Hitachi Healthcare (now Fujifilm Healthcare)
Japanese imaging manufacturer with historical strength in MRI — particularly mid-field and open-MRI configurations that addressed patient populations poorly served by closed high-field systems. Acquired by Fujifilm in 2021 and integrated into Fujifilm Healthcare; the Hitachi brand sunset over 2021–2023 but the product lineage continues under Fujifilm.
Company history
- 1910 — Hitachi founded. Medical division spun up in the mid-20th century.
- 1980s — enters MRI and ultrasound markets.
- 1990s–2000s — develops permanent-magnet open MRI (Airis), establishes mid-field (0.3–0.4 T) niche in the US and Japan.
- 2000s–2010s — Echelon closed-bore 1.5 T / 3 T MRI, Oasis premium open MRI, Scenaria CT, Aloka-Hitachi ultrasound (after 2011 Aloka acquisition).
- March 2021 — sells Diagnostic Imaging Business to Fujifilm for ~$1.6 billion. Hitachi exits medical imaging.
Legacy product lines (now under Fujifilm)
- MRI — Airis II (0.3 T open, workhorse), Oasis (premium open), Echelon Smart / Oval (1.5 T), Trillium Oval (3 T research-adjacent)
- CT — Supria, Scenaria
- Ultrasound — Aloka / Arietta / Prosound (legacy Aloka lineage post-2011)
Market position (historical)
Specialty leader in open MRI through the 2000s–2010s. Not a volume player in closed high-field MRI vs Siemens / GE / Philips. Post-Fujifilm acquisition, the installed base continues to be supported under the Fujifilm Healthcare brand.