Fujifilm Archives - Medical Design Sourcing

Fujifilm installs ultrasound tech in radiology centers throughout California

The Arietta 650 DeepInsight. [Image from Fujifilm]Fujifilm Healthcare Americas announced today that installations began for its Arietta 650 DeepInsight ultrasound systems in California.

United Medical Imaging Healthcare in Los Angeles started installing the systems across its radiology facilities in southern California. This comes as part of a volume purchase agreement between the two companies.

According to a news release, these represent the first systems installed in the U.S. that use DeepInsight technology. DeepInsight offers cognitive technology for extracting only necessary information from image raw data. This helps deliver clearer images, Fujifilm said.

“Ultrasound imaging has become an indispensable diagnostic tool in modern medicine,” said Hideyuki Honda, VP of ultrasound solutions and business development, Fujifilm Healthcare Americas. “However, ultrasound images are often subject to noises generated in the system, which can make it difficult to …

Fujifilm spending $188M on new cell culture media plant

Fujifilm announced today that it invested $188 million to establish a cell culture media manufacturing facility in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

Tokyo-based Fujifilm said it plans for its Fujifilm Irvine Scientific subsidiary to operate the new site. The subsidiary offers the development and manufacturing of advanced cell culture solutions for life science research, bioproduction, cell therapy manufacturing, and medical applications.

According to a news release, the state-of-the-art, 250,000-square-foot facility stretches over 64 acres. It supports the manufacturing of animal component-free, dry powder and liquid media. This adds production capacity of 800,000 Kg/year for dry powder, 3,300,000 L/year for liquid, and 40,000 L/day of water for injection.

“Fujifilm’s intensive investment in the life sciences field represents our commitment to be the dedicated partner for customers in the biopharmaceutical industry,” said Teiichi Goto, president an…

Fujifilm establishing cell culture subsidiary in Korea

Fujifilm announced today that it is establishing a Seoul, South Korea–based subsidiary to accelerate its business growth in the cell culture media space.

With paid-in capital of ₩300 million (roughly $250,000), the new subsidiary opens tomorrow.

It will import cell culture media for bioproduction and advanced cell and gene therapies. Its goal through its direct sales and marketing will be to meet local customers’ needs for custom media. The market for cell culture media in South Korea has been growing at an annual rate of 15%, according to Fujifilm.

“The establishment of a new subsidiary is an important step toward further business expansion in the rapidly-growing market in South Korea,” said Yutaka Yamaguchi, corporate VP and GM of the Life Sciences Business Division at the Tokyo-based company.

“Fujifilm will, as a partner for customers in the bio-industry, continue to strongly support their research, development, and manufacturing, thereby…

Fujifilm launches 2-in-1 fluoroscopy, digital radiography system

Fujifilm Healthcare Americas announced today that it began the U.S. launch of its FDR Cross hybrid c-arm and portable x-ray system.

Lexington, Massachusetts-based Fujifilm designed the FDR cross solution for hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASC). The company said in a news release that the dual-function c-arm is the first of its kind to offer portable fluoroscopic and radiographic imaging on a single platform, reducing the need to bring in additional imaging equipment for essential image-guided procedures.

The platform features an innovative, pivoting tube head and removable detector design to enable greater freedom of imaging and efficiency compared to conventional configurations of a separate c-arm and mobile x-ray machine.

Additionally, the platform has compatibility with Fujifilm’s latest, ultra-lightweight, glass-free FDR D-EVO III detectors to allow configuration in 10×12, 14×17 and 17×17 inch sizes. It enables an imag…

Fujifilm to spend $1.6B to bolster cell culture manufacturing services

The multinational conglomerate Fujifilm will invest $1.6 billion to improve and ramp up the cell culture manufacturing services of its CDMO subsidiary Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies.

Most of the investment will focus on a site in Hillerød, Denmark. A site in College Station, Texas, will also benefit from a funding injection.

The investment will increase the capacity of its cGMP batch manufacturing with the addition of eight 20,000L bioreactors and two downstream processing streams.

Fujifilm boasts that the Hillerød facility will be the largest end-to-end CDMO in Europe with 20 x 20,000L bioreactors for drug substance production.

The Denmark facility will also have sustainable production features. For example, it will use an electric boiler rather than one powered by natural gas. Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies also will invest in technologies to curb water consumption.

Fujifilm expects the investment to create roughly 450 jobs. There a…

Fujifilm wins $405M DoD contract for endoscopic tech

Fujifilm Healthcare Americas Corp. recently announced a five-year U.S. Defense Department contract to provide endoscopy tech and training to all U.S. military hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers.

The contract with the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support also covers the Veteran’s Health Administration, National Institutes of Health, Indian Health Service and more. A DoD contracts announcement from early February lists the size of the contract at $405 million.

“We are particularly honored to serve those who represent their nation so proudly in military and public service,” said Taisuke Fujita, VP of Endoscopy at Lexington, Massachusetts–based Fujifilm Healthcare Americas Corp.

“We are determined to deliver the most advanced technology to the medical teams at each of the institutions covered by this monumental agreement,” Fujita said in an April 13 news release.

The contract involves Fujifilm’s entire portfolio of endoscopic soluti…

Innovations coming out of HIMSS 2022 you should know

Companies are announcing a range of innovations in digital health, cybersecurity, AI and more at HIMSS 2022.

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Global Health Conference and Exhibition runs March 14–18, 2022, in Orlando, Florida. It’s an annual health information and technology event where professionals can connect to learn more about innovations in the industry.

Here are some of the healthcare IT innovation announcements made at HIMSS22:

Get the full story on our sister site, Medical Design & Outsourcing.

Innovations coming out of HIMSS 2022 you should know

Companies are announcing a range of innovations in digital health, cybersecurity, AI and more at HIMSS 2022.

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Global Health Conference and Exhibition runs March 14–18, 2022, in Orlando, Florida. It’s an annual health information and technology event where professionals can connect to learn more about innovations in the industry.

Here are some of the healthcare IT innovation announcements made at HIMSS22:

1. Philips expands medical device cybersecurity portfolio

Philips is expanding its medical device cybersecurity services to include remote access management. The new Remote Access Management Service increases uptime, clinical performance and advanced security to protect access to healthcare providers’ clinical solutions and medical devices. It combines SecureLink’s critical access management and governance technology with Philips Remove Services’ secure connectivity …

Fujifilm Sonosite files patent infringement lawsuit against Butterfly Network over handheld ultrasound

Fujifilm Sonosite announced today that it filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Butterfly Network (NYSE:BFLY).

Bothell, Washington-based Fujifilm Sonosite filed the lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, asserting seven patents (U.S. Patent Nos. 7,169,108; 7,867,168; 8,128,050; 8,861,822; 9,538,985; 6,901,157; and 8,360,981) pertaining to fundamental technologies for acquiring ultrasound images at the point of care with portable handheld systems.

The patents asserted by Fujifilm Sonosite cover several aspects of point of care ultrasound solutions, including the use of a probe coupled to a mobile device, elements of the graphical interface and other features related to the processing and display of ultrasound images, according to a news release.

Fujifilm Sonosite said it seeks remedies, including damages related to the alleged infringement described as Butterfly Network’s use, manufacturing, marketing, promot…

Fujifilm to aquire Atara’s T-cell manufacturing facility in California for $100M

Atara Biotherapeutics announced yesterday that Fujifilm will acquire its T-cell operations and manufacturing (ATOM) facility for $100 million.

South San Francisco-based Atara entered into a long-term strategic agreement with Fujifilm’s Diosynth Biotechnologies (FDB) subsidiary under which Fujifilm will acquire the ATOM facility in Thousand Oaks, Calif., and retain current manufacturing and quality staff at the site.

The deal also includes a long-term supply agreement that could extend to 10 years. After the transaction completes — which is expected to happen in April 2022 — FDB will provide Atara with access to the capacity and capability needed to manufacture clinical and commercial-stage allogeneic cell therapies for its pipeline. FDB will also expand the use of the manufacturing site and use its staff to manufacture a broader portfolio of cell therapies, according to a news release.

Atara’s pipeline includes tabelecleucel (tab-cel),which i…

Report: Fujifilm to expand vaccine production plant in England

Fujifilm (TSE:4901) has reportedly spent big to double the size of its United Kingdom-based vaccine manufacturing facility.

The Financial Times reported that Fujifilm is spending about $532.8 million (£400 million) to expand its Teesside (north-east England) plant that is making the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, transforming it with factories specializing in antibody treatments and viral gene therapies.

Get the full story at our sister site, Pharmaceutical Processing World.

Fujifilm to expand vaccine production plant in England

Fujifilm (TSE:4901) has reportedly spent big to double the size of its United Kingdom-based vaccine manufacturing facility.

The Financial Times reported that Fujifilm is spending about $532.8 million (£400 million) to expand its Teesside (north-east England) plant that is making the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, transforming it with factories specializing in antibody treatments and viral gene therapies.

According to the report, builders have already begun construction on one facility, while the land for the other remains undeveloped to this point. FT said the facilities are set to open in 2023 with up to 350 highly skilled jobs to be created in contract manufacturing.

Fujifilm manufactures the active ingredient for the vaccines developed by Novavax, FT said. Novavax’s vaccine was recently submitted to regulators, according to the report, but has not received approval in the UK, while the company said months ago that it intended to file for FDA emergenc…