FUJIFILM VisualSonics Receives Health Canada Clearance for New High-Frequency Ultrasound Device

FUJIFILM VisualSonics Inc., a developer of high-frequency ultrasound imaging systems and subsidiary of FUJIFILM SonoSite Inc., has received clearance from Health Canada for its Vevo MD, touted as the world’s first ultra high-frequency (UHF) clinical ultrasound system. The Vevo MD operates at much higher frequencies than any conventional ultrasound system currently available. This allows medical professionals to see sonograms with unparalleled image resolution—down to 30 micrometers.
 
“Throughout its history, Fujifilm has been at the forefront of breakthroughs in healthcare. This powerful technology from FUJIFILM VisualSonics is the latest in a long line of innovations,” said Masayuki Higuchi, president and CEO of FUJIFILM SonoSite Inc. “With unprecedented image resolution capabilities, Vevo MD will have significant impact on the quality of care Canadian practitioners deliver to patients.”
 
Vevo MD’s patented transducer technology is capable of operating in a range of frequencies up to 70 MHz, a tremendous increase in resolution compared to conventional ultrasound systems. The Vevo MD is designed to play a role in a range of clinical application areas including neonatology, vascular, musculoskeletal, dermatology, and other small parts that are within the first 3 cm of the body. With the Vevo MD, clinicians can observe tiny and highly detailed anatomy that has never been seen before using ultrasound. This means a greatly enhanced potential for diagnoses.
 
The technology was originally developed during the 1990s at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Toronto, Canada) in the laboratory of Dr. Stuart Foster. FUJIFILM VisualSonics was founded in 1999 to develop high-frequency ultrasound systems for preclinical use. The company has continually refined the technology and it is now available for clinical use. The Vevo MD represents a major accomplishment for the Canadian health care sector. It is an example of the groundbreaking research happening at Canadian hospitals that are transitioning through to the commercialization process.
 
“It is gratifying to see the Vevo MD make its clinical debut in Canada where Fujifilm partners with numerous hospitals,” said Diku Mandavia, M.D., FACEP, FRCPC, chief medical officer and senior vice president of FUJIFILM SonoSite Inc. and FUJIFILM Medical Systems U.S.A. Inc. “Vevo MD offers Canadian clinicians enormous potential to improve outcomes and change lives.”
 
FUJIFILM VisualSonics, Inc., is a global developer of real time, in-vivo, ultra high frequency ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging systems. With headquarters in Toronto, Canada, and offices around the world, FUJIFILM VisualSonics is represented globally across an integrated sales network. FUJIFILM VisualSonics provides imaging technologies for the advancement of preclinical research, particularly in cardiovascular, oncology, neurobiology and developmental biology areas. With the expansion of the product portfolio to include a new clinical product, FUJIFILM VisualSonics now broadens its range of imaging technologies across both preclinical and clinical markets. FUJIFILM VisualSonics is a subsidiary of FUJIFILM SonoSite Inc. and a part of FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation.
 
FUJIFILM SonoSite Inc. develops bedside, point-of-care ultrasound, and ultra high-frequency micro-ultrasound technology. Headquartered near Seattle, Wash., the company is represented by 26 subsidiaries and a global distribution network in more than 100 countries. SonoSite’s portable, compact systems are expanding the use of ultrasound across the clinical spectrum by cost-effectively bringing high-performance ultrasound to the point of patient care.
 
FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation of Tokyo, Japan, develops products for a broad spectrum of industries, including healthcare, with medical systems, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics; graphic systems; highly functional materials, such as flat panel display materials; optical devices, such as broadcast and cinema lenses; digital imaging; and document products. These are based on a vast portfolio of chemical, mechanical, optical, electronic, software and production technologies.In the year ended March 31, 2016, the company had global revenues of $22.1 billion, at an exchange rate of 112.54 yen to the dollar.