Teleradiology firm expands globally

DataView, a three-year-old teleradiology firm and nuclear medicineremanufacturer based in Tucker, GA, is attempting to build aninternational medical imaging reading and advisory service.

The network will focus on China/U.S. communications, accordingto president Kurt T. Farhy.

"We have negotiated a plan to go worldwide," Farhytold SCAN. "We have international backing, which providesus opportunity for sales to Asia and Europe. We are working witha Chinese delegation that will travel through many of the Asiancountries."

DataView is negotiating with a U.S. medical school to providethe clinical expertise for its imaging network. The company willoffer the university its picture archiving and communicationssystems technology on a fee-per-use basis, Farhy said.

DataView introduced its Image Transport 2 teleradiology systemin June. The unit has a noninterlaced monitor that can displaycolor as well as gray-scale medical images. It uses Intel's 25-MHz486 microprocessor.

China is ripe for this type of service because of its underdevelopedmedical care system and a brain drain of trained physicians leavingthe country, Farhy said.

The DataView network will center on Beijing, Singapore, Taiwanand Hong Kong. It will also stretch to Saudi Arabia, which willbecome a hub for servicing neighboring countries in the MiddleEast. All types of medical images and text will be handled throughsatellite and local phone-line transmissions, he said.

DataView's international connection comes through a principalinvestor, who is Chinese, he said. The investor has been activein the U.S. for over a decade and has a large health-care portfolio.

A substantial investment will be made in the company to supportthis international drive. DataView should grow to a net worthof about $150 million over the next year, Farhy said.

"We will become one of the largest (teleradiology) companiesin the next seven months," he said.