May 2, 2007 - Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. today announced the completion of enrollment for 400 patients in its CorE 64 (Coronary Evaluation on 64) study taking place across seven countries, the largest trial evaluating the use of 64-slice CT technology, which Toshiba anticipates will result in the most statistically reliable data available to date.
Toshiba's CorE 64 trial investigates the use of multi-slice CT as the primary diagnostic tool for detecting cardiovascular diseases and disorders, as compared to cardiac catheterization, a costly, invasive technique. Data collected to date from CorE 64 indicates CT holds a favorable place as a diagnostic alternative to cardiac catheterization and has the potential to change the delivery of healthcare.
The manufacturer expects CorE 64 findings to impact the overall reimbursement guidelines for multi-slice CT and facilitate greater patient access to 64-slice CT.
The CorE 64 multi-center study participants include nine sites across seven countries:
* Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in Baltimore, Md., led by primary investigators Drs. Joao A. C. Lima and Julie Miller
* Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore, Md.
* Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard in Boston, Mass.
* Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands
* Humboldt University, Campus Charite Mitte in Germany
* INCOR Heart Institute of the School of Medicine Hospital, Sao Paulo University in Brazil
* Iwate Medical University in Japan
* Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore
* Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network and Mount Sinai Hospital in Canada
According to Toshiba's senior director of CT, Doug Ryan, the CorE 64 clinical trial utilizes a different approach when compared to previous studies on the topic. This is attributed in large part to the study's call for an international, multi-center approach, bypassing limitations associated with previous studies that focus on one geographic area or utilize smaller patient populations.