BOTHELL, Wash., Oct. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Verathon® is pleased to announce the new AortaScan(TM) AMI 9700 aortic measurement instrument to help physicians identify the presence of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Designed with Emergency Physicians, Internists, and Family Practitioners in mind, the portable AortaScan(TM) AMI 9700 uses 3D ultrasound to quickly and noninvasively measure the diameter of the abdominal aorta, without the need for a sonographer. This crucial diameter measurement helps physicians identify the presence of AAA. The AortaScan(TM) AMI 9700 makes its official debut in October at the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) conference in Boston, MA on October 5 (Verathon Booth # 1235), and the American Association of Family Physicians (AAFP) conference, also in Boston, on October 15 (Verathon Booth #3244).
Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), a localized dilation of the abdominal aorta that exceeds normal diameter by more than 50%, occur most frequently in men over the age of 60.(1,2) In the US, AAA occurs in 2-4 % of the adult population, with men 5-7 times more likely than women to develop AAA.(3) Ruptured AAA is the 13th leading cause of death in the US: approximately 15,000 American die annually from it.(3,4) In addition to age and gender , other patient risk factors include atherosclerosis, a family history of AAA, a history of smoking, high blood pressure and obesity.(1,3) An estimated 40,000 surgical procedures are performed every year in the U.S. to repair AAAs.(3)
The new AortaScan(TM) AMI 9700 offers health care providers a quick, accurate, and reliable instrument for their Emergency Department (ED). The instrument, which has an onboard video tutorial and does not require a sonographer, is easy for nurses to learn and use.
"In the Emergency Department, seconds count. The AortaScan(TM) AMI 9700 is designed to quickly and accurately take abdominal aortic diameter measurements to help identify a serious, life-threatening condition," stated Gerald McMorrow, CEO, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Verathon, Inc. "Integrated into triage, the AMI 9700 instrument gives Emergency Physicians critical information. With mortality rates approaching 95% for ruptured AAA, the ability to identify this often asymptomatic condition is essential for delivering effective care and improving patient outcomes," McMorrow said.
In a Primary Care setting, with Internists and Family Practitioners, the AortaScan(TM) AMI 9700 allows physicians to integrate abdominal aortic diameter exams into office visits. The US Preventative Services Task Force recommends screening patients who have a relatively high risk of dying from AAA: major risk factors include age 65 years or older, male sex, and smoking at least 100 cigarettes in a lifetime.(4) Unlike other ultrasound machines, the portable AMI 9700 is quick and easy to use. Exam results can be provided in a matter of minutes during an office visit.
When the scan button is pressed on the AortaScan(TM) AMI 9700, the instrument measures ultrasonic reflections on multiple planes inside the body and produces a three dimensional image. Based on this image, the AMI 9700 calculates and displays the diameter of the abdominal aorta on the color console, and offers aiming assistance to the user, on both the probe and the console.
The AMI 9700 instrument provides a print out or it can save exam data to an electronic medical record (EMR) via HIPAA-compliant ScanPoint® online imaging technology ®. ScanPoint® technology provides the ability to view, save and print exams as well as to quickly and easily calibrate AortaScan(TM) instruments online.
For more information, please visit http://www.verathon.com.
About Verathon Inc.
Verathon ® designs and manufactures reliable, state-of-the-art medical devices and services that offer a meaningful improvement in patient care to the health care community. The company's noninvasive BladderScan® instrument is a standard of care for portable ultrasound bladder volume measurement. The brand is found in over 80 countries in Urology and Primary Care practices, as well as Acute and Extended Care facilities. With the January 2006 acquisition of Saturn Biomedical Systems in Vancouver, Canada, Verathon® entered Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Emergency markets with the GlideScope® Video Laryngoscope (GVL®) brand. Verathon® is headquartered in Bothell, Washington and has over 400 employees worldwide. For more information, please visit www.verathon.com.
Verathon® Medical: Rick Goetter, Brand Director - AortaScan(TM), 425.867.1348, Ext. 5608. Also: Jane Mueller, VP of Marketing, 425.867.1348, Ext. 5600 and Nansea Carmichael, Executive Assistant - Marketing, 425.867.1348, Ext. 5607
AortaScan, BladderScan, NeuralHarmonics, ScanPoint, GlideScope, GVL, Verathon and VMODE are trademarks of Verathon Inc. 2009 Verathon Inc.
1. eMedicine: Vascular Surgery - Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/463354-overview 2. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000162.htm. 3. eMedicine: Emergency Medicine - Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/756735-overview. 4. G. Upchurch and T. Schaub, Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. American Academy of Family Physicians (April 2006): 1198-1204.
SOURCE Verathon Inc.
|SOURCE Verathon Inc.|
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