BOTHELL, Wash., Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Diagnostic Ultrasound Corporation updated its company name to Verathon Inc. This change reflects both the strong growth of the company’s brands and a well-defined strategy for the future of the business.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061011/SFW044LOGO )
In January 2006 Diagnostic Ultrasound acquired a non-ultrasound business, Saturn Biomedical Systems and its innovative GlideScope(R) video laryngoscope (GVL(R)) brand. This move, combined with the success of the company’s BladderScan(R) bladder volume instrument business, prompted the new name.
“The change from Diagnostic Ultrasound to Verathon(TM) represents a significant milestone for our company,” said Gerald McMorrow, CEO, Founder and Chairman of the Board. “We have grown from a small, single brand ultrasound company to a global organization with a broad portfolio of product brands that go beyond ultrasound. Although our company name is changing, our business remains based on a solid foundation of employee excellence in providing our customers with innovative and reliable medical instruments supported by quality customer service.”
The Verathon(TM) name is a unique fusion of two ideals that embody the company’s mission and beliefs. Veritas (from the Latin “truth”) reflects the company’s commitment to being true to the needs of patients and health care professionals, and Marathon describes the company’s passion for enduring achievement over the long run. As Verathon(TM), the company will continue to provide the health care community with pioneering and reliable medical instruments and services that offer a meaningful improvement in patient care.
A new Verathon(TM) logo and Web address, www.verathon.com, are among the many initiatives supporting the name change.
“At Verathon(TM), we are dedicated to putting health care providers first in their quest to help their patients,” said Jane Mueller, the company’s Vice President of Marketing. “Now, as always, we are committed to designing and manufacturing products that are reliable, in every sense of the word. And we’re devoted to providing state-of-the-art medical devices and services that offer a meaningful improvement in patient care to the health care community.”
Diagnostic Ultrasound Corporation, now Verathon Inc., was founded in 1984 by McMorrow, an electrical engineer and Vietnam veteran. The company’s flagship brand, BladderScan(R), has been adopted by the medical community as the standard of care in bladder volume measurement. Noninvasive, accurate and easy to use, BladderScan(R) prevents unnecessary urinary catheterizations, reduces rates of urinary tract infection, and helps diagnose urological conditions such as enlarged prostate (BPH). The BladderScan(R) is used in Urology, Acute Care, Primary Care, and Extended Care.
The company’s strategy to expand into new markets and areas of medical technology led to the acquisition of Saturn Biomedical and the GlideScope(R) brand. GlideScope(R) video laryngoscopes provide a consistently clear view of the airway, enabling quick intubation. The GlideScope(R) offers significant benefits to Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Emergency Medicine professionals.
“Joining Verathon(TM) has been a winning situation both for the team at Saturn Biomedical and for our customers,” said Dr. John Pacey, inventor of the GlideScope(R) and President of Verathon Medical (Canada) ULC (formerly Saturn Biomedical Systems). “Since the acquisition, Verathon’s excellent sales channel and customer service capabilities are facilitating an even faster deployment of GlideScope(R) technology into the OR -- a “win” for both Anesthesiologists and their patients.”
Consistent with McMorrow’s vision of smart, strategic expansion, this month Verathon(TM) is introducing the new GlideScope(R) Ranger, a portable, compact and durable video laryngoscope designed specifically for military and emergency medicine. The company plans further additions to its product portfolio in the coming months.
Experiencing continued double-digit growth, Verathon(TM) was ranked among the fastest growing technology companies in Washington State in Deloitte’s prestigious “Technology Fast 50" program for both 2005 and 2006. And in June McMorrow won the Pacific Northwest Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) Award for Health Services.
About Verathon Inc.
Verathon(TM), formerly Diagnostic Ultrasound Corp., designs and manufactures reliable, state-of-the-art medical devices and services that offer a meaningful improvement in patient care to the health care community. The company’s noninvasive BladderScan(R) instrument is the standard of care for bladder volume measurement. The brand is found in over 60 countries in Urology and Primary Care practices, as well as Acute and Extended Care facilities. With the January 2006 acquisition of Saturn Biomedical Systems in Vancouver, Canada, Verathon(TM) entered Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Emergency markets with the GlideScope(R) video laryngoscope (GVL(R)) brand. Verathon(TM) is headquartered in Bothell, Washington and has approximately 230 employees worldwide. For more information, please visit www.verathon.com .
Media Contact: Carol Klimas, Off Madison Ave, (480) 505-4527. Alternate Contacts: Jessica McMorrow, PR Specialist, Verathon Medical Inc., (425) 867-1348, Ext.6062; Jane Mueller, VP of Marketing, Verathon Medical Inc., (425) 867 -1348, Ext. 6060; Jessica McNerney, Executive Assistant to Gerald McMorrow, Verathon Inc., (425) 867-1348, Ext. 1448.
NOTE: BladderScan(R), GlideScope(R), GVL(R), Verathon(TM), and Verathon Medical(TM) are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Verathon Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All rights reserved.
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061011/SFW044LOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.orgPRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.comVerathon Inc.
CONTACT: Media Contact, Carol Klimas of Off Madison Ave, +1-480-505- 4527;or Alternate Contacts, Jessica McMorrow, PR Specialist, +1-425-867-1348,ext. 6062, or Jane Mueller, VP of Marketing, +1-425-867-1348, ext. 6060,both of Verathon Medical Inc.; or Jessica McNerney, Executive Assistant toGerald McMorrow, Verathon Inc., +1-425-867-1348, ext. 1448
Web site: http://www.verathon.com/
