GE Healthcare, a division of General Electric is selected as the sole supplier of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technology for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Installed at the Olympic Village General Hospital, two of GE Healthcare's advanced MRI technologies, the Signa HDe 1.5T will be accessible to be used on all international competing athletes during the Games.

These technologies within close proximity of all the sporting competitions will enable clinicians to diagnose potential injuries earlier or simply monitor treatment with a view to maximize the time of play for an athlete and ensure a quick return to play. Every day an athlete spends in rehab is a day lost in training, which is why diagnosing injuries earlier or monitoring the recovery in real time is crucial for elite performance.

Sports medicine is an advanced discipline focused on assisting athletes in achieving their optimum performances while ensuring their physical and psychological integrity. This requires sports physicians to equip themselves with the best available technologies in the field of medical imaging allowing them to have an earlier and more accurate diagnosis platform.

With the development of new MR systems and techniques over the past five to ten years, GE Healthcare's MR technologies have become a valuable tool for diagnosing sports related injuries showcased already at the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games, alongside some other medical imaging devices offering a complete medical solution for athletes.

Using GE Healthcare technology and expertise, clinicians can detect and diagnose injury and disease earlier and ensure better patient care. All athletes run a risk of injury and our experience in sports medicine as well as our customer feedback tells us how important it has become for athletes to have advanced MR technology such as the Signa HDe 1.5T on-site during training and competition at the Olympic Village General Hospital" commented Chih Chen, President, GE Healthcare China.

In addition, GE Healthcare's Signa HDe 1.5T will help clinicians at the Olympic Village General Hospital not only benefit from high-definition images, but also decreased operation costs (water, electricity, liquid helium,) by up to 40 per cent.

GE is the exclusive provider of a wide range of innovative products and services that are integral to staging successful Games. The company works closely with host countries, cities and organizing committees to provide infrastructure solutions for Olympic venues including power, lighting, water treatment, transportation and security, and to supply hospitals with ultrasound and MRI equipment to help doctors treat athletes. In addition, NBC Universal, a division of GE, is the exclusive US media partner of the Olympic Games, with its partnership also extending through 2012.