Alara, Inc. Ships 500th MetriScan® Densitometer

Hayward, CA, July 7, 2004 - Alara, Incorporated announced that it has shipped the 500th MetriScan peripheral bone densitometer.

MetriScan is a cost-effective, tabletop system that facilitates in-office bone mineral density (BMD) testing. By using radiographic absorptiometry (RA) to scan a patient’s three middle fingers (phalanges), MetriScan aids physicians in determining the patient’s T-score, the clinical predictive indicator of risk for developing osteoporosis and related fractures. By making BMD testing more accessible to physicians and patients, MetriScan promotes screening and early identification of osteoporosis which, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, threatens an estimated 44 million Americans and is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures annually. Testing the phalanges with MetriScan is also reimbursed by Medicare under the Bone Mass Measurement Act of 1997.

Since its introduction MetriScan won a Gold Award for design excellence from the Industrial Designers Society of America. International distribution began in 2002 and the system is available in the U.S. and 21 countries.

“We are pleased with reaching the 500 system milestone,” said Charles Cantoni, President and CEO of Alara. According to Cantoni, a recent editorial in the Archives of Internal Medicine stated that, “The most significant barrier to osteoporotic fracture risk reduction is failure of primary and specialty care physicians to implement screening in appropriate populations.” “We believe we can really help fill the need for such screening in a cost effective, patient convenient way with the MetriScan system,” said Cantoni.

Alara, Inc. is a privately held medical and dental device manufacturer located in Hayward, CA. The company also produces the DenOptix® line of digital scanners for the Gendex Dental Systems of Des Plaines, IL and CRystalView, a desktop computed radiography system for use in the OR, ED or ICU.

For additional information, please visit the company’s website at http://www.alara.com.        

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