I will now discuss our progress in the areas of medical and industrial equipment, both of which are new business domains for the Company.
Acquiring new businesses: Medical In the medical field, Canon is not targeting medical treatment, but rather, medical testing.
In addition to digital radiography systems and ophthalmic equipment, both products Canon has already commercialized, we are pursuing a strategy centered on our imaging technologies.
Through collaboration with Kyoto University, Canon is promoting the development of optical ultrasound, a new technology used in mammography for diagnosing breast cancer.
Since 2010, Canon has been conducting an increasing number of clinical studies, and we are making good progress.
Optical ultrasound imaging equipment is capable of facilitating the very early detection of breast cancer due to its ability to detect smaller cancers than conventional systems.
Additionally, we have high expectations for optical ultrasound imaging equipment because it offers patients peace of mind regarding radiation exposure during examinations along with such merits as its compact size and low price.
Furthermore, Canon is working toward providing solutions that utilize images to support diagnoses by medical practitioners.
In order to build the medical business into a strong pillar supporting Canon's future, we will also take into consideration such medical areas as genetic diagnosis technologies.
First, however, we aim to grow our medical business to 100 billion yen by 2015, three times its current size, and our business plans are progressing smoothly.
