Fuji News

Same top-line digital x-ray technology used to diagnose patients in many leading hospitals is being used at America's largest horse show

Stamford, CT - March 15, 2006 - FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA, the world's leader in digital x-ray, announced that it has provided a computed radiography (CR) system for the diagnosis and treatment of horses participating in the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), Wellington, Fla. The system, the ClearView-CS, will enable the WEF's veterinarians to more accurately detect injuries using digital x-ray technology, which eliminates the need for film. More than 4,000 jumping and dressage horses compete in the WEF, the world's largest and longest running equestrian sporting event.

"We are very excited to be able to use Fuji's digital x-ray technology," said Christopher Miller, DVM. "It is helping us provide our horses with the highest quality care, and the images we are able to generate are above and beyond what we were previously able to capture with conventional x-ray machines. The improved technology allows us to take excellent quality images of all different areas in the horse such as the head, shoulder and spine. Furthermore, it has facilitated image sharing with other practitioners and with veterinary specialists all over the country."

Fuji digital x-ray systems have been used by leading hospitals throughout the country for more than 20 years now, and the use of the technology has become more prevalent in the veterinary field the last few years. Many leading equine veterinary practices have been benefiting from the technology for years. Fuji's systems feature quick image availability and deliver consistent, high quality images. Specifically, because of their fine resolution and image processing capabilities not available with film, they allow for detection of potentially career-limiting abnormalities before a horse shows evidence of lameness.

The Fuji ClearView-CS digital x-ray system used by Miller and his staff employs a unique technology known as dual-side reading, which allows clearer images to be produced.

"The dual-sided imaging plates used in the ClearView-CS definitely increase the signal-to-noise ratio in thick body parts, such as the neck, back and stifle," commented Antoine Renault, CompTIA Certified Computer Technician. "Images are rendered with better contrast, and image processing can be turned up to improve readability without sacrificing the diagnostic quality. Furthermore, they allow lower technique for images of the distal limb and do pick up finer details, helping us make more accurate diagnosis."

"Fuji's ClearView-CS has been invaluable in helping identify subtle arthritis as well as developmental bone abnormalities," said Miller. "Some of the best horses in the world are competing here in Wellington, and it is our job to try and identify performance limiting conditions to help ensure their safety and well being and to keep them performing at their best."

"Fuji's digital x-ray technology offers veterinarians a better tool to assess the condition of the horse's joints and is particularly useful in detecting subtle injuries which can cause significant problems if not identified early," said Susan Lucas, Fuji's marketing manager, digital x-ray. "The system that we've provided for the veterinarians at WEF is the same system that's providing diagnostic benefits to patients at leading hospitals throughout the country. Fuji has more than two decades of experience in digital x-ray, and we're very pleased to see that our technology has proven to be such a critical tool in aiding in the diagnosis and consequently the safety of both the horses and the riders participating in the Winter Equestrian Festival."

The Winter Equestrian Festival is a seven-week hunter/jumper and three-week dressage horse show that features up to eight rings with horses and ponies of all ages and abilities, and riders ranging from children to Olympic Gold Medallists. The medical center, housing Fuji's ClearView-CS system, is conveniently located in between the stabling area and the show rings. Dr Miller estimates that they will take over 5500 radiographs during the course of the event.

About FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA, Inc.
As one of the Fuji Photo Film family of companies with 70 years of imaging experience and more than $20 billion in sales, FUJIFILM Medical Systems is a leading provider of diagnostic imaging products and network systems to meet the needs of healthcare facilities today and well into the future. From film processing equipment to digital x-ray to image and information management systems, Fuji's broad array of products offers clinically-proven solutions for acquiring, processing, presenting, managing and storing radiological images in a variety of healthcare environments. As the pioneer of computed radiography, Fuji is known for its quality and innovation in digital imaging systems. Its Web-based Synapse^® PACS (picture archiving and communications system), has set the standard for flexibility and ease-of-use in today's changing healthcare arena. Fuji is headquartered in Stamford, CT.