OAKDALE, Minn. -- (December 1, 1996) -- Imation Corp. (NYSE:IMN) has begun shipping its 8" x 10" format, desktop Imation™ DryView™ 8300 Laser Imager, marking the first line extension of its revolutionary 3M™ DryView™ Laser Imaging Technology by Imation™.

The company also announced plans to develop the Imation™ DryView™ 8500 Laser Imager for the 11" x 14" medical imaging market.

The Imation DryView 8300 Laser Imager provides dry film processing in the 8" x 10" format preferred in ultrasound, nuclear medicine and C-arm applications. The Imation DryView 8500 Laser Imager delivers dry film processing to international markets and computed radiography (CR) applications requiring an 11" x 14" format.

The launch of the desktop Imation DryView 8300 Laser Imager comes roughly one year after the commercial introduction of the 14" x 17" format 3M™ DryView™ 8700 Laser Imager by Imation™.

"The Imation™ DryView™ 8700 Laser Imager is the best selling laser imager--wet or dry--in 1996," said Brad Sauer, director of sales and marketing, Imation Medical Imaging. "We're confident that the Imation DryView 8300 Laser Imager will experience similar success due to the many benefits it delivers in ultrasound, nuclear medicine and C-arm medical imaging, as well as its ideal application as a network or remote location hard-copy film printer."

Desktop System Offers Efficient, Affordable Printing

The Imation DryView 8300 Laser Imager uses a patented photothermographic process to deliver high-quality diagnostic film images without the costs and hassles associated with traditional wet chemistry film processing. It also offers affordable and dedicated dry laser imaging.

An optional built-in magneto-optical disk drive for the Imation DryView 8300 Laser Imager provides compatibility with all current disk-based ultrasound image acquisition systems, according to Dan Torborg, market development supervisor, Imation Medical Imaging.

"This feature allows radiologists to print diagnostic-quality, gray-scale images internally at low cost while routing expensive low-volume color images to an external centralized dye-sublimation printer. This provides cost savings and enables an ultrasound department to leverage imaging equipment across all ultrasound devices," he said.

Torborg also noted that the Imation DryView 8300 Laser Imager is an ideal transition laser imager for radiology departments desiring to convert their ultrasound modalities from wet-chemistry processing over to a digital network. "As ultrasound systems currently using multi-format cameras go digital, they will print fewer hard-copy films," said Torborg. "With infrequent use, the chemicals in a film processor can drift and possibly compromise the film image. Free of wet chemistry, the Imation DryView 8300 Laser Imager can deliver diagnostic-quality, hard-copy film on demand for both high and low print volume departments," he added.

The Imation DryView 8300 Laser Imager offers the following printing formats: 1:1, 2:1, 4:1, 6:1, landscape or portrait. The unit accepts up to two modalities in any configuration of analog, digital, network (DICOM 3.0) or SCSI input sources, and features instant image acquisition, batch filming and keypad control.

Imation DryView 8500 Laser Imager

Computed radiography and other evolving technologies requiring 11" x 14" film will shortly have a solution in the Imation DryView 8500 Laser Imager. This new system is displayed as a works-in-progress at the Radiological Society of North America convention here.

Like Imation's other DryView Laser Imagers, the system features the unique 3M™ Automatic Image Quality Control System (AIQC) by Imation™. The AIQC reviews printed images and automatically eliminates unwanted variability from user-selected image contrast and density. AIQC helps ensure consistent, reliable image quality from film to film without operator intervention.

Copyright 1996 Imation. All rights reserved.