SONO again delivers as promised in the CC: Japan has approved the sale of the 180. They said that they believed Olympus, their Japanese distributor, was ready to sell as soon as approval came. Should add some revenue this Q, with more to come to in June Q. Hopefully will spur Asian and third world sales.
SonoSite Receives Clearance to Market and Distribute the
Sonosite 180 Hand-Carried Ultrasound System in Japan
Revolutionary 5.4-pound System will Enable Physicians in Japan to Bring All-digital,
High-performance Ultrasound Imaging to Patients Anytime, Anywhere
BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 6, 2000-- SonoSite, Inc. (Nasdaq:SONO - news) today announced that in
collaboration with Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (Nikkei Stock Exchange: OLYOY), it has received clearance from the Japan Ministry of
Health and Welfare to market the SonoSite 180 hand-carried ultrasound system in Japan.
The clearance allows Olympus, SonoSite's partner in Japan, to import and distribute the system to the Japanese medical marketplace.
``Japan is the second largest single-country market in the world, so this is an important milestone for SonoSite,' said David H.
Gusdorf, SonoSite's vice president of strategic market development. ``In preparation for the clearance and launch of the SonoSite 180
system into Japan, we have conducted extensive physician research. To date, we have received a very enthusiastic response to the
SonoSite 180 system from our sampling of the Japanese medical community, and expect to begin shipments of the system to Japan
immediately.'
``The clearance from the Japan Ministry of Health and Welfare to market the SonoSite 180 system is significant for Olympus and
SonoSite,' said Mr. Tadao Imai, senior managing director, Olympus Japan Co., Ltd. ``We are now prepared to effectively introduce
and distribute this exciting new product to our physician customers.'
The SonoSite 180 system is the world's first hand-carried, all-digital, high performance ultrasound system weighing 5.4 pounds (2.4
kg). The system's unprecedented size, exceptional image quality and Color Power Doppler capability will allow physicians in Japan to
greatly expand the use of ultrasound into virtually any setting -- even where space is limited. The system will be marketed initially for
use in gynecology, obstetrics, urology and general purpose abdominal imaging.
SonoSite, Inc., (www.sonosite.com) headquartered in Bothell, WA, develops, manufactures, markets and sells a new class of
hand-carried, all-digital ultrasound systems designed to have the image quality of larger, more expensive systems but small enough to
be hand-carried from bedside to bedside and room to room in many clinical settings. SonoSite became an independent public
company on April 6, 1998, as a result of a spin-off from ATL Ultrasound.
Olympus Optical, Co., Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, has pioneered innovations in optical technology since its inception in 1919. The
Company's Medical Products Group markets and distributes medical endoscopes, clinical analyzers and other advanced medical
equipment designed to offer value and improve patient quality of life.
Forward-looking Information and the Private Litigation Reform Act
of 1995
Certain statements in this press release, including statements concerning market acceptance and performance are ``forward-looking
statements' within the meaning of the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions
and estimates of management at the time the statements are made and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. The words ``believe,' ``expect,' ``intend,'
``anticipate,' variations of such words, and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean
that the statement is not forward-looking. These statements are not guaranties of future performance and are subject to certain risks,
uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Factors that could affect SonoSite's actual results include, among others,
uncertainties as to the Company's ability to manage potential problems, delays or unanticipated expenses, and product acceptance by
the medical community. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon these forward-looking statements that speak only as
to the date of this release. Reference is made to SonoSite's latest annual report on Form 10-K/A filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission for a more definitive description of such factors. SonoSite undertakes no obligation to update publicly any
forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date of this release or to reflect the
occurrence of unanticipated events. |
