Innova 3131 continues to advance and improve interventional imaging with excellent image quality and system versatility

Dubai, UAE; January 30, 2007: GE Healthcare today showcased the company's new Innova 3131IQ digital flat panel Biplane Imaging System at Arab Health 2007, the premier health sector expo being held in Dubai.

The Innova Biplane extends Innova's proven, interventional imaging technology to multiple image planes. This is the first system available that will cover the full size of the patient's lateral and frontal anatomy simultaneously for a variety of diagnostic and interventional procedures either in angiography and cardiology. These procedures can therefore be done with fewer X-ray images and contrast injections, both significant benefits for the patient. The system is dedicated for use in cardiovascular imaging, diagnostic and interventional procedures.         

The Innova IQ Platform is capable of imaging the finest vessels and anatomy based on the digital flat panel technology invented and developed by GE Healthcare for medical imaging. The unique image quality advantage of the GE panel also enables it to perform high quality 3-D Flat Panel Rotation Imaging to produce three-dimensional images of the vascular system, bone and soft tissue in the body.

Used for clinical applications requiring detailed images with low-contrast resolution, Innova CT enhances soft tissue visualisation for clearer identification of suspected lesions. With the 30cm square coverage, the new Innova 3131IQ Biplane system offers interventional radiologists a significant advantage over existing technology in performing a wide range of image-guided treatments.

"GE is dedicated to developing innovative technologies that improve the entire patient experience, from early and more accurate diagnosis to better treatment and management of diseases like atherosclerosis and a variety of neurologic conditions," said Hesham Younis, PhD - Global Segment Manager of the Interventional business for GE Healthcare. "With the use of Biplane systems for cardiology, interventional radiology, and minimally-invasive therapeutic intervention, clinicians can now rely on Innova's excellent image quality and clinical coverage that together set a new standard in interventional imaging."

With more than 1,200 Innova-family systems installed worldwide, more physicians rely on GE's Innova systems to help them diagnose and treat cardiovascular disease than any other all-digital flat panel system.

"The Innova digital Biplane is the latest addition to a family of products whose design and features are based upon customer input from dozens of clinical studies," added Younis. "No other company offers a product like the Innova."

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About GE Healthcare:
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, performance improvement, drug discovery, and biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies is helping clinicians around the world re-imagine new ways to predict, diagnose, inform, treat and monitor disease, so patients can live their lives to the fullest.

GE Healthcare's broad range of products and services enable healthcare providers to better diagnose and treat cancer, heart disease, neurological diseases and other conditions earlier. Our vision for the future is to enable a new "early health" model of care focused on earlier diagnosis, pre-symptomatic disease detection and disease prevention.

Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a US$17 billion unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employs more than 46,000 people committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com.

For further information, please contact:  
Kelly Home / Nedal Alassad
ASDA'A Public Relations
Exclusive Affiliate of Edelman PR Worldwide in Middle East and North Africa
Tel: (+971 4) 334 4550
Email: k.home@asdaa.com /n.alassad@asdaa.com

© Press Release 2007