FUJIFILM SonoSite Partners with Vivid Medical to Co-Promote ‘Open Access’ Video Intubation Device

FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc., the world leader and pioneering specialist in bedside and point-of-care ultrasound, today announced a partnership with Vivid Medical Inc. of Palo Alto, CA, to co-promote the VividTrac^® Video Intubation Device.

VividTrac is the world’s first and only single-use, "open access” video intubation device with a USB interface that connects easily to a variety of display options. By simply plugging the VividTrac device into a compatible system, clinicians will have access to high-resolution video intubation to enhance patient safety and care.

“There is significant clinical evidence supporting the speed and accuracy benefits1-3 of video intubation,” said FUJIFILM SonoSite’s President and CEO Kevin M. Goodwin. “However, due to the limited number of available video intubation systems in some hospitals and clinics, video intubation is typically reserved for only the most difficult cases. By adding VividTrac’s 'plug-and-play' intubation capabilities to our portfolio of point-of-care medical tools, SonoSite is able to build on its rich history of providing clinicians with access to new visualization technologies that help reduce risk and contribute to better and more affordable health care."

Developed by Vivid Medical, this pocket-sized, single-use device delivers a consistently high and reliable performance. With a built-in anti-fogging lens and magnified field of view, it provides clear, high-resolution images for accurate tube placement and high rates of first-pass intubation success. This is particularly important during emergency situations where every second is critical. And, because VividTrac is a single-use device with an integrated endotracheal tube (ETT) channel, no subsequent sterilization or special capital equipment purchase is required.

Mina Farr, the CEO of Vivid Medical and an expert in the field of opto-electronics and optical systems, said, “The ability to see what you’re doing helps reduce complications associated with the traditional direct approach of intubating. Because it helps deliver better patient outcomes, I feel all patients should be intubated with the assistance of video. We designed VividTrac to address the high cost of ownership associated with video options available on the market today."

Currently able to integrate with a variety of display options, VividTrac's architecture is being modified to enable its compatibility with SonoSite ultrasound systems. Because both video airway management and ultrasound play an important role in resuscitation, the convergence of these critical technologies has been enthusiastically applauded by customers shown demonstrations of VividTrac linked with SonoSite systems while still a work in progress. "Based upon this overwhelming feedback," said Goodwin, "we envision that many SonoSite ultrasound systems could be upgraded in the future to provide further access to video intubation. One of our ultimate goals is to achieve integration on all our devices.”

VividTrac is now available in the United States through SonoSite.