Canon Inc. announced plans to enter the medical fluoroscopic device market with the development of a new portable flat-panel DR (digital radiography) system capable of both viewing dynamic and capturing static X-ray images.

Canon launched the CXDI-11, the world's first static-image DR system, in 1998, and since that time has introduced nine generations of flat panel technology with a variety of products, including general DR sensors for use in upright stands, universal stands and imaging tables, as well as portable DR sensors. Now, with the development of its new system, Canon announces its crossover to the dynamic imaging market.

Building on the outstanding image quality and speed of the CXDI series for radiography, Canon developed a compact, lightweight DR system capable of both viewing moving images and capturing static X-ray images. While the newly developed prototype accommodates standard static X-ray image capture of the chest area and extremities, it also enables "X-ray fluoroscopy," which radiographers can use to observe dynamic images of internal organs, such as those used in digestion, for optimal timing in capturing static images. Canon is currently developing the system for a commercial release, which it plans for the latter half of 2009.

Improving and expanding the lineup of its X-ray DR systems to include a system capable of capturing both fluoroscopic and radiographic images will allow Canon to further expand the market for these products, as well as support the advancement of medical institutions for digitization and soft copy diagnostic reading. In this way, Canon will continue to contribute to the medical community through increased diagnostic assistance and efficient patient procedures.

Canon displayed a prototype version of the new system at the Canon U.S.A. booth #8313 during the 94th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago, Illinois this week.

Other Canon highlights:
Canon featured 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 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.
-In addition, the Canon booth displayed 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 $39.3 billion, is listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America and is on the 2007 BusinessWeek list of "Top 100 Brands."