Magnetic Resonance to Launch Japan Ventures

Magnetic Resonance Diagnostics Corp. in Thousand Oaks has signed new Japanese ventures with Fuji Film and the city of Takarazara, projects with an estimated value of $10 million.

The Fuji contract calls for MRD to supply a therapeutic version of its magnetic resonance analyzer to Fuji’s professional volleyball team. Municipal officials in Takarazara will use an industrial version of the device to test, treat and improve the purity of water used in that city’s public swimming pools and reservoirs.

“The magnetic resonance analyzer technology is grounded in the fundamentals of physics, which explains why there are so many potential applications,” said Ronald J. Weinstock, MRD’s chief executive officer. “By integrating physics with chemistry and/or biology, we create and manufacture products that fill unmet needs.”

The volleyball team’s medical and strength training staff will use the therapeutic version of the analyzer to treat muscle and tissue injuries, as well as enhance muscle recovery after strenuous workouts.

MRD supplies devices to the United States Olympic Training Center, Compton Community College in the Los Angeles area and RPT Associates of Boulder, Colo. These organizations are treating elite and professional athletes as part of an ongoing clinical trial.

MRD intends to file for Food and Drug Administration approval of the therapeutic version of its device in 1997.

Takarazara city officials are hopeful their project will evolve into a regional or national pilot project, depending on local results. Mercury and lead toxicity in Japan’s water supply is a nationwide problem, MRD officials said.