Revolutionary portable technology provides dynamic assessment of soft tissue and bone injuries
BOTHELL, WA - October 21, 2010 - Sonosite, Inc. (Nasdaq:SONO), the world leader and specialist in bedside and point-of-care ultrasound, and the National Basketball Association (NBA), announced today a multiyear agreement to introduce Sonosite's ultrasound technology to the NBA's medical and athletic training professionals.
As part of the agreement, Sonosite will be the preferred provider of ultrasound products to the NBA and the NBA Development League (NBA D-League). This relationship will educate the NBA and NBA D-League's team physicians and athletic trainers about Sonosite's unique diagnostic ultrasound tools that are highly portable and can assist in efficiently diagnosing, treating, and monitoring the rehabilitation of professional athletes.
Traditionally, sports medicine professionals have relied on imageing modalities, such as Magnetic Resonance Imageing (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) scans, to diagnose and assess soft tissue and bone injuries. Over the last 12 years, Sonosite has revolutionised the way physicians practise medicine by pioneering the hand-carried ultrasound market. Weighing less than eight pounds, Sonosite's systems offer a portability advantage unlike any imageing modality on the market. Hand-carried ultrasound uniquely offers athletic trainers the ability to examine a player at any point-of-care location, including a training facility, courtside, or wherever the injury occurred. With real-time feedback, ultrasound visualisation allows sports clinicians to dynamically examine a player by assessing how an injury responds to movement and by continually monitoring an athlete's progress to ensure treatments are effective.
"Sonosite is a proven industry leader and their products will help NBA and NBA D-League teams diagnose and treat injuries in the best and easiest way possible," said Dr. Jace Provo, NBA Chief of Medical Affairs. "Our players are competing at the highest level, so it is a tremendous opportunity for our team doctors and athletic trainers to attend special seminars and learn about Sonosite's unique diagnostic ultrasound products for the overall benefit of our players and our game."
"We are excited for the opportunity to partner with the NBA and further support their efforts in providing the most advanced and innovative technology to their team physicians and athletic trainers, along with the highest level of care to their athletes," said Kevin M. Goodwin, Sonosite President and CEO. "In a sport where injuries are unavoidable, it is our goal to educate sports clinicians on the latest practises that will improve the diagnosis and treatment of player injuries."
"Ultrasound visualisation is absolutely the future of medicine and I would use it on every athlete to examine the severity of an injury," said Kevin Taylor, MS, ATC Head Athletic Trainer, NBA D-League. "Sonosite's systems allow me to visualise bone, tissue, and assess a patient right when I need to. It also gives me the confidence to accurately assess an injury, while giving the athlete confidence that there isn't a tear or greater complication. With this technology, we are able to fulfil our mission of keeping our players healthy and more competitive."
About Sonosite
Sonosite, Inc. (www.sonosite.com) is the innovator and world leader in bedside and point-of-care ultrasound and an industry leader in ultra high-frequency micro-ultrasound technology and impedance cardiography equipment. Headquartered near Seattle, the company is represented by ten subsidiaries and a global distribution network in over 100 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.
About the NBA
The NBA, founded in 1946, is a professional sports league and global business that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2010-11 season, NBA games will reach 215 countries and territories in more than 40 languages. Last season, NBA rosters featured 79 international players from 35 countries and territories. NBA merchandise is sold in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents. NBA.com averages more than 26 million page views per day, with more than 50 percent of the site's visitors coming from outside of North America. Through NBA Cares, the league, its teams and players have donated than $145 million to charity, completed more than 1.4 million hours of hands-on community service, and created more than 525 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play.
About the NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, founded in 2001, is the NBA's official minor league whose teams have direct affiliations to NBA franchises. For the 2010-11 season, the league will feature 16 teams - including the debut of the Texas Legends. A proven developer of talent, 20 percent of players in the NBA at the conclusion of the 2009-10 season boasted NBA D-League experience, while the league continues to develop coaches, referees, and front-office staff for the NBA and its teams. In fostering the league's connexion to the community, its teams, players and staff promote health and wellness, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programmes. The NBA D-League also advances the game of basketball as the research and development arm of the NBA. Throughout the league's 10th season, which tips off Friday, Nov. 19, fans can watch all NBA D-League games on NBA Futurecast, the free live Web-streaming initiative found at nba.com/futurecast.
