Pressemitteilungen

GE Healthcare and BrainLAB Working to Advance Integrated Surgical Suite Solutions

Joint development and marketing agreement to integrate GE’s iMRI technology with BrainLAB BrainSUITE® systems.
Waukesha, Wisconsin, March 16, 2010 – GE Healthcare, a business unit of General Electric Corp. (NYSE:GE), announced today that it has signed a joint development and marketing agreement with BrainLAB AG, Munich, Germany. Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies will formalize the integration of BrainLAB BrainSUITE® Integrated Surgical Solutions with GE’s Magnetic Resonance (MR) Surgical Suite, as well as co-market the integrated solution.

“BrainLAB is responsible for some of the best leading edge surgical software solutions in the industry,” said Jim Davis, vice president and general manager, GE Healthcare Global MR. “Combined with our expertise in MR, we will be able to develop innovative iMR imaging applications enhancing current technology.”
“The joint development agreement will enable us to explore new boundaries in health care,” said Stephan Holl, Chief Operating Officer, BrainLAB. “Both companies are committed to providing patients worldwide with better care through less invasive surgeries and treatments. Our combined iMRI solutions will provide neurosurgeons with an advanced tool for intra-operative procedures.”

Integrating a new product for the OR

Pre-operative MR imaging helps detect tumor or tissue abnormalities but during surgery the targeted tissue isn’t as visible to the naked eye. GE’s MR guided surgical suite offers operating solutions that help provide a distinction between healthy and abnormal tissue during surgery. The BrainLAB BrainSUITE digitally integrates the major components of the OR: intra-operative imaging, surgical navigation, planning and digital data management. This supports surgeons during procedures and helps identify critical areas and remove abnormal tissue.
“This agreement is an excellent example of how GE Healthcare is seeking key innovations from around the globe in its quest to provide medical solutions that bring better healthcare to more people,” added Davis.

About GE Healthcare:

GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems.

Our ‘healthymagination’ vision for the future invites the world to join us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality and efficiency around the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a $17 billion unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employs more than 46,000 people committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com