Toshiba and Liberty Pacific Medical Imaging Partner to Deliver Innovative Cardiac CT Training Program.

Center Completes Installation of Aquilion 64 CFX System

TUSTIN, Calif. -- Reinforcing its position as a leader in cardiac CT education, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. announced a new partnership with CVCTA Education and San Francisco Advanced Medical Imaging, a Liberty Pacific Medical Imaging Company, to serve as the company's newest education and training partner. Recently, LPMI's San Francisco Advanced Medical Imaging installed Toshiba's Aquilion(TM) 64 CFX system - one of the most advanced cardiac computed tomography (CT) systems available in the marketplace today and the cornerstone of the program.

The new training program's curriculum consists of several key elements, including hands-on manipulation and reading of cardiac CT images, daily clinical read-out sessions and online testing applications. It also offers as many as 64 units of continuing medical education credit. To accommodate physician schedules, the onsite training is comprised of a three-day program with supplemental, post-training materials provided. After the onsite training is completed at San Francisco Advanced Medical Imaging, physicians will be given self-study software that recreates the classroom experience through an interactive diagnostic scoring system, case videos, taped expert interviews and cath correlations. These offsite training elements create a more effective learning experience, allowing physicians to interact with a case.

"To utilize the latest innovations in imaging technology to their fullest capacity and to improve patient care, the medical community must be educated on the most up-to-date applications," said Steven R. Renard, president and chief operating officer of LPMI. "Both LPMI and CVCTA Education are committed to continuing education and are proud to be working with Toshiba on this innovative cardiac CT program. We anticipate that this program will help grow this modality through appropriate education and proper utilization."

"The new relationship with Toshiba will allow LPMI and CVCTA Education to create a state-of-the-art training center for physicians worldwide," said Dr. Tony DeFrance, director of cardiovascular computed tomography angiography (CVCTA) for LPMI and a leading cardiologist in the field of CT angiography (CTA). "As the use of cardiac CT continues its steady climb, it is essential that physicians have the training needed to interpret these complex and informative images. The quality of images rendered by 64-slice CT systems like the Aquilion provide a great deal of information, but if it is not interpreted correctly by a well-trained physician, patients can be at risk."

The new Toshiba/CVCTA Education Level II training program meets the American College of Cardiology and the American College of Radiology credentialing guidelines for physicians who perform and interpret CTA studies and will give clinicians the tools to better diagnose heart disease at its earliest stages and determine appropriate treatment.

"Liberty Pacific Medical Imaging is best known for its excellence in diagnostic imaging and its education programs are state-of-the-art," said Doug Ryan, senior director, CT Business Unit, Toshiba. "Dr. DeFrance's work in the area of CTA makes this organization an ideal partner for a training program of this caliber, and we look forward to a long and productive partnership."

About the Aquilion CFX

The Aquilion 64 CFX is a no-compromise solution for physicians. With the Aquilion, clinicians can easily capture precise, motion-free images of the heart and coronary arteries to identify soft plaque and measure coronary blockages, which can detect signs of disease at its earliest stages and reduce the need for high-risk interventional procedures.

The Aquilion 64 CFX utilizes Toshiba's unique 64-row Quantum detector, one of the most advanced multi-detector CT technology available, which enables the Aquilion CT scanner to simultaneously acquire 64 0.5 mm slices with each 350-millisecond gantry revolution. This assures precise isotropic imaging of any region of the body. Additionally, the Aquilion 64 CFX's advanced multi-detector design produces unsurpassed low contrast resolution at the lowest dose, critical for visualizing plaque and vessel remodeling.

About LPMI

Encino, Calif.-based Liberty Pacific Medical Imaging (LPMI) develops, owns and operates medical diagnostic imaging centers, primarily in Northern and Southern California. LPMI offers high-technology imaging solutions in the areas of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), ultrasound and fluoroscopy. LPMI currently operates three imaging centers throughout California (in Encino, Long Beach and San Francisco) and anticipates the opening of two high-end multi-modality sites by the end of 2006.

About Toshiba

With headquarters in Tustin, Calif., Toshiba America Medical Systems markets, sells, distributes and services diagnostic imaging systems, and coordinates clinical diagnostic imaging research for all modalities in the United States. Toshiba Medical Systems Corp., an independent group company of Toshiba Corp., is a global leading provider of diagnostic medical imaging systems and comprehensive medical solutions, such as CT, Cath & EP Labs, X-ray, Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine, MRI and information systems. Toshiba Corp. is a leader in information and communications systems, electronic components, consumer products, and power systems. Toshiba has approximately 161,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of $54 billion.