GE Medical Systems To Acquire Visualization Technology

WAUKESHA, Wis./LAWRENCE, Mass., Feb. 15 -- GE Medical Systems, a unit of General Electric Co., announced it has signed an agreement to acquire Visualization Technology Inc., maker of electromagnetic-based image-guided surgery systems that allow physicians to perform minimally invasive surgery without the line-of-sight restrictions of traditional image-guided surgery systems. Terms of the transaction, which is expected to close in March 2002, were not disclosed.

GE Medical Systems and Visualization Technology began working together in 2000 to develop the OEC FluoroTrak 9800, an integrated surgery imaging solution combining GE's patented 1K x 1K imaging technology with Visualization Technology's orthopedic and spine fluoro navigation applications. FluoroTrak 9800 is expected to be available this summer.