Planar Ships First Medically Certified 4-megapixel Color Display with FDA 510(k) Clearance; Dome(R) E4c Improves Productivity and Efficiency for Diagnostic Imaging

Part of Planar's recently introduced Dome(R) EX line, thiswidescreen display can increase efficiency and productivity forprofessionals in the areas of radiology, cardiology, nuclear medicine(NM), positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT),dermatology and in the operating room. New features, such as the 16:9display format, offer significantly more screen space and the abilityto show 15 full size 512 x 512 images on one screen.

The Dome E4c supports an open architecture design which allowsusers to gain access to state-of-the-art graphics standards, such asOpenGL and DirectX, providing the capability of 2-D color imaging,image fusion, high-speed 3-D and volumetric rendering for navigationand visualization functionality. In addition, the open architecturesupport enables faster display performance and seamless integration offuture standard enhancements.

"The advancements in Planar's Dome E4c are introducingopportunities for medical professionals to do their jobs faster andmore easily," said Rodney Hawkins, vice president of productmanagement at AMICAS, a leader in radiology and medical image andinformation management solutions. "A single 4-megapixel displayreplaces a traditional dual monitor set-up. This helps simplify taskssuch as comparing studies and eliminates the bezel associated withdual-head monitors. The result is more screen space for multipleimages in any layout desired."

Unlike commercially available displays, the Dome E4c has beentested and certified to ensure it meets the standards for diagnosticimaging and medical devices. A critical difference is that standardcommercial displays contain a palette of only 256 shades of gray,compared to the Dome E4c, with a palette of 1786 shades of gray,providing the best image representation available on a color display.

"We are excited to provide clinicians with a new display formfactor that optimizes the viewing of digital projection radiographyand cross sectional imaging modalities," said Patrick Herguth, vicepresident and general manager of the medical business unit for Planar."The combination of the form factor and price point of the Dome E4cwill make this an ideal unit for primary reading in hospitals andclinics, and also for the viewing of images in the ER, OR and privateoffices."

The Dome E4c is now shipping complete with Dome CXtra(TM)software, which monitors, controls and adjusts DICOM calibration ofDome displays to the users' desired luminance across all gray levels.This display is also compatible with Dome Dashboard(TM) software, aconsole application which enables PACS administrators and IT managersto centrally manage, control and report on their entire line of Domemedical imaging displays.

Planar's new Dome E4c line features the following attributes andbenefits:

Dome E4c

-- 30 inch, Widescreen, 16:9 format with 4-megapixel resolution; DICOM calibration for grayscale images

-- FDA 510(k) cleared (K060136)

-- 330 cd/m(2) typical brightness

-- 600:1 contrast ratio

-- 1786 unique shades of gray

-- Automatic DICOM Calibration

About Planar

Planar Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLNR) is a leading provider offlat-panel display hardware and software solutions for demandingmedical, industrial and commercial applications. Hospitals, shoppingcenters, banks and businesses of all sizes use Planar displaytechnology to help connect people, information and ideas. Founded in1983, Planar is headquartered in Oregon, USA, with offices,manufacturing partners and customers worldwide. For more information,visit www.planar.com.