$3.98 Billion
No. of Employees: 8,900

Kaizen. It is Japanese for “improvement” or “self-changing for the best of all,” and refers to philosophies or practices that focus on the continuous improvement of processes—usually in manufacturing, engineering or business management.

Kaizen is a daily exercise, the purpose of which goes beyond simple productivity improvement. It is also a process that, when done correctly, humanizes the workplace, eliminates overly hard work (called muri in Japanese), and teaches people how to evaluate their work using scientific methods and how to spot and eliminate waste in business processes.

For management at Toshiba Medical Systems Corp., the wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo, Japan-based electronics and manufacturing multinational Toshiba, continual improvement and change is a way of life built on more than 100 years in the medical device business.

Toshio Takiguchi, the newly appointed president and CEO of Toshiba Medical Systems summed up the firm’s perspective in his inaugural letter to shareholders:

“We will continue to respond to changes in the industry and the needs of our customers, and pursue our mutual goal of improving healthcare delivery,” he wrote. “Our products and our company are dedicated to our ‘Made for Life’ philosophy… Our company is the product of our employees and I am proud of our Toshiba family.”

Takiguchi, who has been with the Toshiba Group since 1980, was named shortly after the close of the company’s 2013 fiscal year (ended March 31, 2014). He replaced Satoshi Tsunakawa who went on to serve at the corporate level of the Toshiba parent company.

“I have dedicated myself to strengthening and expanding our medical systems business through corporate acquisitions and strategic alliances. Passionate about increasing Toshiba’s presence in this market throughout the world, I know this is only possible with the help of our customers, who are equally passionate about improving patients’ quality of life,” Takiguchi concluded.

Toshiba Medical Systems provides medical diagnostic imaging systems and comprehensive medical solutions, such as computed tomography (CT) scanners, X-ray and vascular, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, as well as information systems for healthcare systems.

The Toshiba “family” has been prolific in its technology development. In FY13, the company celebrated a milestone with the manufacture of its 30,000th CT system. Toshiba introduced its first CT system in 1978.

As in years past, FY13 experienced a litany of new product launches from Toshiba Medical Systems. Among the technology introductions for the year were:

• Enhancements to the company’s Vantage Titan MR product line. Updates improve workflow, image quality and patient comfort, company officials said. Improvements include new high-density, lightweight coils that are available in medium and large sizes and ideally suited for general orthopedic and body imaging. A new 32-channel head coil option provides improved image quality for high-end neurological applications. Also updated is a Rapid Transport System (RTS). The lightweight and easy-to-maneuver RTS is designed for transporting patients to the MRI suite for scanning without the need for repositioning, improving workflow and throughput. The RTS docks above the MR system’s couch, so the patient stays on one table during the entire imaging process, ensuring patient safety and comfort.
• To offer healthcare providers affordable X-ray technology that performs efficient exams, Toshiba America Medical Systems introduced a new single-panel RADREX-i Wireless digital radiographic X-ray system. The wireless panel, which the company claims is one of the lightest on the market, is easy to handle and improves image quality, as it can be positioned more closely to the anatomy. It is well-suited tabletop imaging of extremities, such as hands, wrists, forearms and feet, and wheelchair- and gurney-patient imaging. “The new single-panel RADREX-i Wireless is an example of Toshiba putting customers first and providing flexible system designs to meet the needs of healthcare providers and their patients,” said David Sloop, director, X-ray Vascular Business Unit, Toshiba. “The single panel wireless solution lowers cost of ownership and increases workflow, responding to the two main directives of healthcare reform.”
• Ultrasound will be able to depict blood flow with more detail and accuracy thanks to updates to Toshiba’s premium Aplio 500 ultrasound system. Despite advances in ultrasound, current imaging techniques struggle to detect microvascular blood flow in areas like the liver, kidneys, abdomen and lymph nodes, because of limitations in conventional Doppler technologies. Toshiba’s new technology is designed to help solve this problem and current evaluations have shown great promise in its ability to characterize tumors. “The images we’ve produced so far with this technology are stunning,” said Flemming Forsberg, Ph.D., professor of radiology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pa. “It is able to clearly show low blood flow in small vessels throughout the body. The potential clinical utility for characterizing lesions, cysts and tumors could make ultrasound an even more important tool in diagnoses.”

Net sales for Toshiba Medical Systems increased by 31.2 billion yen to 410.8 billion yen ($3.9 billion) for the 2013 fiscal year (ended March 31, 2014), according to fissures released by the Toshiba Group. Higher sales of CT systems, particularly in emerging economies, helped to drive revenues, according to the company’s leadership. Operating income increased by 4.8 billion yen to 28.6 billion yen ($277.8 million). Toshiba does not break out sales by healthcare product line.