SonoSite, Inc., the world leader and specialist in hand-carried ultrasound for the point-of-care, and Physio-Control, Inc., the global leader in the development and delivery of emergency medical response solutions, today announced a market development collaboration for point-of-care ultrasound in the emergency medical services (EMS) market. This alliance will enable SonoSite to expand its presence in the pre-hospital settings with the support of Physio-Control resources and extensive sales force. Under the terms of the agreement, the Physio-Control sales organization will assist in introducing SonoSite’s products to the EMS market.
The implementation of SonoSite’s hand-carried ultrasound systems allows first responders to bring improved care and immediate diagnostics directly to the point of patient care. With the ability to quickly assess, diagnose and triage patients at the scene of an accident, medical personnel in first response vehicles such as ambulances and helicopters will be able to pre-notify hospitals of a patient’s arrival, which could lead to improved clinical outcomes.
One of the first physicians to integrate ultrasound into first responder vehicles, Dave Spear, MD, EMS Medical Director, Odessa, Texas, said, "Working for the Odessa fire department, I have spent the last 10 years training paramedics on how to use ultrasound in the pre-hospital setting. SonoSite’s systems are incredibly simple to use, portable, durable and have truly changed the dynamic in which first responders can diagnose a patient at the point-of-care. Quickly, paramedics can scan a patient for internal bleeding, and then determine whether they need to call the surgeon to head into the local trauma center. SonoSite has placed valuable technology in the hands of EMS providers and as a result, they have brought major benefits to patients at the point-of-care."
"I believe that within the next 3-5 years ultrasound will become a standard for delivering better patient care in the pre-hospital emergency setting," commented David Hildebrandt, NREMT-P, CCEMT-P, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
"SonoSite intends to maintain and extend its leadership in driving access to point-of-care visualization with our unique solutions," said Kevin M. Goodwin, SonoSite President and CEO. "EMS is often the first point-of-care, and the potential to expand the use of ultrasound in this setting for the benefit of clinicians and patients is enormous. We have high confidence that Physio-Control will be a strong partner as we work to develop this market."
"Physio-Control has been committed to providing lifesaving tools to lifesaving teams for over 55 years," said Brian Webster, President of Physio-Control. "We have introduced many leading-edge technologies to our EMS customers during that time and our goal is to continue to consistently deliver new clinical innovation to benefit patients. We believe ultrasound may be the next clinical advancement with positive patient care impact in EMS. We have a history of developing markets for new clinical applications and then integrating them into our products such as the LIFEPAK 15® monitor. We will be looking for similar synergies with SonoSite technology."