Aspect Imaging Expands Cooperation with Bruker Corporation on High-Performance Compact MRI System for Pre-clinical and Molecular Imaging

Bruker Icon™ become the de facto standard for compact high-performance MRI systems for the pre-clinical market

TORONTO and SHOHAM, Israel, April 2, 2012 /CNW/ - Aspect Imaging, the world leading developer of high-performance compact permanent magnets, announced the expanded cooperation with Bruker Corporation on manufacturing and distributing easy-to-use compact magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems. Aspect will provide its patented technology to Bruker for use in its Icon compact high-performance 1 Tesla MRI system. In addition, Aspect will focus on its clinical and industrial markets and will transition the growing pre-clinical demand for its M2™ systems to Bruker, who will service academic and pharmaceutical researchers with its leading Icon platform that includes the Aspect front-end componentry.

"Building on our strong partnership with Bruker, we will no longer sell the M2 system directly to the pre-clinical market but will instead refer all prospective customers to the Bruker Icon, which uses our complete front-end including our novel 1 Tesla permanent magnet and gradients," says Uri Rapoport, Aspect Imaging's Founder and CEO. "Aspect Imaging will continue to develop new products for the pre-clinical market but will work closely with Bruker to offer these new capabilities through the Icon platform. This strong partnership for the pre-clinical market will allow Aspect to focus on our core clinical and advanced industrial markets, where the M2 platform has the opportunity to provide novel solutions unavailable through any other tool or modality".

"Recognizing the amazing response to the Icon as well as the leading Aspect 1 Tesla magnet and gradients, we are simplifying the customer experience by only having one compact MRI system -- the Icon -- and yet allowing the customer to benefit from the best-in-class Aspect magnet front end," says Dr. Wulf I. Jung, Managing Director at Bruker BioSpin. "In the few months since our introduction of the Icon, we have had significant interest and multiple orders globally and look forward to further penetrating the pre-clinical market with the Icon, which is the unmatched leading platform for compact high-performance MRI systems".

Aspect's pre-clinical team will support the transition of existing M2 customers to Bruker and will continue to work with Bruker's Icon team to fully realize the growing demand for the Icon globally.

For more information on the Icon compact MRI system utilizing the M2 front-end magnet and gradients, visit www.bruker.com/icon.

About Aspect Imaging:

Aspect Imaging (www.aspectimaging.com) is the world's leader in high-performance compact MRI imaging systems for pre-clinical, clinical and advanced industrial applications. In the pre-clinical research market, Aspect has an arrangement to supply its M2™ magnet and gradients to Bruker Bio-Spin for use in its leading Icon™ compact MRI platform. Due to its high-performance M2 permanent magnet and suite of related products, the Icon enables academic researchers and pharmaceutical companies to harness the power and insights of MRI but without the cost, complexity and technical burden of traditional MRI systems. Aspect Imaging's novel permanent magnets are also used in advanced industrial applications including rheology where the M2 instruments can operate inline on large-scale production lines for food processing, consumer products, biofuels and other applications providing real-time, non-invasive and quantitative read-outs for process and quality control. Aspect also has multiple clinical programs underway including efforts to provide highly efficient just-in-place compact MRI for a range of clinical applications including safe, quiet, and economical imaging for extremity imaging.

About Bruker

Bruker Corporation (NASDAQ: BRKR) is a leading provider of high-performance scientific instruments and solutions for molecular and materials research, as well as for industrial and applied analysis.  For more information, please visit www.bruker.com.

Robert Sandler     
SVP, Marketing
Aspect Imaging
T. 416.274.8166
E. [email protected]

Dr. Thorsten Thiel
Bruker Director of Marketing Communications
T: [phone] - 6517
E: [email protected]