SonoSite to Acquire Catheter Guidance Technology

August 1, 2007 - SonoSite Inc., a developer of portable ultrasound, announced it has acquired LumenVu Inc., a company that has developed a patented technology to improve the accuracy of catheter placement, as part of SonoSite’s strategy to strengthen its position in the vascular access market and add the disposable catheter guidance device sector as a new revenue stream.
While specifics of the deal were not disclosed, SonoSite plans to introduce products based on this technology in late 2008.
As clinicians increasingly use portable ultrasound systems to more accurately and quickly insert catheters, the combination of LumenVu's technology with SonoSite's ultrasound systems will provide a way to easily track the tip of the catheter as it advances through the vessel to ensure that it is placed in the right location, potentially eliminating the need to confirm the location with x-ray or fluoroscopy.
LumenVu's real-time bedside visualization system couples near infrared (NIR) light with standard catheter technology. An optical fiber combined with a guidewire emits light as it is inserted into the patient. A specialized camera captures light from the tip of the optical fiber, which is coupled with a standard catheter, as it is advanced and positioned in the patient. Images are projected in real-time onto a monitor placed at the patient's bedside. Once the catheter is correctly positioned, the guidewire with the optical fiber is removed and discarded.

For more information: www.sonosite.com