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Sonora Announces FirstCall for TEE Probe Testing

by Joan Trombetti, Writer | February 03, 2009
Transesophageal probes

Sonora Medical Systems has developed and released the FC-t, a new version of FirstCall, an ultrasound probe testing device that focuses on testing expensive transesophageal (TEE or TE) probes.

G. Wayne Moore, president and CEO of Sonora Medical Systems said Sonora has had many requests from biomedical and clinical engineers for a low cost version of FirstCall specifically to test TEE probes under their care, and if five or six of these TEE probes need to be replaced at $20,000 per probe, the expense, downtime, and patient safety issues are dramatic.

TEE probes represent the most expensive of the ultrasound probes and can range in price from $35,000 up to $75,000. TEE probes have high failure rates but can be repaired at a fraction of the replacement price when problems are found early. Priced less than $10,000, the FC-t uses Sonora's proprietary and patented technology to detect even small amounts of fluid infiltration into the insertion tube caused by bite marks or small tears in the coating material of the probe, the leading cause of TEE failures.

Sonora also provides a training presentation on TEE care that focuses on proper cleaning, electrical leakage testing, and storage of these probes.

Certified to the ISO9001 and 13485 quality standards, Sonora supplies after-market products, training, depot-level repair and support services, and test equipment to the medical imaging market.