Sonora Medical To Develop Innovative Ultrasound Test Device
Farmingdale, NY - Sonora Medical Systems, Inc., a majority-owned subsidiary of Misonix, Inc., has entered into a joint development agreement with Medical Diagnostic Technologies ("MDT") to bring to market a test device designed to troubleshoot diagnostic ultrasound systems. The companies will collaborate on a product to be marketed as FirstAssist, and is expected to be commercially available in the United States during the summer of 2007.
Sonora, of Longmont, Colorado, is a supplier of after-market products, services and test equipment to the medical imaging market. Medical Diagnostic Technologies of Las Vegas, Nevada, is a leader in the development of computer aided detection ("CAD") products. The companies will jointly develop a product to test all imaging and Doppler modalities of an ultrasound system and analyze signals displayed on the ultrasound monitor for various operational characteristics claimed by original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs") in their published system specifications. FirstAssist will connect to ultrasound systems in the same receptacle in which probes are normally inserted and will have the capability of interfacing with laptop computers, enabling more user-friendly maintenance and accurate in-service system testing.
FirstAssist will serve as complementary product to Sonora's ultrasound probe-testing device FirstCall, which is currently used by more than 100 major hospitals nationwide. FirstCall tests probes independently of the ultrasound system, while FirstAssist will test the ultrasound system independently of the probe. The FirstAssist device supports intuitive processing as it will connect and test the ultrasound system as if the probe that delivers ultrasonic energy were actually connected and in service.
"Sonora has for years led the industry in developing and commercializing electro-acoustic test devices designed to test the performance of, and troubleshoot, advanced diagnostic ultrasound systems," said G. Wayne Moore, President and CEO of Sonora. "This new product will obviate the need for hospitals to rely upon the ultrasound OEM for after warranty service contracts, thereby providing a substantial cost savings annually for hospitals and clinics. The combination of Sonora's hardware design and the sophisticated image processing algorithms developed by MDT will set a new standard in ultrasound quality control and really empower hospital biomedical engineers to troubleshoot and repair even the most technologically intense ultrasound system."
"Sonora has an impressive track record of technical innovation and achievement," continued Mr. Moore. "Among other products, Sonora has developed and commercialized the first ever electro-acoustic ultrasound test device, the FirstCall, opening an entirely new market segment in diagnostic ultrasound. Since its market inception just five years ago, the FirstCall has received five US Patents with three additional patents pending. Along with the FirstCall, Sonora recently introduced another breakthrough product, the Nickel, a hand-held device that directly tests all the major modes of operation of any commercial ultrasound system.
"With a mission to continuously develop new products that support improved performance and efficiency for the medical imaging market, Sonora was recently recognized among the industry's brightest in Medical Imaging Magazine's 2006 Readers' Choice Awards. In the 11th annual Medical Imaging Readers' Choice Awards, the leading trade magazine's readers voiced their opinions on who is providing unbeatable equipment, software, and services to the health care industry. Sonora ranked among the highest within the Dealer/Distributor and Remanufacturer/Rebuilder group. This is the third consecutive year that Sonora has been named to the list."
James Benson of MDT noted, "Having created CAD for the early detection of prostate cancer as well as other important clinical applications, it was a natural extension to direct our technology into the rapidly growing area of ultrasound quality control and service. We are excited to work on the development of this product with Sonora, the recognized world leader in the field of ultrasound test equipment."
SOURCE: Sonora Medical Systems, Inc. Misonix, Inc.