Meade Instruments to Supply Imaging System Technology

IRVINE, Calif., April 30 -- Meade Instruments Corp. will supply a critical subassembly in the new Avera breast imaging system as part of a long-term strategic partnership with its manufacturer, Advanced Imaging Technologies, Inc. (AIT).

The Avera uses diffractive ultrasound to create highly detailed images of soft tissue. Unlike conventional ultrasound, diffractive ultrasound uses laser and CCD technology to analyze sound waves after they have passed through an object, essentially producing 3D images in a large field of view. The Meade subassembly -- which primarily consists of a high-power pulse laser, precision optical components and a low-noise cooled CCD camera -- converts this acoustical information into an optical image in a digital format.

Avera is AIT's first commercialization of diffractive ultrasound, a patented technology that combines in one system elements of other techniques such as conventional ultrasound, radiography and magnetic resonance imaging.