FujiFilm SonoSite’s latest ultrasound system, the Sonosite SII, was designed with input from regional anesthesiologists and trauma specialists to provide a more user-friendly experience in critical care environments. The smart user interface adapts to the individual user’s needs, and the portable system can be used in multiple hospital settings, with a zero footprint option for particularly crowded spaces.
The SonoSite SII, which received regulatory clearance in both the U.S. and Europe, features a new touchscreen interface designed to provide “what you need is what you see” capabilities. Over time, the system adapts to its user and anticipates needed applications by putting them front and center on the menu screen. An embedded transducer connector also allows users to switch back and forth between transducers by tapping the screen, according to a press release.
The newly designed stand offers increased storage space with easily accessible space for gel bottles and elevated holders for transducers, all with a reduced footprint so that the image may be pulled closer to the clinician’s view. Select transducers offer DirectClear technology, which provides “patent-pending increasing penetration and contrast resolution.”
“SonoSite SII transforms the pace of patient care for proceduralists or those clinicians requiring a quick answer at a critical moment,” said the company in its release. “For trauma patients, the speed and ease of image acquisition is vital, as a few minutes can alter a patient’s care path.”
SonoSite introduced its first portable ultrasound solution in 1999, and by 2011 the company was a “world leader in bedside and point-of-care ultrasound” with distribution in over 100 countries, according to Bloomberg. FujiFilm acquired SonoSite in 2012 in a deal worth $995 million, which marked the company’s first major expansion into healthcare and away from cameras and film.
Last January, FujiFilm SonoSite launched the SonoSite Edge II system, designed to be extra durable for use in emergency care settings, with an embedded metal jacket and armored cables to protect transducers from accidental damage.
Brian Leck, VP of global sales for FujiFilm SonoSite, commented that portable ultrasound solutions accelerate clinical workflow, giving clinicians the information they need to make decisions faster with an intuitive system that’s easy for clinicians to learn. The SonoSite SII, said Leck, improves on the company’s legacy of mountable systems, established in 2007.
“We listened to clinicians, and delivered a product designed to maximize the efficiency of their ultrasound use,” said Leck. “The SII captures the epitome of the SonoSite brand, allowing clinicians to confidently use the system from day one.”
FujiFilm recently made the news when it participated in a bidding battle to acquire Toshiba Medical Systems, a deal that Canon won with a $5.9 billion offer. Though a spokesman from FujiFilm raised concerns over the acquisition, experts told Reuters that they do not expect any hold-up on a deal that will greatly expand Canon’s foothold in the medical imaging market.
Recent projections released by ReportsnReports anticipate steady growth for the ultrasound market, which analysts predict will reach $6.86 billion by 2020. Experts attribute the growth to advances in technology and an increased market demand for minimally invasive imaging options.