The Swedish IT and medical technology company Sectra has signed a distribution agreement with Petrimed OY, a Finnish provider of digital radiology equipment. According to this agreement, Petrimed will serve as a distributor of Sectra's digital mammography system, Sectra MicroDose Mammography.
"Our system benefits the development of digital mammography and this cooperation strengthens our opportunities to supply digital mammography to the Finish market," says Jesper Söderqvist, President of Sectra Mamea AB. "Petrimed is a successful company in the market for medical equipment and an important complement to our existing distribution channel for medical image management systems in Finland."
A newly published American study* has found that digital mammography systems are superior to film-based systems when it comes to detecting breast cancer for certain groups of women. The use of digital mammography systems is still low, but many hospitals are planning to digitize their mammography departments.
"In Finland, the digitization of mammography departments is in full progress. Our decision to use Sectra as provider for our digital mammography offerings was preceded by a thorough investigation of available technologies. Sectra's mammography system is a clinically proven, cost-effective and safe digital solution used by several mammography departments in Europe," says Petri Laakkonen, Managing Director of Petrimed OY.
Early detection of breast cancer saves lives and Sectra has developed Sectra MicroDose Mammography, a mammography system dedicated to improving women's health. Sectra MicroDose Mammography is an easy-to-use digital system that supports the entire workflow, from examination to documented diagnosis. The system provides the lowest radiation dose on the market, unsurpassed throughput, customized workflow and outstanding ergonomics. For the patients this means safe, stress-free and quick examinations. Sectra has delivered and installed mammography systems in countries such as Sweden, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom. In the US, FDA (Food and Drug Administration) trials are in process.
Petrimed OY is a leading provider of digital radiology equipment in Finland. Petrimed, with headquarters in Turku, was established in 1997. From the beginning Petrimed's business scope was to offer service and maintenance for radiology modalities. In 2002, Petrimed began distributing new radiology products. For more information about Petrimed, please visit www.petrimed.fi.
* This refers to The Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial, sponsored by the American College of Radiology Imaging Network. www.acrin.org/6652_protocol.html
Dr. Torbjörn Kronander, President Sectra Imtec AB, +46 13 23 52 27
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Sectra, the recipient of the 2004 Frost & Sullivan Medical Imaging Company of the Year Award, is one of today's major diagnostic imaging providers. More than 700 hospitals worldwide use Sectra's system, performing over 35 million radiology examinations per year. Sectra's core business is delivering top-of-the-line, high-availability, robust enterprise diagnostic imaging for 24/7 operation. In Scandinavia, Sectra is the market leader with more than 50% of all film-free
installations. The company has of its systems installed in most major countries in Europe, the Far East and North America.
Sectra, founded 1978, has its roots at the Linköping Institute of Technology in Sweden. Since the mid-1980s, Sectra has successfully conducted development and sales of cutting edge products in expansive niche segments. Today, Sectra operations include medical systems and secure communication systems. Sectra has offices in eight countries and operates through partners all over the world. Sales for the fiscal year 2004/2005 totaled SEK 456 million. Since March 1999, Sectra's shares have been quoted on the O-list of the Stockholm Stock Exchange.
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