Sound Technologies and GE HealthCare Announce Collaboration to Bring Vscan Air Handheld Ultrasound to Veterinary Practices Across the United States

• Collaboration expands long-standing relationship between GE HealthCare and Sound to include distribution for Vscan Air wireless devices
• Agreement facilitates access to high quality ultrasound products and solutions in GE HealthCare’s handheld portfolio for veterinary practices across the U.S.

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GE HealthCare (Nasdaq: GEHC) and Sound Technologies, the global veterinary imaging leader, today announced an agreement to distribute the Vscan Air™, a cutting-edge, wireless pocket-sized ultrasound that provides crystal clear image quality, whole-patient scanning capabilities, and intuitive software – to veterinary practices in the United States.

Ultrasound applications in veterinary care present the opportunity to transform healthcare for dogs, cats, horses, cows, pigs, goats and exotic animals including small mammals and reptiles. Ultrasound enables the examination of internal organs in precise detail without the risk of ionized radiation and is generally inexpensive. It is an important tool in veterinary medicine as it allows vets to diagnose a range of conditions that animals are susceptible to and enables vets to examine internal organs in precise detail, unlike X-rays that typically provide an overall picture of the area.

The Vscan Air is a handheld wireless ultrasound device that has the potential to help expand the utilization of and access to point of care ultrasound (POCUS) for Veterinarians and the animals they care for. Vscan Air operates with both iOS and Android apps to provide flexibility to the user. As an ultra-portable robust device that has been tested to military drop standards, it can easily be taken to veterinary care environments both in and outside the clinic. Its small footprint design delivers high quality imaging to support assessments. Its simple easy-to-use app design makes it ideal for a range of assessments including Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST) exams, emergency cage and stall-side evaluations, needle guided aspirates and injections, as well as Equine musculoskeletal (MSK) evaluations.

The collaboration with Sound enables targeted point-of-care examinations in veterinary care like never before. With more than 11,000 customers, Sound Technologies is excited to see the adoption of handheld ultrasound in veterinary medicine and the positive impact it can have. To further this mission, Sound’s Academy of Veterinary Imaging, located in Arlington Texas, Carlsbad California, and Baltimore Maryland, educates veterinarians and technicians on the importance of POCUS evaluations. The team at Sound feels that Vscan Air is the perfect tool to get veterinary med providers more comfortable with ultrasound.

“It’s very exciting to see the handheld technology evolve to provide this level of image quality in a small and ergonomic design,” commented Tom Jacobi, President, Sound Technologies.

As part of the collaboration agreement, Sound Imaging will serve as the exclusive distributor for Vscan Air for veterinary medicine in the USA and is a natural progression in a long-standing agreement to better serve customers.

Jim Hurley, General Manager, Handheld Ultrasound at GE HealthCare, said: “Sound Technologies has been an ultrasound partner of GE HealthCare in the United States for more than 20 years. They have uniquely led the expansion of ultrasound adoption by veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and animal health experts. Sound has been at the forefront of leading ultrasound use as systems for veterinary have expanded to new clinical specialties, patient conditions and care environments. As GE HealthCare has been a leader in point of care ultrasound devices where the clinicians go to the patient, Vscan Air will be the newest innovation for this ever-growing standard of care.”

Tom Jacobi, President, Sound Technologies, said: “The ‘fits in your back pocket’ dual-probe design, simplified workflow, and unparalleled image quality makes the Vscan Air incredibly useful in any veterinary practice setting: mobile or in-clinic; stand-alone or as an adjunct to a larger specialized system. Our veterinary users are embracing the Vscan Air as the go-to choice for treatment area and mobile use scanning applications.”

GE HealthCare pioneered the first color pocket-sized ultrasound, Vscan, in 2010 and has since continued to revolutionize the way clinicians see patients. To date, there are over 30,000 Vscan Family systems in the pockets of clinicians, impacting the care of more than 50 million patients worldwide. The Vscan Air continues the company’s commitment to innovation and transforming the clinical exam by making it easier to acquire high quality ultrasound images.

For information about Vscan Air for Veterinary care, please visit: https://soundvet.com/ultrasound/

* The device has been verified for limited use outside of professional healthcare facilities. Use is restricted to environmental properties described in the user manual.

* Vscan Air can be used for animals such as canine, feline, equine, bovine, ovine, porcine, caprine, and exotic animal (small mammals, reptiles, and avians, etc.).

Products mentioned in the material may be subject to government regulation and may not be available in all countries. Shipment and the effective sale can only occur after approval from the regulator. Please check with your local GE HealthCare representative for details.

About GE HealthCare

GE HealthCare is a leading global medical technology, pharmaceutical diagnostics, and digital solutions innovator, dedicated to providing integrated solutions, services, and data analytics to make hospitals more efficient, clinicians more effective, therapies more precise, and patients healthier and happier. Serving patients and providers for more than 100 years, GE HealthCare is advancing personalized, connected, and compassionate care, while simplifying the patient’s journey across the care pathway. Together our Imaging, Ultrasound, Patient Care Solutions, and Pharmaceutical Diagnostics businesses help improve patient care from prevention and screening, to diagnosis, treatment, therapy, and monitoring. We are an $18 billion business with 51,000 employees working to create a world where healthcare has no limits.

About Sound Technologies

Based in Carlsbad, California Sound is the global veterinary imaging leader and most trusted source for digital x-ray, ultrasound, education, PACS, therapy laser, CT, and imaging support. We are proud to be a piece of Mar’s mission in making a better world for pets. We take this mission very seriously and carry it through every aspect of our business. As a Mar’s company, Sound applies the Mar’s five principles as the foundation to the business and its day-today operations.

Visit our website www.soundvet.com for more information.