Customers across Latin America will benefit from shorter delivery periods and reduced equipment costs, once the equipment is manufactured locally. "The products' delivery time will be substantially reduced from eight months to 30 days. There will also be a reduction of around 15 percent on the final price of the Magnetic Resonance equipment due to a combination of reduced taxes and lowered production costs in Brazil," a Philips spokesperson said.

What's more, the presence of the factory is expected to spur Brazil's high-tech industry and revitalize the economy in the state of Minas Gerais, where the facility is based. Three types of Magnetic Resonance devices will be manufactured in Brazil: the Intera 1.5T and Achieva 1.5T and 3.0T. Initially 70 percent of the components for the devices will be imported, but Philips' intention is to increase the proportion of locally-produced components to 60 percent by mid-2010. The company is currently identifying and equipping local factories so they will be able to manufacture many of the highly advanced components used in the devices.


Toshiba Infinix Systems Used in Live Demonstrations at TCT

The unique C-arm positioning of the Toshiba Infinix cardiovascular X-ray system provides clinicians with superior access to the patient. To demonstrate these capabilities, a few patients agreed to be showcased at the meeting.

Rush University Medical Center and Ochner Heart and Vascular Institute doctors used Toshiba's Infinix systems on cardiac patients to show other physicians how they worked in vivo.

Dr. Ziyad M. Hijazi, director of the Rush Center for Congenital and Structural Heart Disease, performed a percutaneous value procedure, an atrial septal defect (ASD) closure and a coarctation with stents using the Infinix CF-i/BP, on one of his patients.

The design of the Infinix CF-i/BP system assists with the procedures, allowing physicians the critical equipment they need to diagnose and treat patients at a level never seen before. The floor-based rotation mechanism of the C-arm allows staff to have 180-degree access around the head-end of the table.

"Thigh high image quality produced by our Infinix system and the unique positioning is ideal for patients with congenital heart disease and valve problems," said Dr. Hijazi. "The innovative biplane system is well suited for studies requiring complicated and advanced techniques, including transcatherer procedures."

Using the Infinix DP-I, Dr. Christopher J. White, M.D., chairman of the Department of Cardiology and Dr. Stephen R. Ramee, M.D., director of Cardiac catherization, both of Ossner Heart and Vascular Institute, performed a renal and mesenteric intervention procedure and a superficial femoral artery (SFA) in a live demonstration on one of his patients.

More Industry Headlines