Ultrasound developer SuperSonic Imagine of Aix en Provence, France, has raised 34.5 million euros ($45.3 million) in Series C financing to develop additional clinical applications and boost global commercial operations.
The financing was led by Mérieux Dévoppement, followed by Canon and InnoBio for a total of 15.5 million euro ($20.4 million) from new investors.
The company plans to use the funds to accelerate development of its technology and finance global commercialization of its Aixplorer MultiWave ultrasound system. After initially focusing on breast imaging, the company plans to expand clinical applications to include liver, thyroid, abdominal, musculoskeletal, gynecological, and prostate imaging.
With MultiWave technology, one ultrasound wave ensures image quality and the other, a shear wave, displays local tissue elasticity. The Aixplorer system can generate, capture, and compute shear wave velocity in real-time, resulting in the bidimensional display of true tissue elasticity on a color-coded map, according to SuperSonic.
Related Reading
Hologic teams with SuperSonic Imagine, November 24, 2010
SuperSonic touts breast ultrasound trial, April 27, 2010
SuperSonic gets FDA nod for Aixplorer, August 26, 2009
SuperSonic Imagine raises $12 million, March 15, 2006
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![Examples of ultrasound findings and techniques. (A) Images in a 39-year-old male patient with a mass in the left thigh. The mass is heterogeneous on the B-mode US image (compared with the patient in D) and showed increased microvascularity (superb microvascular imaging [SMI]) and shear-wave elastography (SWE) values. Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy (with pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma in surgical specimen). (B) Images in an 18-year-old male patient with a mass in the left leg. The mass is hypoechoic on the B-mode image, with no other findings suggestive of malignancy. The lesion is in contact with the cortex of the tibia, which is slightly irregular. CT revealed a doubtful anteromedial tibial erosion. The microvascular study demonstrated high vascularization, suggestive of malignancy. Periosteal Ewing sarcoma was diagnosed with both histologic and immunohistochemical confirmation. (C) Images in a 69-year-old female patient with a lump growing on the outside of the left leg. Multiple SWE examinations were performed (please note the high values obtained in the measurements, whereas the color map highlights the stiffness relative to adjacent tissues). SMI showed areas of increased vascularization to target for sampling. Undifferentiated spindle cell sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with residual leiomyosarcoma in the surgical specimen after neoadjuvant therapy. (D) Images in a 56-year-old female patient with a mass in the right thigh. The mass is heterogeneous at both B-mode ultrasound (similar to patient A) and MRI (coronal T2-weighted spectral attenuated inversion recovery [SPAIR]; T1-weighted pre-contrast and postcontrast imaging), which even shows uptake after the administration of paramagnetic contrast material, which is traditionally suggestive of malignancy. Low values at SMI and elastography are suggestive of benignity. Spindle cell lipoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with atypical spindle cell lipomatous tumor in the surgical specimen.](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/images-radiol250278fig2.APCFLSvX6p.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)