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Biotech / Medical : SonoSight (SONO), Handheld ultrasound for the masses -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TRIIBoy who wrote (299)	11/12/1999 12:38:00 PM
From: Sam	Respond to of 365

Well, of course, SONO could soar. One difference between them and Arthrocare, though, is that Sono threatens the interests of other doctors (or is perceived to do so), while Arthrocare threatens the interests of other medical equipment makers. That is, I think, a pretty big difference when you are asking doctors to buy and use the equipment. Radiologists are bound to be threatened in some way or another, and will disparage the abilities of non-specialists to interpret the scans. After all, if it is so easy, why are they (the radiologists) getting paid big bucks? Everything depends on how easy the scans are to read, and how useful they are. The MDs (or alleged MDs) on the Yahoo thread who were disparaging the pdt are only the tip of the iceberg. Whether they are right or not, I can't really say. I find it hard to believe that Sono could have gotten this far if they are right. But as you and other have pointed out in at least partial rebuttal, LDC uses for this sort of equipment may be pretty vast, even if there is a battle in the US and Europe with entrenched interests, and could well provide a big burst of revenue out of the chute. Anyway, it is an interesting speculation. I hope a hospital or a doctor near me gets one so I can see it for myself. And if they do get to that $72 million run rate sometime next year that they were talking about in the CC, then a $700 or $800 million market cap won't be out of the question. In fact, it would be more likely than not in a market like this one. s.

To: TRIIBoy who wrote (299)	11/12/1999 3:37:00 PM
From: Sam	Respond to of 365

Well, we are flying today. I don't know if ER was the cause--I tuned in a little late, and saw nothing that looked like a 180, frankly. However, it looks like the selling is over unless they are just waiting for another strong move into the low 30s to distribute some more stock. I would like to see some reports from the field on how real ERs or ObGyns are using them, and how useful they are. That would be a good thing. If we start to get some of those around, say, Feb or March of next year, and the April earnings report is a good one, we could see this stock really fly to the skies. s.

To: TRIIBoy who wrote (299)	11/16/1999 1:46:00 PM
From: Sam	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 365

Here is a nice post from Yahoo, for those who don't follow that thread, replying to several rather silly criticisms from a couple of alleged radiologists that the SONO 180 image isn't up to the standards of higher end equipment: messages.yahoo.com <<I somehow get the feeling that you are not practicing in the real world. Insurance carriers don't care whether a study is done on an Acuson or a reconditioned machine that is hopelessly out of date. Many hospitals are being squeezed financially and don't want to buy top of the line equipment. I currently have 8 Acusons and 3 ATL HDI's but our latest purchaces were for Acuson Aspens which are their mid tier machines. Most physician offices purchase, or contract with providers using, low end equipment which are inferior to SONO equipment. While I am all in favor of high quality care, it does not require a ATL 5000 or Acuson Sequioa for every study. As a physician I need clinical questions answered. If a patient comes to the ER with abdominal pain and I can tell in 2 minutes that he has gallstones with a thickened GB wall I have answered my question, helped the patient, and increased the efficiency of providing that care. There are numerous other examples I could provide in L & D, the ER and for portable studies on the floor. I'm not sure if SONO makes sense as an investment but I do see it as a clincal tool that can be very useful if correctly utilized. If I were the patient I would be happy to have a study done on me with a SONO machine if it answered the question and decreased the time it took for me to get that answer. Quality does not depend on the cost of the equipment. A Chevy will get you to the same place as a Mercedes assuming the driver knows how to drive. Occasionally you may need a Land Rover, but not for a trip to the supermarket.>>