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NEWS RELEASE:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
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MERGE HEALTHCARE INTRODUCES MERGE ORTHO™
Software application helps orthopaedic surgeons perform planning and automatic templating, featuring customizable workflow and advanced visualization
Milwaukee, WI, July 25, 2007 – Merge Healthcare (NASDAQ: MRGE; TSX: MRG), a leading medical imaging software and services provider, today introduced Merge Ortho, a digital workstation solution that helps orthopaedic specialists save time and improve clinical effectiveness in orthopaedic planning and diagnosis. Designed to replace the cost and complexities of using film, this solution’s advanced digital tools streamline workflow with image acquisition and manipulation, advanced measurement options, implant selection, automated template placement and manipulation, surgical planning tools, image archiving, and Web distribution. In addition Merge Ortho includes several data mining tools, including those for tracking and analyzing implant usage, pain thresholds, recovery rates, and outcome statistics.
"Switching to digital planning and templating was really the next logical step after we acquired the Merge PACS several years ago," said Kenneth Kleist, M.D., an orthopaedic surgeon affiliated with Minneapolis/St. Paul-based Health Partners and Regions Hospital. "Orthopaedic surgeons use diagnostic images extensively and have unique requirements for imaging. Merge Ortho is a very intuitive tool for orthopaedic specialists and really boosts our workflow in terms of surgical planning. We're looking forward to measuring just how much Merge Ortho will impact our practice operationally and financially."
Developed in conjunction with leading orthopaedic surgeons and prosthetists, Merge Ortho includes libraries of digital orthopaedic templates from major prosthesis vendors. With customizable workflow that transcends the use of traditional non-digital planning methods, Merge Ortho delivers advanced diagnostic and planning functionality for joint arthroplasty, trauma, and deformity corrections.
Extending beyond basic orthopaedic planning, Automatic Imaging Stitching allows users to join multiple images, enabling planning of cases that involve long film x-rays. Merge Ortho also incorporates ImageSnap Technology™, a unique capability that permits automatic measurements with suggested implant selection and placement.
For record keeping and implant inventory control, automatic reporting in Merge Ortho includes all critical information such as patient demographics, technical notes, key images with templates and measurements, and implant ordering information. Industry-standard connectivity solutions ensure that the application can be readily integrated into a PACS environment.
Unique Merge Ortho features include:
- Automatic Hip Templating: Common measurements for hip templating are automatically determined without requiring any user input. Once a hip implant and operative side are selected, Merge Ortho automatically overlays a suggested implant size and position on the image. Users can accept, reject or revise automatic planning recommendations.
- Automatic Stitching: In such procedures as total knee replacement and spine surgery, it is impossible to capture all anatomy in a single image. Automatic image stitching enables users to fuse multiple images, visualize them as one unified whole and take measurements.
- Automatic Reporting: Merge Ortho automatically populates reports with key images, measurements, templated implants and patient demographics. Users can optionally add technical notes to the report.
- User-specific workflow enables different surgeons on the same network to plan in completely different ways; image layout, button/toolbar configurations, planning methodologies and automated measurement preferences can be individualized.
- Digital measurements to eliminate manual calculations and reduce human error (Midline, angle, Cobb angle, intersection point and more).
- Image relation (for measuring across multiple images that cannot be stitched)
- Easy, flexible placement of prosthetic templates to assist in implant sizing and planning; image-to-template in minimal mouse clicks (ability to display multiple templates at one time)
- Software for viewing manipulated images in the OR.
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Merge Healthcare is a market leader in the development and delivery of medical imaging and information management software and services. Our innovative software solutions use leading-edge imaging software technologies that accelerate market delivery for our OEM customers, while our end-user solutions improve our customers' productivity and enhance the quality of patient care they provide. For additional information, visit our website at www.mergehealthcare.com.
All trademarks appearing in this release are the property of Cedara Software Corp. and/or Merge Healthcare.
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Attn: Beth Frost-Johnson
Merge Healthcare
6737 West Washington St.
Suite 2250
Milwaukee, WI 53214
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| Except for the historical information herein, the matters discussed in this news release include forward-looking statements that may involve a number of risks and uncertainties. When used in this press release, the words “will,” “believes,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “expects” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the forward-looking statements based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the uncertainty created by, the adverse impact on relationships with customers, potential customers, suppliers and investors potentially resulting from, and other risks associated with, the changes in the Company’s senior management; costs, risks and effects of the investigation by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors; the impact of the restatement of financial statements of the Company and other actions that may be taken or required as a result of such restatement; the Company's inability to timely file reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission; risks associated with the Company's inability to meet the requirements of The NASDAQ Stock Market for continued listing, including possible delisting; costs, risks and effects of legal proceedings and investigations, including the informal, non-public inquiry being conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission and class action, derivative, and other lawsuits; risks in product and technology development, market acceptance of new products and continuing product demand, the impact of competitive products and pricing, ability to integrate acquisitions, changing economic conditions, credit and payment risks associated with end-user sales, dependence on major customers, dependence on key personnel, and other risk factors detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as expressly required by the federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update such factors or to publicly announce the results of any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future events, developments, or changed circumstances, or for any other reason.
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