See Contrast Agents.

GE Healthcare is the result of the merger between GE Medical and Amersham Health in Nov. 2004, after GE acquired Amersham Health for 9.5 billion in Oct. 2003. Jeffrey R. Immelt, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive of General Electric, said, 'Amersham's diagnostic pharmaceutical and life sciences business will add new, high growth platforms to GE Medical's diagnostic imaging, services and health care information technology businesses'. GE Healthcare, a UK company, is a unit of General Electric (NYSE: GE). GE Healthcare is a global leader in medical imaging, diagnostic imaging agents, interventional procedures, health care services, and information technology. For more than 100 years, health care providers have relied on GE Medical Systems, now GE Healthcare, for high quality medical technology and productivity solutions. GE Healthcare, headquartered now at the formerly seat of Amersham Healthcare in Great Britain, operates facilities around the world. Global Operations include organizations on the Americas, Europe, and Asia, including India, Japan, Korea China, Thailand and Vietnam.

Gastrografin® is a water-soluble iodinated radiopaque contrast agent for x-ray examinations of the esophagus, stomach, proximal small intestine, colon and is also used for bowel visualization in abdominal computer tomograms.
The high opacification and delineation after oral or rectal administration is caused by a low absorption of the intact gastrointestinal tract. However, visualization of the distal small bowel is generally unsatisfactory, since the hypertonicity of the medium causes intraluminal diffusion of water with subsequent dilution.

The France-based Guerbet Group is highly specialized in contrast media for medical imaging. Its strategic goal is to be a key player in this market. Guerbet Group produces products for x-ray imaging, MRI, ultrasound imaging and imaging through radioactive tracers.

Hexabrix is an ionic dimer contrast medium. Intravascular injection of Hexabrix enhances those vessels in the path of the flow, permitting radiographic visualization of the internal structures of the human body until significant hemodilution occurs. The contrast agent is transported through the circulatory system to the kidneys and is excreted unchanged in the urine. Hexabrix is used primarily for peripheral arteriography