BOTHELL, WA - December 20, 2005 - Sonosite, Inc. (Nasdaq:SONO), the world leader in hand-carried ultrasound, said today that an independently conducted, random survey of MicroMaxx system customers showed that nearly all customers (97%) surveyed are highly satisfied overall with their MicroMaxx system and would recommend the system to their colleagues. Image quality, ease of use and system durability were key reasons for the high satisfaction rating, with 72% saying that the image quality of the MicroMaxx system is better than other ultrasound products they have used.

"While we are still in the early phase of rolling out the MicroMaxx system," said Kevin M. Goodwin, Sonosite President and CEO, "these results are highly encouraging and indicate that the system is on track with the needs of the marketplace." Verispan, an independent health care information research firm, conducted the company-commissioned customer survey of U.S. physicians and sonographers who had bought the MicroMaxx system through October in both hospital and office-based settings. Sonosite began shipping the system, its third generation of hand-carried ultrasound technology, in the second half of June. The MicroMaxx system comes standard with a five-year warranty for the unit and most of the transducers and can be configured for use in a wide range of clinical applications. Sonosite, which shipped its first hand-carried ultrasound product in 1999, recently announced that its installed base has surpassed over 25,000 units worldwide.

About Sonosite
Sonosite, Inc. (www.sonosite.com) is the innovator and world leader in hand-carried ultrasound, with an installed base of more than 25,000 systems. The company, headquartered near Seattle, is represented by eight subsidiaries and a global distribution network in over 75 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 approximately 470 people worldwide.