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SonoSite, Inc. (Nasdaq:SONO), the world leader in hand-carried
ultrasound, announced today that its widely acclaimed SonoMB™
imaging advance is now available on its curved array probes, thereby
extending this valuable technology to a broad range of exam types. The
company began customer shipments of new MicroMaxx®
systems incorporating the SonoMB technology early this week. It is
available as a software upgrade at no charge to existing MicroMaxx
customers.
SonoMB technology is a proprietary SonoSite imaging algorithm that
dramatically improves contrast resolution and reduces ultrasound
artifact while providing exceptional frame rates and superior image
quality for the clinician. The result is increased resolution in both
the near and far field, finer definition of small structures and
improved visualization of physiology and subtle tissue differences. The
expansion of SonoMB technology announced today has applicability for
virtually all exam types in emergency medicine, critical care,
anesthesia and physician office applications.
Getting Answers Fast
“We have been using the MicroMaxx system for
the past 18 months and have been very pleased with its performance,”
said Bob Jarman, FRCS (Ed) FCEM, Consultant in Emergency Medicine at the
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, a 680-bed hospital in Northern England. “However,
we were quite taken aback by the image resolution offered by SonoMB on
the curved array probe, particularly for deep abdominal scanning. We are
getting images as good as anything they are getting with the big
machines, even the sonographers are impressed, and we don’t
have to tinker with a lot of knobs to get it, which is important when
time is of the essence.”
“It seems that SonoSite is the only company
producing products that are tailored for the emergency department,”
Dr. Jarman added. “We wanted something that
was rugged, lightweight and portable with a range of features. Other
machines seemed bulky and had many features and knobs that were not
necessary for our needs and often looked quite delicate.”
Dr. Jarman’s colleague Jim Connolly,
Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Newcastle General Hospital, a
tertiary hospital in England, agrees. “We are
impressed by how quick and hassle-free it is to get a good image. It’s
a sharper image, with better border definition. The new functionality is
quite valuable, particularly when we need answers within seconds.”
Advantages for a Broad Range of Clinical Applications
Initially introduced in April 2007 for the L25e and HFL38 high frequency
linear transducers, SonoSite has now integrated SonoMB technology into
four additional transducers, the C60e, C11e, L38e and SLA, to offer
expanded clinical applicability for abdominal, vascular, musculoskeletal
and small parts exams as well as for guidance of regional nerve blocks
and placement of central venous catheters and PICC lines. As part of the
enhanced capabilities, the company has also expanded the availability of
its “one button push”
Auto Gain feature that automatically adjusts controls to provide the
optimum image.
“SonoMB makes a big difference in resolving
small structures; it’s a crisper image,”
said Shaunie Keys, MD, an OB/Gyn physician with Evergreen Medical Center
of Kirkland, Washington. “I can see more
tissue detail. Even when imaging six- and seven-week fetuses, it does
not lose resolution when magnified.” Dr. Keys
turns to the MicroMaxx several times a day in her busy office practice. “I
don’t want to wait for availability of the
big system down the hall,” she stated. “The
MicroMaxx system is small and portable. I can easily bring it into the
exam room and can give my patients an answer right then and there rather
than having them wait.”
Robert S. Weller, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology,
Wake Forest University of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, notes that the
small footprint and excellent resolution of the C11e probe for deep
structures is particularly useful for larger patients, and for those
whose anatomy constrains probe manipulation. “The
addition of SonoMB technology to this probe provides better, early
visualization of the needle making regional nerve blocks safer and more
comfortable for the patient,” he stated. “The
image is smoother and clearer, with less artifact, making it easier to
distinguish neural structures. In my opinion, it is far better to
perform procedures with a single needle pass using ultrasound guidance,
rather than to hunt around blindly. Ultrasound guidance is one of the
most important advances in regional anesthesia in the last 20 years.”
Xavier Sala-Blanch, MD, Staff Anesthesiologist in the ambulatory surgery
unit of the Clinic Hospital of the University of Barcelona, Spain,
pointed to the rising use of ultrasound in anesthesia. “There
is no going back. Ultrasound guidance in regional anesthesia is growing
rapidly. Training and ultrasound equipment, like the MicroMaxx system,
that is small, high performance, easy to use and durable, are essential
to increased adoption of this valuable technique. SonoMB is a
significant advance and provides image resolution that is similar to
what was only available before on the much larger systems. We get
excellent visualization of nerves and better identification of the
needle in the ultrasound screen. This means more security and reduced
pain for patients during the regional anesthesia procedure.”
Software Upgradeability
The flexibility of the MicroMaxx system architecture together with its
programmable transducers make it possible for SonoSite to offer the
enhanced performance from SonoMB technology as a software upgrade.
Customers can easily and securely upgrade their MicroMaxx systems to the
new capabilities via compact flash card. “The
image quality is beautiful,” said Jens
Doeffert, MD, Senior Physician in the Department of Anesthesiology,
Plattenwald Hospital in Bad Friedrichshall, near Stuttgart, Germany. “It’s
hard to believe it’s available with only a
software upgrade.”
About SonoSite
SonoSite, Inc. (www.sonosite.com)
is the innovator and worldwide leader in hand-carried ultrasound.
Headquartered near Seattle, the company is represented by eight
subsidiaries and a global distribution network in over 90 countries.
SonoSite’s small, lightweight systems are
expanding the use of ultrasound across the clinical spectrum by
cost-effectively bringing high performance ultrasound to the point of
patient care. The company employs over 550 people worldwide.