First-ever, All-digital Three-pound Ultrasound Tools Win The "Best of What's New" Award and Continue To Drive The "Visual Medicine" Trend
BOTHELL, WA, November 8, 2002 - Popular Science today recognized iLook, the world's smallest ultrasound series, as one of its top 10 medical technology advances for 2002 in its "Best of What's New" December 2002 issue. iLook is the world's first-ever, all-digital three-pound ultrasound tool and was recently launched by Sonosite, the creator and leader of the hand-carried ultrasound market.
"By reducing 20 circuit boards to one, Sonosite created a three-pound Palm Pilot-size device that's also cheaper and easier to use than cart systems," wrote editors at Popular Science. "This device could also change your annual physical-- doctors can now look inside the body as easily as checking your heartbeat."Hand-carried ultrasound has gained adoption because it enables trained physicians to immediately obtain information that can help diagnose a patient's condition or guide a delicate procedure. Due to its small size, 11 inches by 6.5 inches, iLook is more mobile than traditional cart-based ultrasound systems, which can weigh up to 200 to 300 pounds. As a result, the iLook can be used alone or as supplement to either Sonosite's full featured hand-carried systems or a large, traditional cart-based system. The iLook series is being used in clinical specialties such as radiology, emergency medicine, cardiology, critical care, surgery and vascular access to perform quick look assessments and needle guidance."
Ease-of-use, portability, and aesthetic appeal are all essential components to the user-centric design of iLook," said Bryan Cabatic, lead industrial designer for iLook-platform at Sonosite. "The combination of these components enables healthcare professionals to easily obtain visual information whenever and wherever. iLook was designed with our customers needs in mind to continuously improve upon the way they care for their patients.
" From a large and cumbersome cart-based system, ultrasound has evolved into a visual tool just slightly larger than a PDA. Now, using hand-carried ultrasound, healthcare providers can see what they otherwise could only attempt to hear inside a patient's body-- enabling them to make more knowledgeable decisions on the spot. At just three pounds, iLook allows physicians and technicians to easily carry ultrasound in a variety of clinical settings -- from an exam room to a patient's bedside to remote countries around the world.
"iLook technology puts the power of visual medicine into the hands of healthcare providers -- allowing them to immediately obtain information and, improve healthcare outcomes," said Kevin M. Goodwin, president and CEO of Sonosite. "We are honored to win the coveted Popular Science "Best of What's New" Award that recognizes the iLook for its contribution in medical product-design and technology."
The three-pound iLook is the newest member - launched August 19, 2002 - of the Sonosite family of systems. iLook 15 is intended for "quick look" diagnostics in areas such as emergency, radiology, intensive care, or critical care. iLook 25 is designed to provide superior imaging for physicians and nurses while performing vascular access procedures. iLook 15 and iLook 25 can be used alone, or as a supplement to either of Sonosite's full function, hand-carried and light-weight systems - the Sonosite 180PLUS for general imaging and the SonoHeart ELITE for echocardiography, or in conjunction with the larger cart-based systems.
For the past 15 years, Popular Science has evaluated thousands of new products annually to recognize the world's most outstanding breakthrough products and technologies in its acclaimed "Best of What's New" issue. The Popular Science "Best of What's New" December 2002 issue hits newsstands on November 12th.
About Popular Science
Popular Science Properties is a division of Time4 Media, the world's leading publisher of leisure-time magazines. Founded in 1872, Popular Science is the world's largest science and technology magazine with a circulation of 1.45 million subscribers and a readership of more than seven million people. Time4 Media is a subsidiary of Time, Inc., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL Time Warner, Inc. (NYSE: AOL).
About Sonosite
Sonosite, Inc. (www.sonosite.com) is the innovator and world leader in hand-carried ultrasound, with an installed base of more than 20,000 systems. The Company, headquartered near Seattle, Washington is represented by eight subsidiaries and a global distribution netwok 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 450 people worldwide.