TORINO, ITALY - FEBRUARY 13, 2006 - GE (NYSE: GE), a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Games, announced today that GE Healthcare, a $15B unit of GE, is bringing the benefits of advanced, portable ultrasound technology to Olympic athletes through partnerships with the IOC, TOROC and Olympic teams from the U.S., France and the UK.

In Torino, GE is helping to make the Olympic Games sports medicine facilities the most technologically advanced in Games history by providing LOGIQ Book XP portable ultrasound systems to medical staff at hospitals in Torino, Susa, and Pinerolo, and a mobile magnetic resonance (MR) unit in the mountains of Sestriere, the site of the downhill ski competitions. In addition, GE is supplying ultrasound systems to athlete clinics in Torino, Sestriere and Bardoneccia.

Once the Games are over, the ultrasound systems used in the poly-clinics and at surrounding hospitals in Torino, Pinerolo and Susa will stay in the Torino area for the benefit of the local population, making Torino one of the most advanced centers for medical imaging in Italy and Europe.

Dr. Patrick Schamasch, Director of the IOC Medical and Scientific Department, said, "The relationship between GE and the IOC will contribute to the long-term health and wellness of Olympians, a key priority for the International Olympic Committee. Having portable ultrasound and magnetic resonance technology on-site fundamentally will improve our ability to care for athletes' injuries. "

GE's LOGIQ Book XP is a lightweight, portable ultrasound system that enables real-time diagnosis anywhere - from even the ski slope, ice rink or locker room. The system offers the functionality and high performance of a full-size ultrasound system, but in a portable and wireless design that weighs only 10 pounds (5 kg), making it possible for patients to receive full diagnostic exams anywhere, as opposed to being transported to an imaging lab in a hospital. In addition, physicians can wirelessly transfer files from the system to other experts for instant consultation.

"The ability to use portable ultrasound technology to provide remote guidance to medical personnel treating Olympic athletes is revolutionary. We have tested these remote scanning and diagnosis capabilities with astronauts at the International Space Station and are now ready to help implement this breakthrough technology to advance the care of Olympians from around the world," said Joe Hogan, president of GE Healthcare.

In addition to providing healthcare technology to the Olympic Games, GE recently began a long-term research initiative involving Olympic athletes from the US, China and Italy aimed at revolutionizing athlete medical care and discovering healthcare benefits for the general public. GE's Vivid i portable cardiovascular ultrasound system and LOGIQ Book XP ultrasound system are being used in these Olympic research programs to gain insight into techniques to improve diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease and musculoskeletal injuries.

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