Belgian women to benefit from mammography examinations with lowest radiation dose on the market

Belgian women to benefit from mammography examinations with lowest radiation
dose on the market

The St Trudo regional hospital in Belgium has invested in the digital
mammography system, Sectra MicroDose Mammography, from the IT and
medical-technology company Sectra. This is the first Belgian order for Sectra's
digital mammography system, which provides the lowest dose on the market.

Early detection of breast cancer saves lives and approximately 2 million Belgian
women undergo mammography examinations (both diagnostic and screening
procedures) each year. With this order, the St Trudo Hospital will be the first
in Belgium to offer women mammography examinations with the lowest radiation
dose on the market. 

The order also comprises Sectra breast imaging PACS, Sectra's system for
processing and archiving of patient data and images.  The system will be
integrated to the existing hospital image management system and combined with
Sectra MicroDose Mammography form a complete digital solution. 

”We chose Sectra MicroDose Mammography because we foresee throughput and
ergonomic advantages but, most importantly, we will avoid exposing women to
higher radiation levels than necessary. This will be of great benefit to the
women and also to our practice,” says Dr. S. Verhamme and Dr. G. Vandenbosch ,
breast radiologists at the St Trudo Hospital Radiology Department.

”The Belgian market for digital mammography is taking off and most hospitals are
now digitizing their mammography operations,” says Wim Schuur, Vice President
Sales and Marketing of Sectra's medical operations in the Benelux region. “At
the same time, care quality awareness is increasing. We provide customers with
systems that promote the development of safe digital mammography screening for
women. Accordingly, we are well positioned to take advantage of this growing
market.”

Safe and effective mammography screening 
With retained or superior imaging quality, Sectra's mammography system, Sectra
MicroDose Mammography, generates by far the lowest dose of radiation among all
of the systems offered on the market. The lowest radiation dose combined with
good ergonomics and a well-conceived workflow enables mammography nurses and
radiologists to work more efficiently and safely. At the same time, the
radiation to which the women are exposed is minimized to the lowest conceivable
level. Sectra MicroDose Mammography is based on unique detector technology that
counts every X-ray photon. This is considered by many to be the X-ray technology
of the future.

About St Trudo Hospital
The 310-bed St Trudo regional hospital serves the “Zuidwest Limburg” region and
south Vlaams-Brabant. About 80 physicians and 600 staff members provide
high-quality healthcare.  The imaging department headed by Dr. Verhamme is a
cornerstone in the radiology services delivered by the hospital. 


Dr. Torbjörn Kronander, President, Sectra Imtec AB, +46 705 23 52 27 
Dr. Jan-Olof Brüer, CEO and President, Sectra AB, +46 13 23 52 09

About Sectra's medical operations
Sectra develops and sells IT-systems and products for radiology, mammography and
orthopedic departments. More than 950 hospitals worldwide use the system daily,
together performing over 40 million radiology examinations annually. This makes
Sectra one of the world leading companies within systems for handling digital
radiology images (PACS). In Scandinavia, Sectra is the market leader with more
than 50% of all film-free installations. Outside Scandinavia, Sectra's system is
installed at customers in North America and most major countries in Europe and
the Far East.

About the Sectra Group
Sectra successfully develops and sells cutting-edge products in the expansive
niche segments of medical systems and secure communication systems.  The company
was founded in 1978 and has its roots in the Linköping Institute of Technology
in Sweden.  Today, Sectra has offices in eleven countries and operates through
partners worldwide. Sales in the 2006/2007 fiscal year totaled SEK 673 million.
The Sectra share is quoted on the Nordic Exchange in Stockholm. For more
information about Sectra visit http://www.sectra.com.