GE Healthcare Showcases Discovery IGS 730, the Next Generation of Interventional Imaging, at RSNA 2012

CHICAGO – November 27, 2012 – GE Healthcare is showcasing the use of its groundbreaking Discovery IGS 730 system for hybrid Operating Rooms (OR) and imaging departments at RSNA 2012 in Chicago.

The hybrid operating room, or hybrid OR, represents a growing trend in the healthcare industry as it allows both open surgery and catheter-based imaging therapies to take place in the same operating room. The hybrid OR enables multiple physicians (surgeons, interventionalists, nurses, anesthesiologists, and technicians) to perform a new spectrum of minimally invasive therapies such as complex EVAR and TAVI with the goal of ultimately enabling better patient care.

“In designing the Discovery IGS 730, it was always our goal to provide the latest in interventional efficiency – with high precision imaging capability and exceptional in-room mobility. This solution aims to accommodate a wide range of minimally invasive and surgical procedures. Due to the technological innovation and the advanced application portfolio available such as FlightPlan for Liver, we hope it will allow our customers to explore and discover new ways within both the Interventional and the Operating Room.” says Chantal Le Chat, General Manager, Premium Angiography, GE Healthcare, Detection & Guidance Solutions.

GE Healthcare recently announced the first two Discovery IGS 730 installations at St. Luke’s University Hospital in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and at University Hospital Lille, France.

“I use a ceiling mounted system in an interventional radiology setting and it works well in that setting. The problem is really the ability to adapt to an operating environment. There are a lot of sterility and laminar flow issues in the operating room, and the ceiling mounted system is an obstruction to both. The Discovery IGS 730 system has the marked advantage of eliminating the system being fixed to the ceiling,” said Tim Oskin, MD, Section Chief for Vascular Surgery, St. Luke’s Hospital Health Network.

“We decided to invest in the Discovery IGS 730 as we wanted to have access to more advanced image quality, access to fusion and all the other software applications that this technology has to offer, and all within an OR setting. The learning curve for all clinicians has been very fast and we truly feel the use of this advanced laser guided imaging system will open great perspectives for our practice but above all for our patients,” said Professor Haulon, Head of Vascular Surgery Department, University Hospital of Lille, France.

The Discovery IGS 730 is a laser-guided, mobile gantry, a first-of-its kind in interventional imaging. The system is neither floor nor ceiling mounted and enables full patient access, creating an interventional environment without boundaries. It has the mobility of a C-arm with the power and image quality of a fixed system, allowing multiple parking possibilities, while helping maintain sterility for a flexible and secure OR environment. The unique gantry comes with a new wide bore design, which allows for steep angles, ease in 3D acquisition, especially for large patients. Available with a surgical angio table enabling both endovascular and open surgery, the Discovery IGS 730 was cleared by the U.S. FDA in early 2012.

In addition, Discovery IGS 730 is equipped with more than 20 advanced applications to help plan, guide and assess Interventional procedures. Recently cleared by the U.S. FDA and available on the Discovery IGS 730 system, FlightPlan for Liver helps interventionalists plan their liver embolization procedures by providing automatic identification of tumor vicinity vessels. The highlighted vessels can then be used as a 3D roadmap with the Innova* Vision application, and superimposed on the live fluoroscopic image to help the doctor guide the catheter into the target artery.

“The Discovery IGS 730 system is a revolution in Interventional Imaging, whether you need a hybrid OR, or are looking to replace your traditional ceiling mount system. Customers looking for state-of-the-art imaging, mobility unlike any other fixed system, and unparalleled patient access, have found their solution with the Discovery IGS 730. There is nothing like it in the marketplace today,” said Hooman Hakami, president and CEO, Detection & Guidance Solutions, GE Healthcare.

GE Healthcare Detection and Guidance Solutions (DGS) is a $2B global business, made up of 8 separate business segments, currently employing more than 1,700 employees. The DGS business distributes products and services in all geographies, and has engineering and manufacturing capabilities in the U.S., France, Hungary, India and China.

* Trademark of General Electric Company.

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:

· 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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Pilar Anton Serrano

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GE Healthcare

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