Bard invests in urology ultrasound

Interventional equipment vendor C.R. Bard has invested $2 million for a minority equity interestin Diagnostic Ultrasound of Redmond, WA. Bard's patient care andurology divisions will also market Diagnostic Ultrasound's BladderScanBVI 2500 scanner in the U.S.

BladderScan is a noninvasive, nonimaging ultrasound devicethat provides measurements of bladder volume. The measurementtechnique provides a lower cost and less risky alternative tourinary catheters often used for bladder diagnosis. Bard is amajor catheter supplier.

According to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control,the cost to the U.S. health-care system of hospital-induced infectionsamounts to over $2 billion annually. About 80% of these infectionsare induced during urinary catheterization.

Diagnostic Ultrasound expects sales to double this year, aidedby Bard's investment, the Bard marketing agreement, an equivalentinvestment by another unnamed source, and expanded internationalbusiness. The company's other product is Versadopp 10, a pen-sizedDoppler blood-flow sensor used to evaluate the risk of strokeor peripheral artery disease and to assist in surgery.