Fonar Corp (FONR)

[ProfitScout]

First FONAR Upright MRI at Hurst, Texas Diagnostic Center Leads to Second Purchase; Patients Enthusiastically Refer to the Stand-Up MRI as ''The 'TV' MRI!''

MELVILLE, N.Y., Aug 03, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- FONAR Corporation ( FONR ), The MRI Specialist(TM), announced today that it has sold and installed an Upright(TM) MRI (Stand-Up(TM) MRI) to Physicians Stand-Up MRI, Ltd. of Hurst, Texas. This new MRI center is located in the Mid-Cities area off Precinct Line Road in Hurst. A grand opening celebration was held May 9-11 to introduce the new MRI facility to the referring physician community and to the surrounding community. More recently, Physicians Stand-Up MRI has purchased a second unit to become the 23rd multi-purchaser of the Stand-Up(TM) MRI.

Mr. Clint Sands, President/CEO of Physicians Stand-Up MRI, said, "The MRI technology is a wonderful advancement in medicine. However, traditional MRIs are not designed for patient comfort. As a result, many patients often have had unpleasant experiences. In fact, many patients even object to an 'Open' MRI, since the magnet is still right in front of the patient's face. Now FONAR has built the world's only Upright(TM) MRI in which patients can watch a 42" wide screen TV while being scanned. Some of our patients, who can't tolerate even an 'Open' MRI, enthusiastically call the Stand-Up(TM) MRI - the 'TV' MRI!"

See what the patient sees: http://www.fonar.com/news/080305.htm
"Furthermore, many patients who were unable to be scanned in traditional tube MRIs can now be scanned in our Upright(TM) MRI machine. These include those with severe kyphosis (curvature of the spine), severely claustrophobic patients, and children that often must undergo anesthesia to have an MRI and can avoid it in the Stand-Up(TM) MRI. For many reasons patients are unable to lie down on their back, making the FONAR Stand-Up(TM) MRI the only viable MRI available," added Mr. Sands.

"Overweight patients can also benefit from the Upright(TM) MRI," exclaimed Mr. Sands. "The first patient we scanned weighed 370 pounds. We don't know of another MRI that could have scanned this patient, yet it was easily done in the FONAR Stand-Up(TM) MRI. The patient was ecstatic about his MRI experience!"
"This unparalleled comfort and access is only part of the reason why the Upright(TM) MRI is such an important technological breakthrough," continued Mr. Sands. "Most important is the superb quality of the images and the ability to perform Upright(TM) Imaging, where patients can be scanned sitting, standing, or bending in a flexion or extension position. This provides us with pictures of pathology that are unobtainable using any other traditional MRI. We now are able to give the surgeon the 'complete picture' of the patient's pathology before he goes to surgery. The weight-bearing image shows the patient's disks and vertebra fully weight loaded, the way they are when he is actually experiencing his pain. For all of these reasons we have now purchased our second Stand-Up(TM) MRI."

Physicians Stand-Up MRI is located at 797 Lonesome Dove Trail at Precinct Line Road in Hurst, Texas. It serves both Dallas and Ft. Worth and is centrally located in the Mid-Cities area. The telephone number is [phone]. The Web sites is: www.psumri.com.

About FONAR
FONAR was incorporated in 1978, making it the first, oldest and most experienced MRI manufacturer in the industry. FONAR introduced the world's first commercial MRI in 1980, and went public in 1981. Since its inception, we have installed nearly 300 MRI scanners worldwide. FONAR's stellar product line includes the Upright(TM) MRI (also known as the Stand-Up(TM) MRI), the only whole-body MRI that performs Position(TM) imaging (pMRI(TM)) and scans patients in numerous weight-bearing positions, i.e. standing, sitting, in flexion and extension, as well as the conventional lie-down position. The FONAR Upright(TM) MRI often sees the patient's problem that other scanners cannot because they are lie-down only. With over 100,000 patients scanned, the patient-friendly Upright(TM) MRI has a near zero claustrophobic rejection rate by patients. As a FONAR customer states, "If the patient is claustrophobic in this scanner, they'll be claustrophobic in my parking lot." Approximately 85% of patients are scanned sitting while they watch a 42" flat screen TV. Our latest MRI scanner is the FONAR 360(TM), a room-size recumbent scanner that optimizes openness while facilitating physician access to the patient. FONAR is headquartered on Long Island, New York, and has approximately 500 employees.
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MRI Specialist, Stand-Up, Upright, Position, PMRI and The Proof
is in the Picture are trademarks of FONAR.

Be sure to visit FONAR's Web site for Company product and
investor information:
http://www.fonar.com


SOURCE: FONAR Corporation
FONAR Corporation
Daniel Culver, 631-694-2929
fax: [phone]
http://www.fonar.com
or
The Anne McBride Company
Kathy Price, 212-983-1702, ext.212
http://www.annemcbride.com

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