PEABODY, Mass., Sept. 8, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Analogic Corporation (Nasdaq:ALOG), enabling the world's medical imaging and aviation security technology, announced today that it would showcase the new handheld Sonic Window™ system, an imaging device for visualizing vasculature and guiding peripheral intravenous (PIV) access, at the Association for Vascular Access 28th Annual Scientific Meeting, September 7-10, 2014 in National Harbor, Maryland.
The ultra-compact system, which received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2014, provides direct visualization of structures beneath the skin in real time to effectively guide clinicians placing peripheral IVs.
"The Sonic Window is like no other vascular access device," said Michael Blaivas, M.D., FACEP, FAIUM. "Instead of a two-dimensional image that is vertical from the skin surface projecting deeper into the tissue, the Sonic Window displays coronal tissue slices stacked from skin surface down. This gives a 'window through the skin' orienting the vascular anatomy in a familiar and easy-to-understand view."
Unlike existing portable ultrasound devices on the market today, Sonic Window is a small, lightweight, self-contained device that does not have cables and wires connecting to a transducer nor does it require a cart or stand. It is cordless, operating with a rechargeable battery. Sonic Window, which is the size of a remote control, offers a new approach to image-guided PIV and requires only one hand for operation. Designed to improve the success of difficult vascular access, it helps clinicians better assess and visually guide cannulations.
"Intravenous access is often one of the first needs a patient has when medical or surgical intervention is necessary," said Farley Peechatka, senior vice president and general manager, ultrasound business for Analogic. "Clinical evaluation of the new Sonic Window reveals that the combination of advanced ultrasound imaging technology with portability makes our small, pocket-sized device an efficient tool to use in clinical settings for the successful establishment of PIV. In our latest study, results show that PIV cannulation was successful 93 percent of the time on patients where vein quality was very poor, indicating that with some experience, the Sonic Window competes on a level achieved by larger, more complex ultrasound devices[1]."
"We believe our breakthrough, ultra-compact system will expand into clinical settings and other applications to address procedure guidance, and visualization needs in acute care settings and physician offices," continued Peechatka.
About PIV and Cost
More than 300 million IV placements are done each year in the U.S. alone, with one in three attempts resulting in failure in adults, and one in two attempts resulting in failure in pediatrics. According to Constantino, TG (2005), when traditional insertion methods are compared to image guided access, results show that success rates in the unguided group is 82 percent compared to the ultrasound guided group where success rates rise to 97 percent. In addition, the image-guided group attempts to completion drop to 1.7 attempts. The Sonic Window handheld ultrasound device may have a significant impact on the difficult-to-access patient group, estimated to be 25 percent of PIV patients, by reducing the number of attempts and furthermore, the number of unnecessary central lines placed. The average cost of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) is $6501,2 compared to $32 for a PIV attempt3. Consequently, this patient population often suffers care delays due to unnecessary PIV attempts and central lines, which result in higher costs for hospitals.
About Analogic
Analogic (Nasdaq:ALOG) provides leading-edge healthcare and security technology solutions to advance the practice of medicine and save lives. We are recognized around the world for advanced imaging and real-time guidance technologies used for disease diagnosis and treatment as well as for automated threat detection. Our market-leading ultrasound systems, used in procedure-driven markets such as urology, surgery, and point-of-care, are sold to clinical practitioners around the world. Our advanced imaging technologies are also used in computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and digital mammography systems, as well as automated threat detection systems for aviation security. Our imaging technology can be found in over half of the CT and MRI systems installed worldwide. Analogic is headquartered just north of Boston, Massachusetts. For more information on the new Sonic Window, visit www.analogicultrasound.com/sonicwindow
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1 Cardella JF. Cardella K. Cumulative experience with 1,273 peripherally inserted central catheters at a single institution. Journal of Intravenous Radiology
2 Naylor (2007)
3 Santolucito JB. A retrospective evaluation of the timeliness of physician-initiated PICC referrals. Journal of Vascular Access Devices. 2001;6(3):20-26