Konica Minolta Healthcare Selects Mercury Medical as Distributor for Ultrasound Solutions in Regional Anesthesia

Wayne, NJ, June 29, 2021 – Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas, Inc. announced today an agreement with Mercury Medical as the company’s distributor for ultrasound solutions in the anesthesia market. The agreement builds on Konica Minolta’s recent partnership with Medovate to provide a total solution promoting safer ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia. The agreement, effective immediately, covers the distribution of the SONIMAGE® HS2 Compact Ultrasound System throughout the US.

“With the growing use of and interest in image-guided regional anesthesia, Konica Minolta recognized an opportunity to best serve the needs of providers and healthcare facilities by collaborating with Mercury Medical,” says Eric Sumner, Executive Vice President Ultrasound Sales at Konica Minolta. “Aligning with Mercury Medical provides anesthesiologists and medical centers with a familiar and trusted source for image-guided regional anesthesia solutions. Our companies have a common goal to maximize patient outcomes, and we are excited to partner with Mercury Medical to further enhance patient safety and clinical efficiency with our image-guided regional anesthesia solution.”

“For more than 55 years, Mercury Medical has been dedicated to bringing high-quality, innovative solutions to the surgical, anesthesia and airway management markets,” says John Gargaro, MD, President and CEO at Mercury Medical. “Our agreement with Konica Minolta further extends our dedication to these industries as well as our companies’ shared commitment to delivering exceptional products and services that help make a difference in elevating the quality of patient care. We are delighted to join forces with Konica Minolta to further maximize positive patient outcomes.”

The two companies have already partnered by promoting the HS2 System with Medovate’s SAFIRATM (SAFer Injection for Regional Anesthesia) for a total solution that enhances patient safety and transforms regional anesthesia into a one- physician procedure by allowing a single anesthesiologist to conduct the entire procedure. There are numerous patient benefits resulting from the use of regional anesthesia, including better post-operative analgesia, decreased opioid consumption and length of stay, early rehabilitation, fewer anesthesia-related side effects and high patient satisfaction compared to general anesthesia¹,².

¹. Cozowicz C, Poeran J, Zubizarreta N,etal.TrendsintheUseofRegionalAnesthesia: NeuraxialandPeripheralNerveBlocks. RegionalAnesthesia&PainMedicine 2016;41:43-49.

². Albrecht, E. and Chin, K.J. Advances in regional anaesthesia and acute pain management: a narrative review. Anaesthesia, 2020; 75:e101-e110