Profile of: SonoSite...

SonoSite began as a division of ATL Ultrasound and was spun off as a public company in 1998. Today, it is one of the fastest growing medical technology companies in the United States, with revenues growing 27% in 2005 to approximately $147.5 million. SonoSite is the leader in hand-carried ultrasound with an installed base of 25,000 units and a 50% market share worldwide. Since the first products were shipped in 1999, SonoSite ultrasound devices have increasingly been used not only for traditional ultrasound markets, such as radiology and cardiology, but also for applications in areas like emergency medicine, anaesthesia and surgery. Their proven reliability and durability in conventional medical settings has also led to their use in far more challenging environments, such as conflict zones and rescue operations following natural disasters.

SonoSite has developed a range of user-friendly, technologically advanced products designed from the ground-up, not adapted from existing technologies. The Company’s proprietary Chip Fusion™ technology integrates digital signal processing and multiple ultrasound functions into a custom ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) microchip, dramatically reducing space, weight and power requirements while still offering high resolution imaging. For example, in the SonoSite MicroMaxx® system, launched by SonoSite in 2005, a 128-channel beamformer, the complex front end of an ultrasound system, is integrated into four proprietary postage stamp-sized ASIC chips, something typically requiring several circuit boards in the larger systems.

Weighing less than 3.7 kg and the size of a notebook computer, the MicroMaxx ultrasound system delivers a unique combination of excellent image quality and portability, ideal for both hospital and consulting room settings. Its image resolution and performance are comparable to costly, conventional cart-based ultrasound systems weighing more than 100 kg, but the MicroMaxx system boots up in seconds, can operate on battery power for up to four hours, and is designed to withstand the rigours of mobile use. This system also comes with another industry first - a five-year warranty as standard, which significantly reduces the cost of ownership for advanced imaging equipment in any user setting.This unique feature demonstrates the durability of SonoSite instruments and represents a further commitment to providing absolute value to our customers.

Dr Manoj Kumar Karmakar, Associate Professor and Head of Paediatric Anaesthesia at the Prince of Wales Hospital and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, uses a SonoSite MicroMaxx hand-carried ultrasound system for a variety of anaesthetic procedures, as he explained: “We use the MicroMaxx ultrasound system for the majority of central line placements and almost every day in theatre for performing peripheral nerve blocks, catheter placements and even epidurals in children; we have pretty much done away with the cart-based systems! The flexibility of the MicroMaxx system and its compatibility with so many different probes is especially useful; you can switch from low to high frequency, or from a linear to a curved array probe, very easily with just the click of a button. It really allows us to see the unseen.”

“Patients come in different shapes and sizes and just relying on traditional landmarks often results in multiple attempts at needle insertions, causing pain and discomfort to our patients and frustration for the anaesthetist,” continued Dr Karmakar. “The MicroMaxx system gives us real-time ultrasound imaging for performing needle insertions. We can visualise the surrounding area as well as the target nerves, and can very accurately place the needles and the local anaesthetic in the target area. We can also avoid inadvertently puncturing neighbouring structures, which could lead to complications. In fact, concerns about injury are significantly decreased because SonoSite’s hand-carried ultrasound systems provide such high resolution imaging capabilities that we can see the various nerves, vessels and other structures very accurately and with high definition. Anaesthesia has become a model of safety, and ultrasound is key to improving quality of care. I envision that hand-carried ultrasound systems will provide true benefits to patients in this respect.”

Bernard Vincent, UK general manager of SonoSite, concludes: "Hand-carried ultrasound is affecting the sector much like the mobile phone affected telecommunications and the laptop affected personal computing. The UK has already begun to benefit greatly from hand-carried ultrasound technology; the mobility, cost savings and efficiency that SonoSite products create have significantly reduced the time patients wait to be scanned. Overall, this translates to more accurate diagnoses and earlier treatment for the patient.”