SonoSite, Inc. Introduces a Revolution in Medicine - the New SonoSite 180 Hand-Carried Ultrasound System.

PHILADELPHIA--(BW HealthWire)--May 17, 1999--

The World's First All-Digital, Broad Bandwidth Ultrasound System Weighing 5.4 Pounds Unveiled at the American College of Obstetricians

and Gynecologists Meeting

SonoSite, Inc. (Nasdaq: SONO) today introduced the SonoSite(tm) 180 hand-carried ultrasound system to OB/Gyn physicians. For the first time, physicians will have the power of all-digital, broad bandwidth technology in an easy-to-use ultrasound system weighing 5.4 pounds. This breakthrough ultrasound system offers exceptional image quality and Color Power Doppler capability - unprecedented in a system of this size and cost.

The SonoSite 180 system is being previewed at the 47th Annual American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Clinical Meeting, currently underway here in Philadelphia. One of the largest medical meetings in the country with an expected attendance of more than 5,000 physicians, ACOG offers healthcare professionals the opportunity to learn about medical advances in obstetrics and gynecology.

The new SonoSite system will allow physicians worldwide to take advantage of high-performance ultrasound imaging for immediate diagnostic information at the primary point of care. Initial applications include gynecology, obstetrics and abdominal imaging to augment routine bimanual pelvic exams, assess pelvic pain or abnormal bleeding and aid in basic fetal assessment. Additional applications for emergency medicine and cardiology are also being developed. The initial configuration of the new system offers both transabdominal and intravaginal imaging. The SonoSite 180 system is expected to ship to healthcare professionals and providers, worldwide, in late 1999.

"We are proud of this revolutionary ultrasound system and its potential to impact medicine, both clinically and economically," said Kevin Goodwin, President and CEO of SonoSite, Inc. "Until now, the routine use of ultrasound imaging has been limited by image quality, size and cost. We believe our affordable system, with its small size and outstanding image quality, will expand the modality beyond its current boundaries, resulting in the routine use of ultrasound in the initial physical exam."

"With the convenience of this portable ultrasound system, a scan can be done every time a patient comes in," said John C. Hobbins, M.D., Chief Obstetrician, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado. "I believe that this should result in fewer missed problems, and we could have a more efficient way of identifying those patients who need more comprehensive diagnostic scans."

Market research indicates that an increasing number of OB/Gyns believe that the use of routine transvaginal sonography (TVS) during pelvic exams represents an opportunity to improve medical outcomes.1,2,3,4 "A vaginal ultrasound probe offers a window to the pelvis, allowing both anatomy and function to be comprehensively analyzed. Routine use with the probe allows for earlier diagnosis and treatment of conditions that may have otherwise gone undetected with only a bimanual pelvic exam," said Steven R. Goldstein, Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, New York University School of Medicine and Director of Gynecologic Ultrasound, New York University Medical Center.

A Revolution in the Making

SonoSite, spun-off from ATL Ultrasound in April 1998, received 510(k) pre-market clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last month, allowing the company to market a commercial version of the new device.

Leveraging technology that until now was found only in the most advanced computing hardware, the SonoSite 180 system takes advantage of the latest in silicon integration resulting in a high performance system with image quality comparable to larger, more expensive cart-based ultrasound systems, but at a significantly lower cost.

"We believe the new SonoSite 180 system will revolutionize the use of ultrasound in diagnostic medicine similar to the way that laptop computers and cellular telephones advanced computing and telecommunications," Goodwin explained. "Even beyond improvements in care, patients will benefit by avoiding what we have learned to call `waiting trauma' -- anxiety felt when a problem is indicated but diagnostic answers are not available."

"Information is power," said Greggory R. DeVore, M.D., of the Fetal Diagnostic Center, Salt Lake City, Utah. "The SonoSite 180 can provide us with information we didn't have before -- knowledge that would allow us to communicate effectively with patients and make changes in treatments that could affect outcomes in a very positive way."

Product Architecture & Benefits

Development of the SonoSite 180 system was spurred by a request from The United States federal government Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) for a battery-operated, lightweight, hand-held ultrasound device for military use on the battlefield and disaster recovery situations.

Key components of the SonoSite technology platform include:

- High-end, all-digital ultrasound and Application Specific

Integrated Circuit (ASIC) technology enabled by four

custom-designed computer chips achieve high performance

while reducing size and power consumption

- Proprietary technology process allows production of

broadband transducers with performance comparable to those

of larger high-performance systems.

- Design engineering advances enable trained physicians to

integrate the system into standard exam procedures, an

advance that may someday lead to the use of ultrasound as

part of a routine examination becoming as standard as the

use of a stethoscope.

- Flexible system architecture will support future development

for the specialized needs of additional medical specialties.

Pricing for the debut system will be less than $20,000 depending on specific configuration options. This low initial cost will enable healthcare organizations to increase diagnostic imaging capacity at a low incremental cost, but without needing to expand imaging facilities.

An "Out of the Box" Commitment to Education & Training

As part of a commitment to supporting accurate and responsible use of its pioneering medical technology, the company is creating the SonoSite Institute of Training and Education (S.I.T.E.). S.I.T.E. will be the first organization of its kind in the ultrasound industry. Guided by an advisory board of leading clinicians from around the world, S.I.T.E. will provide innovative and practical educational programs to prepare physicians and other health care professionals to properly acquire and interpret the images generated by SonoSite's ultrasound systems.

"Training and education is critical in the acquisition and interpretation of images, and we believe that the new S.I.T.E. institute will be one of the most important contributions our new company can make to the ultrasound community," said Allen W. Guisinger, SonoSite's Vice President Clinical Education and Strategic Partnership Development. "Additionally, SonoSite will be the first ultrasound company to deliver training materials with every ultrasound system - an extension of the "out of the box" experience that our systems will offer professionals."

New Company Pioneering Advances in Point of Care Medicine

The ACOG meeting also represents the debut of SonoSite, Inc. to the medical community. At the vanguard of point-of-care medicine, an advance in medical imaging technology that is revolutionizing the diagnostic process, SonoSite, Inc. is a new, global medical technology company with strong heritage in ultrasound imaging. Spun-off from ATL Ultrasound, SonoSite is dedicated to designing, developing and marketing highly portable, all-digital ultrasound imaging systems that provide excellent image quality.

SonoSite, Inc., (www.sonosite.com) headquartered in Bothell, Washington, is developing a new class of highly portable, all-digital ultrasound systems that are designed to have the image quality of larger, more expensive systems but will be 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.

Forward-looking Information and the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995 Certain statements in this press release, including statements concerning product development milestones and anticipated product launch, 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 complete research, development and product introduction with the characteristics described on a timely basis or at all; the possibility of problems, delays or unanticipated expenses, including problems, delays or expenses involving technology development or obtaining government approvals, and risks relating to the validity of patents and the enforceability of patents. 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 1998 annual report on Form 10 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.

1 Goldstein S, Shwartz L., et al: Ultrasonography-based triage for

peri-menopausal patients with abnormal uterine bleeding. Am J

Obst Gyne 177:102, 1997

2 Reuss L, Kolton S, Tharakan T: Transvaginal ultrasonography in

gynecologic office practice: Assessment in 663 premenopausal 

women. Am. J. Obst.. Gyne 175(5):1189-1194, 1996.

3 McKenney M, Rozycki G, et al: Symposium: Ultrasound in Trauma.

Contemporary Surgery 50(3):188-198, 1997.

4 Ma J, Abrahamian J, et al: Prospective Analysis of a Rapid Trauma

Ultrasound Examination Performed by Emergency Physicians. J

Trauma: 885, 1995

Note to Editors: representatives of the media are invited to learn more about SonoSite during the ACOG meeting, May 16-19; following the medical conference, briefings, additional information and graphics are available via the contact people noted on this news release.

- During the ACOG meeting, May 17-19, SonoSite will provide

information at an exhibit booth [2416] about the SonoSite 180

ultrasound system. The booth will be equipped with sample

SonoSite 180 units, demonstration videos and SonoSite

representatives will be available to answer questions.

- On Monday, May 17, SonoSite is sponsoring an interactive,

multi-media event "Past, Present, Future of Ultrasound" that will

bring to life the history of ultrasound, present use in medical

diagnosis and the future of ultrasound as advanced by the

introduction of the new system. The event will be held in the

ballroom of the Park Hyatt in Philadelphia from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.,

all ACOG attendees are invited to attend.