The company is a member of the Bracco Group, a highly innovative health care group and world leader in global integrated solutions for the diagnostic imaging field. The Bracco Group is headquartered in Milan, Italy. Its North American operations consist of Bracco Diagnostics and Bracco Research USA, both located in Princeton, New Jersey. Bracco Diagnostics is one of the fastest growing developers and marketers of diagnostic pharmaceuticals in North America, with products for various imaging applications, including Isovue® (iopamidol) X-ray contrast agent, ProHance®, (gadoteridol), MRI contrast agent, and nuclear medicine products.
Gadoteridol has been available in Europe and the USA for several years. Holder of the Marketing Authorization: Bracco International B.V. - Strawinskylaan 3051 - 1077 ZX Amsterdam The Netherlands. (Contact: Kirk Deeter, Phone: +NL-303-838-8708)

The Bracco Group is the world's leading provider of global diagnostic imaging solutions, with net sales of more than 1 billion euro, of which more than 64% from international sales; it has operations in 115 countries and about 3,500 employees, of whom more than 600 work in R&D. Bracco invests around 15% of its turnover in R&D and has a portfolio of 1,500 patents worldwide. The Bracco Group deploys an integrated approach to diagnostic imaging, with an offer that encompasses contrast media, its core business where it is one of the world's top players, biomedical equipment from Esaote, one of the world's primary producers of magnetic resonance and ultrasonographic medical equipment, contrast media delivery systems from Acist Medical Systems, a top US company in advanced contrast media injection systems, and medical application software from EBIT-AET and Singapore's Volume Interactions, the leading developer of advanced medical software. Bracco has formed a high-level international research network, whose three centers in Milan, Geneva and Princeton study and develop products for the latest-generation diagnostic techniques, from X-rays and computerized axial tomography to magnetic resonance and echo contrast.

Ultrasound Contrast Agents:

From Hitachi Medical Systems America Inc.;
The EUB-405 PLUS ultrasound system is a small portable unit and offers extreme dependability and uncompromising image quality. Compatible with a wide range of transducers, this system is a cost effective solution for a variety of clinical settings. A variety of measurements and calculations including distance, area, circumference, volume, are possible.

From Hitachi Medical Systems America Inc.;
The EUB-500 is similar to the EUB-405 PLUS. Added features are the 12-inch monitor, the second probe port, cine memory, gain slide control/multifunction trackball.

From ESAOTE S.p.A.;
'The MyLab™30CV ultrasound system is an evolutionary step in ultrasound technology. Weighing less than 20 pounds, it is the first compact ultrasound system to deliver premium console performance. And with mobile, portable or stationary configurations, MyLab30CV can adapt to any clinical environment.'

(Pa) The SI unit of pressure.
Definition: 1 Pascal is equal to 1 N/m² = 1 J/m³ = 1 kg*m^-1*s^-2
1 kPa = 0.145 lbf/in².
Air pressure is measured in hectoPascal (hPa), with 1 hPa = 1 millibar.
The unit is named for Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), French philosopher and mathematician.

See also Open Circuit Voltage, and Source Level.