LINKOPING, Sweden, February 15, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Swedish IT and medical technology company Sectra widens its product offering within digital radiology through an acquisition of the Danish company Pronosco A/S, based in Copenhagen. Pronosco develops and markets software for diagnosing and monitoring osteoporosis.
Since November 2001, Sectra has had a cooperation agreement with Pronosco regarding integration of their software tools with Sectra's system for digital radiology. Pronosco's application makes it possible to diagnose and monitor the development of osteoporosis (an increasingly prevalent disease in the western world) using an x-ray image of the patient's hand. Through digital image analysis, the physician can estimate the Bone Mineral Density (BMD) and the structure of the bone, which facilitates an early diagnosis - crucial when it comes to controlling the disease. The application will be available as an optional tool in Sectra's workstations.
"The acquisition broadens Sectra's product portfolio in digital radiology and strengthens the offering to our customers," says Torbjorn Kronander, President of Sectra Imtec AB. "Pronosco has specialist competence in digital image analysis which, in combination with Sectra's expertise in digital radiology, provides possibilities for us to significantly improve the benefits our users derive from digital radiology."
The acquisition has initially only limited influence on Sectra's financial position.
Sectra is one of today's major PACS providers with more than 200 PACS installations worldwide. The Swedish-based company operates through partners in most of the world, but delivers directly to end customers in Northern Europe. The core business is to deliver top-of-the-line high-availability, robust enterprise PACS for 24/7 operation. In Sweden, which is currently the country with the largest penetration of PACS in the world, Sectra holds a dominant market leadership with more than 60% of all film-free installations. The company has its largest number of installed systems in Sweden and in the US (through partners), but has also an installed base in Germany, Norway, Finland, UK, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands and the Far East.
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Sectra's operations Sectra has its roots in Linkoping Technical University and is one of Sweden's fastest-growing high-tech companies in the IT area. Since the mid-1980s, Sectra has successfully conducted development and sales of high-technology medical IT and telecommunications products. Today, the business includes products in medical systems, secure communication systems and wireless information systems.
Sectra's medical business is conducted in Sectra Imtec AB, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sectra AB. In Denmark the medical business is conducted in the wholly owned subsidiary Sectra A/S. Internationally, Sectra PACS is marketed and sold through different partners.
Business is conducted in six countries with a total of 218 employees. Sales for the fiscal year May 2000-April 2001 reached SEK 292 million. Since March 1999, Sectra's shares have been quoted on the O list of the Stockholm Exchange.
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