New Capabilities Added for Interventional Procedures and General Imaging
Worldwide TITAN Installed Base Over 2,500
CHICAGO, November 28, 2004 - Sonosite, Inc. (Nasdaq: SONO), the world leader in hand-carried ultrasound, announced today at the 90th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) that it is expanding the clinical capabilities of its high-performance TITAN system in interventional radiology, as well as offering enhanced features which provide important added clinical utility for general imaging applications. The new software upgrade is available immediately.
"This introduction marks the fourth major expansion of the TITAN system platform since initial product launch just 18 months ago," said Kevin M. Goodwin, Sonosite president and CEO. "Our systems are built for portability and upgradeability which is why we are able to offer our customers a continuing stream of performance and feature enhancements on a regular basis. The worldwide installed base of TITAN systems now numbers well over 2,500 units and its momentum continues to grow as physicians recognize the diagnostic and cost benefits of this versatile and robust platform."
Sonosite's TITAN system is based on proprietary ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) technology, which integrates millions of transistors onto one circuit. Weighing only 7.7 pounds, the TITAN system boots up in less than 12 seconds and can be easily carried to wherever it is needed to immediately deliver patient care efficiently and effectively.
"The use of the TITAN has become a routine part of patient examinations in multiple clinical applications at our hospital," said Dr. John S. Pellerito, chief of the Division of Ultrasound, CT and MRI at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York. "With the TITAN I have the ability to utilize high-performance ultrasound wherever I need to examine a patient and get a reading that directly impacts the treatment the patient is given. In this way, a radiologist's work is performed on-site at the time of greatest need. Hand-carried ultrasound is an integral component of the future of radiology and I truly believe that radiologists should embrace this technology for the important benefits it brings to patients."
In the United Kingdom, Dr. Simon Freeman, consultant radiologist at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, England notes that the use of TITAN system increases department productivity. "The TITAN system allows us to carry out examinations with confidence virtually anywhere in the hospital without needing to bring along the larger, cart-based systems kept in the radiology department. Transporting and setting up cart-based ultrasound equipment often results in up to a 45-minute absence from the radiology department. With the TITAN system, we are able to complete an on-site ultrasound diagnosis and return to the radiology department in less than half the time previously required."
Sonosite's version 2.3 upgrade for the TITAN system includes:
- New transducer technology, the L25/10-5 MHz broadband linear array, to guide anatomical access for interventional procedures such as the insertion of catheters;
- Velocity color on the C60 transducer for increased color Doppler sensitivity in abdominal and OB/Gyn applications;
- Enhanced DICOM capabilities for faster transmission of TITAN images to the hospital network or another computer for archiving or consultation;
- Automated cardiac function quantification (Simpson's Rule).
With a total installed base of more than 17,000 systems in doctor's offices, clinics and hospitals around the world, Sonosite is recognized as the creator and leader of hand-carried ultrasound. Besides the TITAN system, the Sonosite product line includes the 180PLUS and iLook' series. All are designed to withstand the rigors of mobile use, including being able to pass a 30" drop test onto a concrete surface on all corners. Because of their performance and reliability, Sonosite systems have been selected for scientific experiments in space and underwater by the National Space and Aeronautics Administration (NASA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), deployed in disaster situations, such as the recent Japan earthquake and used to provide humanitarian care in remote African villages.
"Today, hand-carried ultrasound is the fastest growing sector of the $3.5 billion worldwide ultrasound market," Mr. Goodwin said. "Sonosite was built on a vision of designing high-performance, lightweight systems that could be used anywhere, anytime. Whether Sonosite systems are used in a modern healthcare facility or in extreme environmental conditions, they set the industry standard for performance in hand carried ultrasound."
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.
