SonoSite Extends SonoMB(TM) Technology(Photo: Business Wire)SonoMB technology clearly enhances the visualization of this small h
June 13 2007 - 6:00AM
Business Wire
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.
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