To realize our desire to "provide the latest and best cardiac imaging diagnostics to as many people as possible," we have decided to open a specialized cardiac imaging diagnostic center, "Cardiac Imaging Clinic Iidabashi," in Iidabashi, Tokyo.

Diagnostic imaging technology for photographing the heart has made rapid advances in recent years. Using the latest diagnostic imaging technology such as CT and MRI, it is now possible to perform examinations that minimize radiation exposure and pain. Three-dimensional images of the heart, including the coronary arteries (blood vessels surrounding the heart), can be taken in a short outpatient examination. Cardiac examinations that traditionally relied on electrocardiograms and X-rays can now be performed using CT and MRI, with very little physical strain, to obtain a detailed understanding of the heart's exact movement and three-dimensional (3D) structure.

Cardiac imaging has great potential for preventing and early detection of heart disease. I have been engaged in clinical and research work on cardiac imaging at Stanford University in the United States for seven and a half years, and I have high expectations and confidence in its potential. I have recently returned to Japan with the desire to contribute my experience and research results to Japanese medical care and solve problems in cardiac imaging. As a place to put my knowledge and skills into practice, I have established Japan's first and rarest cardiac imaging center in the world. I believe that Japan's excellent medical technology can be deployed overseas with confidence. With the cooperation of a wide range of medical professionals, I would like to work hard to achieve my goal of "providing the latest and best cardiac imaging diagnosis to as many patients as possible" and to spread it to the world.

Masahiro Terashima

Chairman