Waukesha, Wisc., October 3, 2005 - GE Healthcare today announced it has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the company's newest fluoroscopic imaging system. This new technology, called the OEC Altitude, is a fixed room ceiling suspended system that provides high-resolution images during real time and is intended to accommodate the workflow requirements of the operating room. This system is designed to maximize operating room time and increase efficiency in routine procedures with its high power generator, advanced cooling systems, and multiple imaging modes.

GE has added another dimension to OEC Altitude with the introduction of Motion Tolerant Subtraction (MTS). This unique imaging application is well equipped to deal with movement and allows surgeons to capture images without the need for a mask run. The results are images that are sharper and clearer with enhanced details. For patients, this means a reduction in x-ray dose and reduced contrast during fluoroscopic imaging.

"The flexibility of the Altitude will allow vascular surgeons to treat more patients with more efficiency and better surgical outcomes," said Dr. Juan Parodi, professor of surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, and head of endovascular surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. "Seventy percent of our vascular treatments are minimally invasive procedures. The patients will benefit from a shorter procedure, which could lead to reduced trauma and shorter hospital stays."
Parodi expects the Altitude fixed C-arm system to accommodate 20 percent more endovascular procedures during an average shift in an operating room.

The OEC Altitude comes with advanced digital imaging technology designed to improve guidewire visibility during catheter tracking, to increase edge enhancement of blood vessels and to suppress halation effects during fluoroscopic imaging. The million-pixel CCD camera captures images at a maximum of 30 frames per second and allows for "even" focusing in the peripheral areas of the body, so that the captured images have superb linearity and definition.

The OEC Altitude also features a small footprint, fast C-arm positioning, an off-set pivot point to keep the operating field more sterile, and ergonomically designed "Cybergrip" control stick that allows for one-handed operation of both the C-arm and the image intensifier, leaving the surgeon to concentrate on the patient.

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