FONAR, out of Melville, N.Y., was incorporated in 1978, making it the first MRI manufacturer in the industry. FONAR introduced the world's first commercial MRI in 1980, and went public in 1981. Today, FONAR is on the leading edge of the technology and known of a unique, trademarked configuration--the Upright MRI, which was on display at this week's RSNA.

Also known as the Stand-Up MRI, the whole-body system performs position imaging and scans patients in numerous weight-bearing positions, i.e. standing, sitting, in flexion and extension, as well as the conventional lie-down position.
"In the case of spine studies, we are able to image the fully weight-loaded spine, the only way to optimally assess spine pathology. In the two short weeks we have been scanning, I have already diagnosed disc herniations that were only apparent with flexion or extension and not apparent on neutral views. Evaluating the spine with its weight load removed, as in the case of the recumbent only tunnel MRI, represents an incomplete evaluation of the patient's spine problem," said G. Tom Morea, M.D, who just installed the technology in his Cherry Hill, N.J. facility. "I am looking forward to the visualization of shoulder pathology in various views that are possible on the Upright MR that are not easily obtained on other systems, and to explore weight-bearing studies of the knees and ankles," he added.


The latest innovations for the venerable company include True Flow Imaging, applying the MR technology to the cardiovascular system. It is well known that a host of cardiovascular Pathologies are position dependent, heart attacks and strokes being the leading cause of death in America. Thus transient ischemic attacks (TIA), often the prodromal warning of incipient stroke, occur commonly when the patient arises from bed; orthostatic fainting and dizziness arise when a drop in blood pressure, hypotension, accompanies a change in body position from recumbent to erect. In congestive heart failure (CHF), the recumbent posture commonly produces severe shortness of breath. Many of these CHF patients cannot be scanned at all because they cannot lie flat. Patients with this limitation can now achieve the scans they need by Upright MR, permitting their right ventricle chamber size to be measured sitting to determine if pulmonary hypertension exists and to assess its severity.

In other news from the company, FONAR has signed an agreement with Sony to resell the Sony FilmStation 14 x 17-inch dry film imager as a first ever, exclusive film imager offering to its customers. The deal expands FONAR's product portfolio, enabling the Company to provide an output solution which is particularly well suited for its Upright MRI.

For information, go to www.fonar.com.

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