SonoSite goes nano

SonoSite goes nano
SonoSite is out with a new handcarried ultrasound system, one that is lighter and stronger than other such systems in the company’s product line. Underlying the paradox of the six-pound  NanoMaxx is the magnesium shell that replaces the plastic casing of other handcarried products in the SonoSite portfolio. NanoMaxx is pending FDA clearance, but is available for sale outside the U.S.,The Bothell, WA, company is aiming the new product, like others in its portfolio, at point-of-care applications in physicians’ offices and at the hospital bedside. It comes equipped with five transducers to support general exams from cardiac to small parts and interventions, including thoracic assessment and needle aspirations. It can be wall mounted, placed on an exam table, or operated from a compact, maneuverable stand.

Merge Healthcare expects mixed 2Q
Preliminary results for the second quarter show that Merge Healthcare will meet expectations for revenue in the second quarter, thanks in large part to $2.2 million in nonrecurring  revenue. Merge will not be able to do as much for the 2Q bottom line, however, which will sag in the quarter from a $3.6 million write down on the sale of an equity stake in the radiology company Eklin Medical Systems. Merge will get $1.4 million from the sale with most of the money being collected in the third quarter of 2009. With the various calculations all told, Merge expects net income for 2Q09 of between $100,000 and $800,000, a substantially worse showing than the $2.8 million of the previous quarter but much better than the of $18.3 million net loss in the year earlier quarter. Merge provided the unaudited results “to provide timely, material information to Merge’s shareholders, the market and the shareholders of etrials Worldwide, who are currently considering Merge’s pending tender offer for all of the shares of etrials,” according to the company.