ContextVision Awarded Government Funds for Medical Imaging Project Funds will support advancements in 3D and 4D medical imaging

BOSTON, Mass. and STOCKHOLM, Sweden – September 19, 2006 – ContextVision, software imaging partner to the most recognized medical imaging manufacturers worldwide, announced today that it has been awarded approximately $270,000 in government funds (1.969.000 SEK) for ongoing research that will ultimately lead to new quality standards for clinical medical imaging of 3D data sets.

Current medical imaging relies on 2-dimensional image enhancement and analysis. ContextVision is moving the industry forward by pursuing a new generation of 3-dimensional (3D) and 3D+time (4D) image enhancement and analysis products. The government award will fund the research and development of this major step towards new image processing technology. Today, ContextVision’s unique GOP® software technology improves image quality and the clinical value of digital images across a range of modalities, including Ultrasound, Digital X-ray, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). ContextVision partners with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) across the globe, enabling the delivery of systems that offer unprecedented diagnostic confidence to end-users, such as radiologists and technicians. Today, GOP technology is integrated into more than 10,000 MRI systems delivered worldwide and is rapidly gaining traction in other imaging modalities. “This significant contribution from the Swedish government helps us to further develop our leadership role in the medical imaging community,” commented Jan Erik Hedborg, CEO of ContextVision AB. “Filter optimization for 3D and 4D will be significantly more complex than that used in 2D imaging, as computational complexity increases exponentially with the number of dimensions and filters required for multiple directions. Our work in this area will be a testament to Sweden’s commitment to progress in medical technology arenas.” The funds were granted by VINNOVA, the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems. VINNOVA aims to promote growth throughout the country, especially innovations linked to growth and research, to stimulate Swedish participation in international research and development activities. The 3D/4D image enhancement project is a cooperative effort between ContextVision and its research partner, the Center for Medical Image and Visualization (CMIV, Linköping).