Providing Gainesville, Fla. and surrounding counties with the best medical imaging technology available, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. has announced that the University of Florida's Veterinary Medical Center (UFVMC) has installed nearly $2 million of medical imaging equipment that is being used to diagnose large and companion-animals, including horses, dogs and cats among others.

The new Vantage magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system and Aquilion™ 8 computed tomography (CT) scanner will significantly improve the center's imaging capabilities, enabling them to quickly and painlessly identify problems and proceed with the best treatment possible. The new imaging equipment was purchased in part with a contribution from famed horse-racing aficionado and New York Yankees owner, George Steinbrenner, who donated $400,000 to the respected veterinary program at the University of Florida.

"Our veterinary imaging program will enable us to evaluate animals suffering from a wide variety of conditions, ranging from broken bones to ligament injuries," said Mary Wilson, chief radiology technologist at UFVMC. "We provde a lot of service to those living in North Central Florida, especially in Ocala, where it's known as the horse capital of the world. We were looking for technology that could image a wide range of animals, from a valuable thoroughbred race horse to the beloved family pet, and are thrilled that we found exactly what we needed with Toshiba. These systems will be put to good use and will play a vital part in helping to improve the diagnosis and care of our community's animals."


Both the Vantage MRI and Aquilion 8 CT systems provide extra large gantry openings - the doughnut-shaped hole into which animals are placed for procedures - which are ideal for examining horses and other animals. Additionally, several customized enhancements including a reversed bore opening on the MRI system and customized tables designed to bear the weight of large animals have been added.

The Vantage 1.5 tesla MRI system uses a superconducting magnet to obtain the high-quality images needed to make a quick, accurate diagnosis. The system's large field of view will allow clinicians at UFVMC to perform whole spine or body examinations on dogs and smaller animals in a single scan — requiring less time under anesthesia. In addition, the large bore opening and short length will allow clinicians to conduct diagnostic examinations on horses. MRI is ideal for evaluating soft tissue injuries to the brain, neck, heart and blood vessels.

The new CT scanner — the Aquilion 8 — is an equally powerful diagnostic tool, but uses rotating X-rays to penetrate body tissues, generating multiple slice images, which can detect more than traditional radiography. CT is one of the best tools for studying the chest and abdomen and for diagnosing many types of cancers, including lung, liver and pancreatic.


Excelart Vantage™ and Aquilion™ are trademarks of Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation.

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