Sonosite Offers New Needle Tracking Technology for Ultrasound

Fujifilm Sonosite Inc., a Bothell, Wash.-based provider of ultrasound technology, has released the Axotrack needle guidance technology for use with certain of its ultrasound systems. The needle is now available for the company’s M-Turbo ultrasound system. The Axotrack technology was developed by Soma Access Systems LLC based in Greenville, S.C. Sonosite has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for specialized ultrasound transducers equipped with Axotrack technology.

Axotrack combines ultrasound with magnetics, which is designed to provide users with real-time visual updates of needle location as it travels through tissue to the intended target. Sonosite claims the “point-and-shoot” design can save time and may significantly improve procedure outcomes, particularly for vascular access. Pre-existing patient health conditions, such as low blood pressure, can increase the risk of complications during these procedures. The ability to line up the target line with the vessel and then track the “virtual needle” into the vessel can reportedly improve patient safety and the confidence of ultrasound users performing guided procedures.

The Axotrack system as a whole consists of an ultrasound transducer from Sonosite and a single-use sterile procedure kit from Soma.

“Axotrack needle guidance technology for Sonosite Systems brings a timely solution to health systems,” said Kevin M. Goodwin, Sonosite’s president and CEO. “By reducing vascular access time and enhancing patient safety, Axotrack can ultimately reduce procedural risks and costs at a time when all of these points really matter to health systems. It is well recognized that ultrasound visualization improves the accuracy and safety of deep needle-based procedures. Axotrack takes this to a new level by reducing the spatial coordination required when a needle tip is typically not seen. Now physicians can observe the ‘virtual needle’s’ movement on the screen so they can be more accurate and avoid observed critical structures such as the carotid artery or the lung pleura.”

Goodwin went on to say that the “point-and-shoot” design will be appealing for new users, as it addresses coordination challenges sometimes faced with traditional ultrasound needle guidance.

An in vitro study, published in the September 2010 issue of Supplement to Annals of Emergency Medicine, using Axotrack resulted in vascular access procedures that were successful on the first pass and first stick 99.3 percent of the time versus 37.1 percent of the time when compared to the standard freehand method for ultrasound-guided central venous access.

While it was originally designed to improve the safety and accuracy of placing central venous catheters, the device is now used for a range of needle-guided procedures.

“For the first time, clinicians have clear sight of needle location as it moves inside the human body,” said Dexter Hagy, president and CEO of Soma Access Systems. “This means fewer passes for difficult-to-reach targets, greater success rates, and increased physician confidence, setting a new standard of care throughout the medical industry.”

Axotrack technology currently is available in the United States through Sonosite.