Standing MRI Machines Becoming More Widely Used by Veterinarians

Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging Company Reaches 10,000 Standing Equine MRI Scans

ACTON, Mass. (July 31, 2013) – Standing equine MRI is becoming the new norm in helping
equine veterinarians diagnose lameness problems, as more horses are being referred to standing
MRI machines. Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging notes that more than 10,000 scans have been
completed within their standing equine MRI machines in North America alone -- signaling a new
trend in diagnostics.

The milestone illustrates a shift in how veterinarians are managing lameness care. The Hallmarq
standing equine MRI system allows horses to stand for scans of the foot and lower leg instead of
undergoing general anesthesia for the same scans. The horse is simply walked into the machine.
And, because the system eliminates the need for general anesthesia, which can lead to problems
including death in some healthy horses, it is safer than a traditional MRI.

“Veterinarians understand that our standing MRI machine offers them the ability to clearly
determine what type of injury a horse has without the use of general anesthesia,” says Dan
Brown, BVSc, MRCVS, business development director at Hallmarq. “Our system is not only
convenient and easy for the staff, but also much safer for the horse.”

Dr. Brendan Furlong, DVM, of B.W. Furlong & Associates, Oldwick, N.J., adds that using the
standing equine MRI ensures he isn’t putting his patients at an unnecessary risk. Furlong, who
completed the 10,000th scan, has utilized his standing equine MRI to diagnose lameness in
hundreds of horses since 2004.“We not only use it on our patients, but many veterinarians in the area are also referring more
patients to our clinic for the scans,” says Furlong. “I think it demonstrates an evolution in the
way veterinarians are approaching lameness care. If we can get an accurate diagnosis without
putting the horse at risks associated with anesthesia, why wouldn’t we use it?”

Furlong added he was so impressed with the system he uses in New Jersey, he set-up another
system at his site in Wellington, Fl.

Hallmarq’s own figures show that their standing MRI system has a diagnostic rate which is on
par with those claimed for High Field MRI under anesthesia, at about 90 percent, meaning the
safety gains come with no loss of diagnostic value.