A subsiduary of Fischer Imaging Corporation, Fischer Medical Technologies designs, manufactures and markets leading edge medical systems in breast imaging, breast biopsy and electrophysiology stimulation. The firm's roots go back to 1910, when H.G. Fischer, the oldest manufacturer of X-ray imaging devices in the United States, began its operation in Chicago, IL. Since then, the reputation and name of the company have evolved and gained worldwide recognition by leveraging technology that has brought to market such innovations as the Traumex (VersaRad), the Bloom DTU-215 Stimulator, Bi Plane Electrophysiology imaging systems, the SenoScan FFDM systems and the Mammotest stereotactic breast biopsy system. The oldest existing manufacturer of X-ray medical equipment in the United States, Fischer has advanced the technology from its early uses for discovery of tuberculosis, the most common cause of death in the early 20th century, to a more recent application -detecting breast cancer, the most prevalent form of cancer among women. Throughout its history Fischer has driven technology in X-ray imaging. The company has been awarded or has filed more than 50 patents in the area of breast imaging alone. Some of the firsts it has achieved over its rich history include: * Mobile X-ray device, used by the U.S. Army in World War I * Automated chest X-ray system * Programmable, microprocessor controlled X-ray generator * Dedicated electro physiology system with pulse-progressive fluoroscopy * Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) * Digital CCD camera for stereo tactic biopsy imaging * Full field digital mammography system using slot scanning. In the latter part of the 20th century Fischer focused much of its attention on women's health care, particularly with respect to developing leading edge systems for breast screening and analysis. Up to that point most of the company's technology was "under the covers," sold under the brand names of Fischer's OEM partners - GE, Picker, Xerox, Varian, Medstone, Dornier and others. As digital technology began to catch on in medical, imaging Fischer emerged as a digital innovator itself and began selling systems under its own brand name. That emergence is embodied in the company's technology-leading products for breast imaging - the SenoScan full field digital mammography system and MammoTest breast biopsy system. Just as Fischer led the way at the dawn of the X-ray revolution in the early part of the 20th century, it has reinvented itself around digital mammography in the 21st. Fischer's breakthrough SenoScan system was approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in September, 2001. Today, it is deployed throughout the world at leading research and diagnostic centers such as: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, MD Anderson Cancer Center, the Mayo Clinic and the Elizabeth Wende Breast Clinic in the United States; the University Hospital of Erlangen in Germany; the Bari University Hospital in Italy; the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust in the United Kingdom; and the Centre René Huguenin in France. At the same time as it was introducing breakthrough digital mammography systems to the marketplace, the company launched its Radiology, Electrophysiology and Surgery (RE&S) products dedicated to the development and delivery of general radiology, electrophysiology systems and stimulator and a surgical imaging system.
