A downturn in new freestanding imaging center growth, coupledwith buyer anxiety in other health-care sectors, has made 1992a disappointing year for new MRI system placements in the U.S. Manufacturers will sell about 500 new systems in the U.S.

MRI users have found their voices in calling the technologicaltune. Increased competition in the worldwide MRI market has givencustomers more leverage in the purchase process. They are demandingand obtaining warranties on MRI systems that have long been

Major changes are under way at Acuson. The long-time leader inthe supply of high-end radiology ultrasound scanners is broadeningits corporate focus and restructuring operations to meet the requirementsof an increasingly diverse user base. As clinical

Siemens Medical Systems became the first vendor to test demandfor high-field MR mammography with the recent introduction ofa double breast coil. But the coil could be a product in searchof a niche: While radiologists extol the promise of MR

Corporatization of U.S. imaging services will accelerate overthe next few years--and not only as an expedient reaction to rulesagainst referring-physician ownership of medical imaging centers.Corporate owners of multiple centers are better positioned

Dutch conglomerate Philips Electronics chose Michael P. Moakley,president of Philips Medical Systems North America, to replaceretired Hans van Bree as worldwide president and CEO of PhilipsMedical Systems International last month. Not only will Moakleybe

Silicon Graphics of Mountain View, CA, plans to renew its emphasison OEM relationships by forming a new division after merging withmicroprocessor firm MIPS Computer Systems.Silicon Graphics, which makes image processing workstations formedical imaging

John P. Heinrich is back in the MRI business, although indirectly.The former vice president of MRI at Johnson & Johnson's defunctTechnicare subsidiary was appointed president and COO of SummitWorld Trade in December. Summit, based in Hudson, OH, is a

This issue of DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING SCAN is number 120, marking fivefull years of publication. It has been a wild and fun five yearsfor us. Few industries other than medical imaging could offerso much corporate drama and technological razzmatazz.SCAN's

A June Supreme Court ruling making it easier for independent serviceorganizations to sue equipment vendors could prove helpful inlitigation filed against Siemens Medical Systems by a MichiganISO.Siemens recently asked a federal court judge to dismiss the

Cardiovascular Imaging Systems (CVIS) of Sunnyvale, CA, went publiclast month, raising about $10 million. The funds will help expandmarketing and development of intravascular ultrasound products,according to Richard M. Ferrari, president and CEO. CVIS

When GE acquired Paris-based Thomson-CGR five years ago, manypredicted that a serious clash of cultures would follow. Theyweren't disappointed. But out of the confusion created by turnoverin top management and jumbled product lines has emerged a

Former Norland vice president of marketing Joel L. Blank and twopartners have entered the fledgling radiosurgery industry withplans to build and operate two freestanding radiosurgery centersin Southern California by early next year.Their company,

Medical Diagnostics (MDI) is funneling newly raised equity capitalinto an expansion of its imaging services business. The firm madeearly use of proceeds from an initial public offering to buy outminority interests in two Massachusetts mobile MRI systems

Diasonics made several improvements in its Spectra high-end ultrasoundscanner as part of the variable summation technology (VST) upgradeannounced in March (SCAN 4/8/92 and 5/6/92). One thing did notchange, however: the vendor's use of a 48-channel front

Picture archiving and communication system supplier Genesys seemsto have an exclusive hold on the use of IBM's RS/6000 Unix workstationsin medical PACS. This exclusivity, however, is one born of effortrather than legal contract. "Over the past

Siemens hopes that MRI scans will be less traumatic for sensitivepatients as a result of a noise reduction system being offeredon an exclusive basis by the German vendor. The system is the only active MRI noise cancellation techniqueon the market and

Video frame-grabber firm Tecon of Redmond, WA, closed down inMarch. Its assets were sold to a new company, Precision DigitalImaging. PDI has set up shop in a nearby facility in Redmond.G. Wayne Smith, Tecon president and CEO, is chairman of PDI,

Although many things change rapidly in the ultrasound industry,one quality has remained fairly constant: its competitiveness.For at least the last five years, for instance, the four leadingultrasound vendors and their respective market shares have

Toshiba America Medical Systems has completed restructuring ofits U.S. field sales and service organization for all imagingmodalities other than ultrasound. A two-zone system should improveToshiba's ability to respond to customers and coordinate