Brands.” To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/pressroom.

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* Large Area New-MIS Sensor and TFT

† IFI Patent Intelligence Press Release, January 2008