ALOKA Ultrasound's ProSound Alpha 6 Wins International Design Award

May 13, 2010

The International Forum (iF) Design Award recognizes innovative design and performance

ALOKA Ultrasound recently announced that its newly released full featured compact ultrasound system, the ProSound Alpha 6, won a 2010 International Forum (iF) product design award in the Medicines and Healthcare category.

The iF Product Design Award is one of the most prestigious awards worldwide and is granted by the International Forum Design in Germany. The iF seal of approval for outstanding design quality is formal recognition of the ProSound Alpha 6. The iF award criteria assessed the product’s design quality, workmanship, choice of materials, degree of innovation, environmental friendliness, functionality, ergonomics, visualization of use, safety, brand value, branding and universal design.

The feature rich ProSound Alpha 6 is a compact and user-friendly, yet powerful ultrasound system, inheriting high image quality and high-end features from ALOKA’s premium systems. The Alpha 6 offers a large, programmable touch screen panel layout for quick access to frequently used controls, and is designed to be mobile as well as ergonomically, economically and environmentally friendly, with reduced power consumption.

2,486 entries for the iF Product Design Award were received from across the globe, including 39 different countries, and over 1,000 companies, with winning entrants judged by a team of renowned world experts.

David Famiglietti, Chief Operating Officer of ALOKA America, said, “The ProSound Alpha 6 represents an industry first by combining a high powered processor – which can perform the important imaging functions of a high end system – with a compact, ergonomic design. The iF award speaks volumes to ALOKA’s achievement in developing the ProSound Alpha 6: the smallest, lightest system in its class.”

The ProSound Alpha 6 will make its U.S. debut at ACOG’s Annual Clinical Meeting in San Francisco, CA, May 15-19, 2010, at the Aloka booth 1325. Additionally, iF is showcasing the design award winners on its website and at the Hannover Exhibition Center, Germany through August 2010 – with 250,000 visitors expected.

About ALOKA

ALOKA Company, Ltd. (TSE: 7704), an innovator in ultrasound for 60 years, is the oldest continuously operating ultrasound company in the world. ALOKA is one of the most experienced and innovative firms in the diagnostic ultrasound market. ALOKA was the first to develop the convex array probe in 1981; invented color Doppler technology in 1983; and introduced the world to 3D Volume Mode in 1996. Today, these technologies have become indispensable diagnostic tools for ultrasound examinations in a wide variety of clinical applications. ALOKA, with its worldwide headquarters located in Tokyo, Japan and U.S. headquarters in Wallingford, CT, has over 56 domestic and overseas business establishments, including subsidiaries. ALOKA exports its products to more than 150 countries and has installed over 200,000 ultrasound systems across the globe. With its commitment to “Illuminate the Change; See the unseen”, ALOKA is dedicated to excellence providing the systems to advance prognosis, prediction and prevention, ensuring the best quality of life for patients and society. www.aloka.com

About International Forum (iF)

Since 1953, the iF design awards have been a reliable indicator of outstanding quality in design. The iF logo, awarded by international experts, is trusted the world over and denotes proven design quality. Potential clients use the iF logo as a guideline for finding the best products within the marketplace. Participating in the iF design awards demonstrates the will to innovate and the courage to compare yourself to others in competition. www.ifdesign.de

Media Contact:

Katie Lybrook
ALOKA Company, Ltd.
1-800-872-5652, ext. 206
klybrook@aloka.com