SonoSite, Inc. (Nasdaq:SONO), the world leader and specialist in hand-carried and point-of-care ultrasound, announced today new patient safety technology, mobile power solutions and image quality advances for vascular access applications. The company will be showcasing the new products and capabilities at the annual scientific meeting of the Association for Vascular Access (AVA) being held in Las Vegas September 14th - 18th, 2009.
THE NANOMAXX™ ULTRASOUND SYSTEM
SonoSite will be showing the 6-pound NanoMaxx ultrasound tool, the latest addition to its suite of specialized products for point-of-care visualization in medicine. Combining one-button optimization technology with a fluid resistant touch screen user interface, the NanoMaxx system is highly sophisticated, easy to use and easy to disinfect. While other touch screens require a stylet to activate system controls, the sensitivity of the NanoMaxx touch screen allows the user to operate the system with the touch of a finger while wearing sterile gloves. The image quality and color flow mapping on the NanoMaxx provide increased utility versus alternatives by giving users the ability to identify nerve bundles and distinguish veins from arteries, delivering the visualization needed for safe and effective line placements.
“The NanoMaxx is just the system that we have been waiting for,” said Patricia Santulli, R.T.R., R.N., BSN, and PICC Line Coordinator at Harborview Medical Center, Seattle. “With its high resolution, it will be easy to avoid accidentally puncturing a nerve. The one button control and touch screen are ideal and its small size will make it easy to fit into crowded spaces or rest on the patient’s bed.”
As with SonoSite’s other advanced ultrasound products, the NanoMaxx system and its transducers exceed military specifications for ruggedness and durability and are built to withstand a 3-foot drop onto a hard surface. The NanoMaxx system is backed by SonoSite’s industry-leading, standard 5-year warranty, eliminating the expense for an annual service contract.
LUMENVU™ CATHETER GUIDANCE SYSTEM
At the AVA, SonoSite will also be showing as a works-in-progress its LumenVu Catheter Guidance System, for visualizing the placement of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters (PICC) at the point-of-care. SonoSite expects to begin shipping LumenVu systems at the end of 2009, subject to FDA 510(k) clearance. The LumenVu system couples near infrared light with standard catheter technology to enable visual tracking of a catheter tip in real time as it advances from the access vein to the superior vena cava. SonoSite’s ultimate goal is to reduce or potentially eliminate the need for x-ray and/or fluoroscopy to confirm accurate line placement in hospital environments.
Incorrect catheter insertion is relatively common with bedside placement of PICC lines and reinsertion adds considerable time and cost. A recent large study showed only 70% of insertions were successful on the first attempt.2 As a result, the company believes that this technology could offer cost reduction and safety opportunities for hospitals and other provider environments where PICC lines are inserted. For more information on the LumenVu system, visit http://www.sonosite.com/lumenvu/.
SONOSITE® MOBILE POWER SOLUTIONS – POWER PORT AND POWER PACK
To ensure true mobility at all times to point-of-care locations around a hospital, SonoSite is offering innovative, integrated power solutions with its new ergonomic Universal Stands. Configurable with the M-Turbo®, S Series™, NanoMaxx™ and MicroMaxx® product lines, SonoSite’s Universal Stands are light, easy to configure and highly maneuverable in the hospital setting and can be optimally positioned by the patient beside or in other space-constrained areas.
SonoSite’s Power Port eliminates the need for connecting a system docked in its stand to an electrical outlet and instead allows the user to simply charge the system when it’s parked in the Power Port. SonoSite’s Power Pack triples battery life and can keep a system charged for 6 hours or more allowing clinicians the flexibility needed to see more patients on a single charge. The Power Pack is easily installed on the column of the Universal Stand.
NEW TRANSDUCER TECHNOLOGY FOR M-TURBO SYSTEM
SonoSite will also introduce new technology for linear array transducers at the AVA. Sono UltraRes™ technology uses a broader frequency range to present improved spatial resolution and contrast resolution while maintaining penetration. This harnesses the benefits of high frequencies for image quality and the benefits of low frequencies for penetration to provide a better looking image and increased versatility overall. Sono UltraRes technology will be an important image enhancement for clinicians using linear array transducers.
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