Originally Published MX January/February 2006

COVER STORY

Building a new medtech company to capture leadership in a market that doesn't even exist yet is a risky business move, but it certainly helps to have control over the essential technology for the field.

That's the strategy that has supported eight years of extraordinary growth by SonoSite (Bothell, WA), whose proprietary application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) technology has enabled the company to develop high-performance ultrasound systems that are smaller, lighter, more rugged, and less expensive than cart-based systems. The company's technology leadership has essentially enabled it to create the marketplace for hand-carried ultrasound devices—and the company is also working hard to maintain its leadership in the field.

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