Distribution Agreement Expands Reach of MRI-CAD in the European Union

Merge Healthcare (Milwaukee, WI, USA), a health information technology (IT) systems company, and Medrad (Warrendale, PA, USA), a provider of medical devices and services for diagnostic imaging, announced an expansion of their European Union (EU) Distribution Agreement for CADstream, a dedicated computer-aided detection (CAD) system for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The expanded distribution agreement now allows Medrad to distribute CADstream in France, as well as the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy; some of the fastest growing markets for CAD in the EU.

"Medrad has spearheaded the availability of this important technology in Europe,” said Paul Budak, president of Merge CAD. "As breast and prostate MRI study volumes increase, physicians are searching for systems that will improve the workflow of time-intensive studies. CADstream has been a market leader in breast MRI CAD in the U.S. for some time, and Medrad is a great partner to expand its deployment in the EU.”

"CADstream complements the Medrad product portfolio and customers in France are requesting the product,” said Anthony Cinalli, executive director, radiology marketing, Medra. "We are happy to now offer CADstream--which is reported to be the standard in breast MRI CAD--to the French market.”

In the 2008, a European market report published by Frost and Sullivan (Palo Alto, CA, USA) an international market research company, CAD is considered a must-have in 2010 in many EU countries. The Merge team has been ramping up educational efforts for EU radiologists as a result. Workshops on breast MRI have been held in Germany and the United Kingdom, and a course is scheduled for France in November. Education schedules can be found below.

"CAD has become an integral part of breast MRI study interpretation,” said Dr. Michael Middleton, assistant professor, department of radiology, University of San Diego California (UCSD; USA). Dr. Middleton led the Merge-sponsored Practical Breast MRI with CAD workshop in London, UK, in September 2009.

Medrad develops, markets, and services medical devices used to diagnose and treat disease. Its product offerings include fluid injection systems for radiology and cardiology, endovascular devices for the safe treatment of cardiovascular disease, magnetic resonance-compatible accessories, and equipment services. Medrad is a business of Bayer Medical Care.

Merge CAD (formerly Confirma and now a business unit of Merge Healthcare) provides innovative technology, customer support, and resources for building and expanding an MRI practice. CADstream automates the analysis and interventional guidance of MRI studies, providing higher quality imaging studies, lower costs for radiology practices and improved communication tools for physicians and patients.

Merge Healthcare develops solutions that automate healthcare data and diagnostic workflow to enable a better electronic record of the patient experience, and to enhance product development for health IT, device, and pharmaceutical companies.

Related Links:
Merge Healthcare
Medrad
Merge Healthcare Education Schedule