Sonicaid

Sonicaid Ltd was a medical electronics company headquartered in West Sussex best known for its range of Doppler fetal monitors. The company also developed early ultrasound scanners. The word "Sonicaid" is in generic use for Doppler fetal monitors. Sonicaid is now a registered trademark of Huntleigh Healthcare.[1]

Fetal monitors

Sonicaid developed a range of fetal monitors, notably the portable Doppler ultrasound products D102, D104 ("Pocket Sonicaid"), D205[2][3] and D206 which provided audible output of fetal heart sounds. The FM series products used both ultrasound and ECG to provide continuous monitoring (recorded on paper charts), enabling clinical interpretation of changes in fetal heart rate during contractions.[4] The FM3R[5] received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 1977[6] and one of these instruments is displayed at the Science Museum, London[7] (the "machine that goes ping" in The Meaning of Life is identifiable as this model).

Ultrasound scanners

Sonicaid Ltd was involved in an early venture in the development of a 3D multiplanar scanner in the mid 1970s,[8] building on the pioneering obstetric ultrasonography work by Prof Ian Donald and colleagues.[9] They also developed the Sonicaid RTS5200 Real Time Scanner which was used in hospitals for obstetric applications.

Company history

Sonicaid Ltd was based in Bognor Regis in the 1970s[10] with a unit in Livingston, Scotland, and in Chichester in the 1980s. The company was acquired in 1987 by Oxford Instruments and developed the product range further[11] as "Oxford Sonicaid".

References

  1. ↑ Sonicaid Trademark TSDR Serial Number 73025661
  2. ↑ D205, Science Museum Group Collections Online Object Number 1981-1615
  3. ↑ Design 246, p.83, 1969. Available from VADS
  4. ↑ R. W. Beard and T. S. Finnegan. Fetal heart patterns and their clinical interpretation, 1974. Available on http://www.bradfordvts.co.uk/wp-content/onlineresources/1001women/ctg%20-%20cardiotocography.pdf (depicts Sonicaid Fetal Monitor FM2)
  5. ↑ Fetal Monitor FM3R, Science and Society image 10545304
  6. ↑ FDA application K771379
  7. ↑ "Foetal monitoring system, 1980", inventory number 1980-1072, Science Museum, London.
  8. ↑ unpublished article available on http://www.ob-ultrasound.net/brown3d.html. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  9. ↑ Ian Donald, J Macvicar, T.G Brown. Investigation of Abdominal Masses by Pulsed Ultrasound. The Lancet, Volume 271, Issue 7032, Pages 1188 - 1195, 7 June 1958 doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(58)91905-6
  10. ↑ New Scientist 2 December 1971 ("ultrasonics technology" job advertisement on page 55). Available on https://books.google.com/books?id=s5hPWIkgZ_UC&lpg=PA55
  11. ↑ FDA application K002150
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