SonoSite Inc. (www.sonosite.com), the specialist in hand-carried ultrasound for the point-of-care, received FDA 510(k) clearance for its new NanoMaxx ultrasound system in early October and is commencing U.S. customer deliveries. International deliveries began at the end of June.

Based on SonoSite’s 4th generation Turbo technology, the six-pound NanoMaxx system is the latest addition to SonoSite’s suite of specialized products for point-of-care visualization in medicine. Complete with streamlined one button optimization technology, a touch screen user interface and SonoSite’s five-year warranty, the NanoMaxx system is ideal for both hospital and office markets and is designed to provide healthcare professionals with improved patient safety practices, expanded workflow capabilities and exam room flexibility.

Among the first to take delivery of a system, the Queensland Ambulance Service in Australia, is integrating ultrasound into their rapid response vehicle.

“Ultrasound is an essential tool for providing immediate diagnostics, improving patient safety and ultimately raising the standard of patient care,” said Stephen Rashford, MD, the department’s medical director. “With a hand-carried system, our department will be able to assess and diagnose patients at the scene of an accident, such as aggressively managing chest injuries, and for higher level trauma cases, pre-notify the hospital of a patient’s arrival to guarantee the availability of an operating room.”

The new ultra portable and one button design of the NanoMaxx system makes high quality ultrasound available to a much broader range of clinicians. The system incorporates SonoSite’s advanced proprietary imaging algorithms, including SonoMB and SonoAdapt to deliver superior image quality in a lightweight, rugged form factor.

With a touch screen that responds easily to the tap of a finger, and one button optimization, clinicians can readily acquire high resolution images to increase clinical productivity at the point-of-care. A system boot-up time of less than 20 seconds and long battery life further enhance workflow when using the NanoMaxx system.

Designed to help hospitals meet the new standards of patient care, the NanoMaxx is a diagnostic ultrasound for clinical assessment and procedural guidance at the hospital bedside and in the physician’s office.

The ultimate tool for reducing patient safety risks and healthcare delivery costs, the use of bedside ultrasound is proven to increase the accuracy of interventional procedures and the use of ultrasound guidance is now recommended by two government-based agencies1 and three US medical societies.
At introduction, the NanoMaxx tool is available with a complement of five transducers to support a range of examinations and procedures including thoracic assessment for pathology, vascular access, needle aspirations and injections, as well as abdominal, cardiac, nerve, OB/Gyn, musculoskeletal, small parts and vascular scanning.

The clinical capabilities of the NanoMaxx will help eliminate the risk and cost of transporting patients to the imaging lab for many examinations and procedures.

The NanoMaxx system’s highly integrated architecture and ruggedized design, including the industry’s first elastomeric bumper for extra durability, plus magnesium outer shell, allows it to be used in the most demanding and austere environments. The NanoMaxx system and its transducers successfully passed SonoSite’s standard three-foot durability drop test.

In addition, to further reduce the risk of infection, the NanoMaxx system’s fluid-resistant user interface makes the system easy to clean and disinfect, helping to address the growing concern over infection control in the medical community.

Affordably priced, the NanoMaxx system and its transducers include SonoSite’s five-year warranty to provide the lowest cost of ownership in ultrasound.

Also, SonoSite’s One-to-One Purchase Program further extends the cost saving advantages of the NanoMaxx ultrasound tool by replacing or complementing the traditional onsite, pre-sale demonstration with a personal phone consultation and webcast demonstration provided by a professional clinical sales consultant.